HILLS’ new e-commerce platform is now live and attracting high volumes of site visits and account activations, according to CEO and managing director, David Lenz.
“Initial user uptake has exceeded our expectations,” Lenz said. “In the short time that the site has been live, there has been overwhelming interest and more than of site sessions were returning users. According to our statistics, users are dedicating time to setting up and populating their account pages, and downloading product information and technical documents.”
The new e-commerce site forms part of a digital transformation strategy initiated by Hills to revitalise the company’s digital capabilities and provide a better customer experience. Hills partnered with Cognizant, a global professional services leader, to build the platform, which offers customers online purchasing with 24/7 real-time inventory and self-service capabilities including customer statements, invoices, pricing, online payments, and delivery information.
With a strong presence in security, audio-visual, communications and health markets, Hills has positioned itself as a ‘one-stop shop’ for integrated building technology solutions, targeting industry verticals such as health, education, banking, and government infrastructure.
Lenz said the digital transformation was critical to refocus Hills from a product-centric to a customer-centric company, to improve customer engagement and core business processes.
“The new e-commerce platform has been built in consultation with customers, vendors and staff, and involved extensive customer research to ensure improved functionality and a better customer experience,” he said.
“It is a company-wide transformation. Our decision to take control of our own supply chain and open a National Distribution Centre in Seven Hills, NSW is critical to the success of the e-commerce platform. We’re focused on improving warehousing and dispatch processes to ensure a better online experience, but customers will see improvements in our level of service across all areas of the business.
“This is just the first phase of the platform – more enhancements are planned as we update our technology and business operations to better compete in the digital economy. We’re confident that it’s the step change needed to help drive sales growth across Australia and New Zealand,” Lenz added.
