Indeed, it's easy to forget that most companies have yet to throw the switch on an e-commerce project. For those that are selling on the Web, online sales represent between 1 percent and 5 percent of overall sales. Like many others, Luster's approach has been to leverage an existing legacy system, a decade-old, homegrown enterprise resource planning application. The company elected not to use IBM's Net. The system supports Luster's 15 in-house salespeople, plus distributors and brokers.
Users can order products, check inventory and conduct historical analysis.
Meanwhile, Luster is considering selling directly to consumers over the Web, starting with alliances between portal sites and its existing distributors. Luster also may sell through dotcom ventures such as Black Cyberspace and Black Entertainment Television, said Luster-Munis, noting that distributors will fulfill orders placed through these venues.