Emerson progresses into the Internet
Emerson Electric Co. (St. Louis, MO) is creating a business-to-business e-commerce platform that will enable its divisions to integrate their systems — between divisions and thousands of channel partners located all around the world. The company has licensed its e-commerce platform and Enterprise Channel Management (ECM) solutions from Click Commerce, Inc. (Chicago, IL).
Using the Click Commerce Relationship Manager, Emerson divisions can provide
Under an enterprise license, each of Emerson's divisions can now use the Relationship Manager as a standardized e-commerce platform, and are able to license those application modules that best fit their divisional e-commerce needs.
"This strategic approach and partnership with Click Commerce gives us the opportunity to present a single face to the customer and interconnect our divisions more effectively to streamline performance and add value to relationships — for all links in the value chain, from Emerson to dealers to end-users," said Charles A Peters, Emerson executive vice president. "We will ultimately reap top-line benefits from increased sales by reaching new customers and new markets. We anticipate recognizing other benefits such as improved customer satisfaction and brand loyalty."
Two Emerson divisions - Emerson Power Transmission Corp. and Fisher-Rosemount - are the first to begin implementing ECM solutions. Emerson Power Transmission (EPT), which manufactures and markets an extensive family of bearings and power transmission drive products, will create a common customer interface, providing EPT distributors and customers with real-time, online access to product, price and shipping information.
Emerson's Fisher-Rosemount division, process management products and solutions including
has created a Common Customer Portal to support its many customers in the process controls industry.
A defining feature of the Click Commerce platform is the ability to model multiple layers within multiple distribution channels. Created around customer-specific extranets, the Emerson system will allow customers and partners to self-administer their accounts, user and customer groups. This means that each channel partner is able to access to their customer groups through a common Emerson software platform.
Other key features are
Emerson has invested $50 million to date, and this year will transact more than 10 percent of sales online. Today, there are 115 active projects underway across the enterprise.
Edited by Jerry R. Borland, P.E.
Managing Editor, EC Online