Online Information Centers Web-based technology lets distributors provide specialized services for their customers, especially design engineers. As product cycles continue to decrease, engineers need a resource to access important information quickly. In addition to offering useful information on their Web sites, distributors can speed up and simplify the ordering process for their customers by incorporating e-commerce and online ordering capabilities.
Most distributors now post electronic versions of their print catalogs on their Web sites.
This allows users to look up products by part number, product category or manufacturer. Many distributors are using new contact management technology to integrate their Web sites into their customer service channels. Newark Electronics and other leading distributors are using new CRM technology to integrate their customer service channels. Some CRM systems can store a customer's information and purchasing history in a central database. Customer service employees can then access and verify each customer's specific product preferences, address or contact person changes, and detailed records of orders, shipment dates, and other relevant information.