Archiwum kategorii: News

Optimizing images on mobile devices

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The i-systems offer has been extended to include another novelty – optimizing the size of the loaded images.

Until recently, all banners, graphics, and photos were loaded responsively, which means they scaled automatically by adjusting to the size of the screen. However, the size of the image remained the same, regardless of the device. For example: a large image was loaded onto a smartphone, hence the loading time could have been longer. In addition, Responsive Web Design has become a standard solution, so i-systems has made a further improvement.

At present, a change has been introduced, dedicated to loading photos of products, as well as any images in the online store, adjusted to a specific mobile device. This allows the online store to load much faster on mobile devices, because smaller images are loaded to fit the screen size.
 
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The graphic depicts how the speed and weight of loading the 48 products in the category page are changing. In the case of a desktop category page weight of 2.7 MB, after optimization on a mobile device, it decreases to 0.5 MB, which means that the page weight is reduced by 82%. Similarly, the page loading speed changes, which in the case of the desktop is 3.37 seconds, and after optimization on the mobile device, it is 44% faster.

For high-resolution HiDPI screens, the so-called Retina, there is a significant improvement in image quality. In addition, there is the option of turning off quality to significantly speed up the store loading on these devices. The store administrator determines what is the priority when loading photos (quality or speed).

In the near future, the new solution can allow mobile browsers to decide whether to load sharp images (when connected to wifi) or poor quality, but faster (using 3G) or personalized phone settings.
 

The summary of Q1 2017 at i-systems

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In the life of every business, also in this operating in the e-commerce sector, the beginning of the year is a very intense time. Here are the highlights of the last quarter in i-systems. The next summaries will be delivered each quarter of the year.

New projects

At the beginning of the year, 6 contracts were signed with the new customers for the implementation and development of the sales systems. Four of them are related to solutions for B2B sector. These companies operate in the fields of construction, cosmetic, marketing, as well as distribution for the chemical, petrochemical, energy industries and also food industry.

The work begins with a business analysis. More about i-systems business analysis can be found on our website.

Trends in system development

Based on the market observations and repetitive developments in i-systems, we will be presenting market needs and trends. In Q1 the connection between online and offline, as well as the usage of the omnichannel potential is the most important matter. At the beginning of the year, the functionalities that strengthen multi-channel sales were implemented, among others in: 5.10.15. or R-GOL, where the availability of the product at the stationary store can be checked through the online store.

Development of the organization

For the development of our own products and our customers’ systems, a larger team is needed. In Q1, the representatives of i-systems were present at the events of the Faculty of Automatics, Electronics and Informatics of the Silesian University of Technology, as well as at the Engineering Job Fair in Gliwice. Among other things, these activities led to the fact that in the first three months of this year, our team had grown by 12 people. The IT department and the software testing department has expanded the most. Further recruitment is planned, mainly in product and solutions departments at i-systems. Continuous recruitment allows for the development of software and creating new teams, designated for the implementation of specific projects.

Internal projects for quality improvement

The most important change in the first quarter is full support for internal processes related to the long-term work planning for our Customers. The resource planner is integrated with all company tools and internal workflow.

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Planner allows reserving working time for customers who then take priority over work on the system. This tool is and will be used throughout all company work.

In February, a new version of the mobile app was launched. Its most important advantage is the constant connection with the e-commerce system and its management from the same panel. The new version is now available in App Store and Google Play. More can be found on i-systems blog.

New cloud resources are available for the current and new Customers. New disks and more powerful processors have been purchased, and the infrastructure has been replaced. In addition, the network has been upgraded to 10 Gbps. As a result, cloud support will be at a higher level.

In order to pursue the effective support for each sector of trade, i-systems has started the cooperation with the Polish Council of Shopping Centers (abbrv. PRCH). PRCH is the largest organization in Poland, associating over 240 companies related to the industry of shopping centers and shopping streets. PRCH is a not-for-profit association that has been operating since 2003 and it is a national partner of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC).

– As a member of the Polish Council of Shopping Centers, we have many new opportunities. First and foremost, we want to show that it is possible to connect the online and offline worlds – states Krzysztof Jaciw, CFO at i-systems.


The first implementation of the e-commerce solution for the shopping center in the CEE region is FASHION HOUSE Online Shopping. More about this implementation can be found on i-systems website.

We invite you to read another summary of i-systems events. The next one will appear in early July. In order not to miss the Q2 summary, we invite you to subscribe to the newsletter.



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i-systems release – version 4.4

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Another update of i-systems software, release 4.4, entails significant changes, this time in the structure of plugins. In addition, the ARMS module has been introduced, a couple of modules have been refactored, as well as previous versions of the system have been improved. Changelog in the case of this version of the system consists of 179 positions.

Plugin Migration

In this version of the system, plugins, such as payment and shipment, have been migrated to modules. Previously, they were part of the Plugins module. From now on, all deliveries and payments are made from separate modules, designed particularly for this purpose. They have common principles, their own installation files, translation languages, etc. The results of such migration are: much bigger transparency and development opportunities, as well as easier personalization.

ARMS Module

Account Receivable Management System is a system designed to support the company through effective management of accounts receivable, but also to prevent from the formation of overdue receivables, and their recovery.
In practice, a defined group of customers is created, for instance: “Trusted Customers”, “Premium Customers”, or “Blacklist”, and particular tasks are being assigned to this groups, along with the deadlines. Then, conditions are selected for those tasks. For example, reminder based on the fixed date of issue of the document, the total value of receivables, the amounts remaining to be settled, the amount of trade credit, as well as the payment date. This tool can be also integrated with other modules, which make it possible for instance to send payment reminders, automatically add a task to the calendar, or block placing orders. This solution is especially useful in the case of B2B companies.

Default Order Status Panel

A configuration panel in Order Status Module has been added to release 4.4. Each store has particular order statuses in system settings, such as new order, or canceled order. This status has its own ID, which is changed to another one – corresponding to the present order status when the update is made. The new solution will prevent any problem of improper queuing of stock levels and will facilitate order status checks.
This update of the system is also associated with the extension of installing files, and consequently – improved handling of multi-language fields in queries to the SQL (Structured Query Language) database. Refactoring of the Trade Credit module has also been completed, product images have been improved, and improvements have been made to the order edition.

The release is an update to the base version, on which the e-commerce system is based, to which new functionalities are regularly added. Thanks to the update, it is possible to develop the system and adapt it to the changing market. It is also possible to update dedicated solutions in subsequent releases.

New lookbook = higher conversion

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At the end of 2016, the i-systems company introduced new lookbook. Lookbook is a photo gallery, presenting a product collection of the designer or a brand. Interactive version of this tool has multiple features, both from the administrator’s and customer’s point of view.

“Natural environment” of the product

New lookbook directs the user from multimedia product gallery, straight to the product page. The customer, while viewing products on models, has a direct possibility to click on the specific image or product and place an order. Hence, there is no need to search for the product by catalogues, categories or tabs. There are two advantages of this solution: firstly, the customers can see the product in its “natural environment”. Therefore, they are able to check how the chosen product looks like in reality and make a fair assessment. Secondly, shorter path to purchase is a more efficient way to conversion.

Interactive gallery

When it comes to the functionalities of the administrative panel, lookbook gives unlimited possibilities of product presentation. The most important tasks of lookbook include: the ability to create any number of categories and subcategories. You can also assign multiple lookbooks to a single category, and add multiple images to a single interactive gallery. There is also a possibility to assign a number of products to given photo in lookbook and to determine the date of publication.

New lookbook – what does it mean?

Lookbook attracts customer’s attention for longer period of time because of the new kind of interaction. In the latest version of lookbook, a new design and layout were created, to build the position of the brand on the market more efficiently. In addition, the new version draws more attention, because of the simplified navigation on the site, shortening the path to purchase.

Adjusting to individual needs of the brand

Every lookbook is a very flexible tool and significantly influences buying decisions. Therefore, its layout and navigation have to be adjusted each time to individual needs of the brand, the size of the collection and target group.

While making a decision to implement Lookbook module to online store, it is worth remembering to create several dedicated options for different occasions. It is also important to make the layout variable. This affects the better performance, which leads to conversion. Lookbook is a form of professional portfolio, which serves fashion bloggers in communication from several years. When it comes to e-commerce, especially the fashion industry, it is based on this type of modules, because the seasonality of products is what matters, as well as offer transparency and easy navigation on the site.



Find out more about lookbook



The i-systems company again in Deloitte Technology Fast 500 EMEA

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This is the 16th time Deloitte – a global consulting company – announced ranking of 500 fastest-growing technology companies. The i-systems company managed to be included in this prestige program, that recognizes companies in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), for the second time in a row.

Deloitte Technology Fast 500 program is based on percentage fiscal-year revenue growth over the last four years. To be a part of the program, the companies have to develop or create proprietary technologies,  have an annual operating income in the amount of no less than 50 000 EUR, and have its headquarters in a participating country.

In this year’s edition there was 39 companies from Central Europe, of which 15 companies with its headquarters in Poland. The first place in the ranking took the Swedish company – Fingerprints Cards, specializing in biometric technologies.

Last year, i-systems took 354 place with the income growth of 300%, however this year the income growth reached 373% and the company took 310 place.

This is the second time i-systems qualified not only to Deloitte Technology Fast 500, but also to the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 ranking, announced a month earlier, which recognizes fastest-growing technology companies from Central Europe.

During the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 award gala, the topic of powerful connections has been discussed. Companies included in the ranking, in the short footage, with a green ball, had to present what means „powerful connections” in their daily activities. In the short film, created by i-systems, green ball symbolizes the friendly atmosphere, the desire to help colleagues, share ideas, as well as kindness and respect both in relations between customers and employees.

Mobile app integrated with e-commerce system

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The e-commerce systems, created in responsive web design, are standard today. Online store with matching layout to mobile devices is a kind of must have in online sales. However, modern customer is demanding and needs more and more efficient forms of online shopping. A mobile app, integrated with online store of the brand, meets the demands of today’s consumers.

Previously, problems with updates were a nuisance for the companies, which made mobile apps available for their customers. Therefore, very often application did not show the actual state, it was not integrated with e-commerce system, so it became outdated. In the case of mobile app, created by i-systems, all the information is collected au courant form the online store of the brand, hence inventory or discount data are always valid.

The advantage of the mobile app over RWD

First of all, mobile application is an additional sales channel, which increases the number of mobile customers, thanks to the possibility of efficient and convenient shopping.  In comparison to the online store, adjusted to mobile devices, mobile application has a lot of advantages. There is no need for the users to login to the online store each time, and thanks to push notifications he or she receives information about the latest discounts through the application. Research shows that up to 58% of mobile customers would prefer to use mobile app if there was such a possibility, generating at the same time 3.7 times higher conversion rates.

Meeting business needs

While creating a mobile app, dedicated to a particular brand, it is important to become familiar with the objects and business processes, which will allow to adapt the application to the needs of consumers. Department of analysis at i-systems prepared thorough workbook that describes the particular elements of the mobile application.



SIPOC diagram - “Account management” business process

SIPOC diagram – “Account management” business process

Workbook indicates business actors – logged in and logged out customers and the store’s admin, who manages settings in mobile app. It also indicates 5 key business processes. The main processes include: account registration, login, account management, product search and order registration. Characteristics of business processes has been developed on the basis of prepared SIPOC diagrams, which are a tools for description of suppliers, inputs, process, outputs and customers.

For each process the main goal and specific scenarios have been described. Example: account registration of the retail customer is a basic scenario, whereas the possibility of introducing corporate data for business customer is a detailed scenario. In each process business objects were created – 18 for the current version of the mobile application. Each business object has a name, a special designation, type – that is the division into a standard object, which is in each version of the application, or special one. For business objects a brief description was created, as well as attributes, meaning the scope of information which are possible to assign to the given object, such as: name, surname, e-mail, phone number, password, shipping address, invoice data etc.

Building mobile app

Performing an accurate description of the processes and business objects occurring in the mobile application is the first step of its creation. If a company, which already has the e-commerce system, is interested in mobile application, it places an order and i-systems employees begin work on recognizing business needs and fitting actors, objects and processes to them.

Mobile app, built by i-systems, is available for iOS and Android. Two versions of the mobile app have to be prepared for those systems. In addition, each company selling online, wants the application to be consistent with the visual identity of the online store, which is why it has to be personalized each time, so as the template, colors and icons harmonized with online store of the brand. Functions are matched to the individual needs of the company. Next the application is integrated with e-commerce system, and payments are configured from online store level. After building the mobile app, based on business needs of the company and adapted to its e-commerce system, i-systems team submits the application to the App Store and Google Play. Therefore i-systems customers can have their own dedicated applications, ready to be shared with their target customers.

The information about the mobile app can be published on the online store. After clicking the icon, App Store or Google Play is displayed, where the user can download the app.

The main functionalities of the mobile app

There are several ways of logging in to the mobile app built by i-systems. It can be done in a traditional way – by entering e-mail address and the password obtained while placing an order in online store. While entering data, one obtains a token, so that later the user could log in the application, without the need to re-enter personal details. Another form is log in by individual Facebook profile.

After starting the mobile app, a potential customer will see two banners, showing new and recommended products. Next version will be extended, so as the admin of the store could create the home page by his own by choosing the categories he would like to place there. There would be also more than two categories to be chosen.

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Application integrated with e-commerce system does not have to be manually updated along with every change in the online store. Updating e-commerce system does not mean having new version of mobile app. Moreover, building application by the same company that implemented e-commerce system, allows to develop and modernize application, so as it was always updated and met customers’ needs.

The customer can also sort products according to the newest, cheapest or the most expensive. He or she can also add product to favourites, in order to get back to them in time. While opening the product sheet, the user will see exactly the same information as in online store of the brand. Also, below product data, recommended products can be found.

An interesting feature of the mobile application are filters, built automatically for the category and the flag. The mobile application has exactly the same filters as e-commerce system. Filters are built dynamically, so if something changes in the online store will also be updated in the application. There is no need to enter new data manually and submit an app to the App Store or Google Play once again.
Shopping by mobile app is exactly the same process as in the case of online store. There is a possibility to find product by using the search engine based on SOLR, add product to cart, use a discount coupon, modify delivery data and select the payment method. Each purchase is shown in the „orders” tab.

Prospects for development of mobile application

Mobile application, built by i-systems, is most of all a new sales channel, allowing more efficient and safer shopping. Application integrated with online store will be developed and updated according to individual needs of the brand. Currently, it is adapted to the latest version of e-commerce system.

In the nearest future, it will be possible to login with touch ID, as well as pay by credit card. The development also covers work on implementation of push notifications, which are alerts about discounts and sales. The administrator of the store will be able to create discount offer in e-commerce system, and the user will receive it directly on mobile app. It is extremely interesting form of reaching the customer, because only 10% of customers open e-mails, while 90% of them open push notifications. Beacons will be another novelty. They will allow to strengthen omnichannel actions, connected with the use of mobile app. Beacons are devices which allow communication with smartphones or tablets. The customer while walking past brick and mortar sales point of the given brand, in which the beacon has been mounted, will receive notification about discounts or interesting offers of the store.

There are not many e-commerce companies which build mobile apps, as the separate mobile department has to be created. If the company does not have such a department, it has to subcontract building an app to other company. In such cases it is very common that problems with integration arise and application cannot be updated. There is a risk that the product range would not be actual, and the product purchased via mobile app would not be available. Beside the problems with data exchange, there is also an issue of costs, which are much higher than in the case of building mobile app by the company which implements e-commerce systems.

The online store, created by i-systems, which is integrated with ERP system and mobile app is a efficient and safe sales model.

Matching recommended products depending on the weather

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Selling seasonal products is still a challenge for online stores. In this case, the demand lasts from 3 to 4 months, so the time limitation forces sales optimization. Integration of the online store with Weather Module is the solution. Its sales effectiveness can be seen especially in the following sectors: clothing, cosmetics and outdoor.

Even well-planned advertising campaign can not bring expected results if the offer of an online store is not personalized. An effective solution is a combination of measures and tools for matching product offerings to customer needs in real time. Dedicated Weather Module offers the choice of products, depending on the location, type of weather, temperature and sex.

Advantages of Weather Module

The solution can be used in two ways. In the first case, the system indicates the appropriate products on the basis of geolocation specified by the customer. A forecast service, configured with an online store, makes data updates on the prevailing weather conditions in different localizations exactly every hour. In the second case, the customer determines the weather, for which he would like to find the relevant products.

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Online stores, equipped with Weather Module, facilitate shopping for their customers, for which components of the product and its use under varying weather conditions play an important role. Weather Module will help people traveling to different climate zones – select products from the appropriate categories, to suit the prevailing weather conditions at a particular location in the best way.

Cross-selling

Weather Module has three functions: basic – sales function (in real time) and two additional: it builds loyalty among customers and develop cross-selling. The last function allows to determine products in order to increase sales records, by offering complementary products. For example: someone who bought ski goggles may also need windstopper gloves and skipass holders.

Know-how

Implementation requires from the administrator to enter a category of products, that will be displayed, depending on the selected weather or city. In the tab of the product to be matched to the weather, it is worth choosing several options, among others: availability – whether the product is to be available in search by weather; category – whether the product is for man, woman; kind of weather – cloudy, sunny, rainy; temperature – temperature range for the specific product. Full configuration of the module allows the customer to search, for instance, all the rainproof clothes for women. In addition, Weather Module is equipped with mass editor, which allows mass attribution of the parameters to the specific groups of products. It is a convenient and time-saving functionality for the administrator of an online store. The module makes a weather updates every hour. Weather forecasts are configured with http://openweathermap.org service, making the solution ideal for travel planning in different latitudes.

i-systems once again in Deloitte Technology Fast 50

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This is the second time, i-systems was a part of Deloitte Technology Fast 50. The ranking affiliates the fastest growing technology entrepreneurships in Central Europe, based on the growth rate of annual operating revenues. Technology Fast 50 is a part of Technology Fast 500 EMEA, organized by Deloitte – international company, specializing in audit services in the field of economic consulting, financial advisory, risk management and tax advice.

17th edition of Fast 50

In this year’s ranking of the fastest growing technology companies in CEE, there were 21 companies from Poland. The dynamics of revenue growth of all companies equaled 1057% in 2015, and it was almost two times higher than a year before. i-systems company took 43 place in the ranking with 373% growth and was one of the seven European companies, which managed to appear in the ranking for two consecutive years.

– Our company specializes in creating dedicated e-commerce systems for retail and distribution. Being among 50 most innovative technology companies in CEE for the second time is a great honor for us. We hope that in the upcoming years we will take higher and higher places in the ranking – says Krzysztof Jaciw, CFO at i-systems


As in previous years, this year’s Technology Fast 50 ranking was dominated by companies dealing with use of information technologies, however in different applications: marketing, analytics of large databases, Mobile UX. They constitute up to 74% of all companies from the ranking (50% a year before).

Criteria of the ranking

To be a part of Deloitte Technology Fast 50, except from dynamic growth, the companies had to develop or create proprietary technologies and/or spend a significant amount of capital on research & development, have an ownership structure that excludes majority-owned subsidiaries of strategic entities, have its headquarters in a participating country, be a technology company and be active in one of the categories: IT and digital solutions, internet, media and telecommunications, clean technologies & energy, and biotechnology, nanotechnology and medical technologies.

i-systems among Polish LIRs

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i-systems is the first producer of e-commerce software in Poland, being LIR at the same time. After receiving a positive decision, the company can support the security and development of its customers, while improving service quality.

What is LIR and RIR?

Starting from the abbreviation RIR, which stands for “Regional Internet Registry” one can find out that it is an organization, which deals with allocation and registration of IP addresses in the particular regions of the world. The custody is exercised by IANA (Internet Assigned Numbers Authority), which aim is to keep order in IP addresses and domains.

However LIR (Local Internet Registry) is an organization, to which a pool of IP addresses has been assigned by RIR. Those addresses are further assigned to LIR’s customers. LIRs are mostly internet service providers, entrepreneurships and academic institutions.

What are IP addresses for?

IP addresses are used to identify servers, and their number is limited. Therefore, their price on the market is constantly growing. This is why an alternative standard, called IPv6 was developed, in which the number of IP addresses is enormous. Unfortunately currently most of the operators do not support this standard. But yet, there are IPv4, which availability is constantly decreasing. However, being among LIRs we have a pool of addresses at our’s disposal.

Theoretically, you can run any number of sites on a single IP address, however it is not advantageous taking the positioning into the consideration. Moreover, you cannot successfully run SSL, which is to provide data confidentiality and authentication of server, on such address. Until recently, it also assumed that one IP address is assigned to a single domain. Currently, standards allow to run multiple domains on a single IP address, however once again, this solution is not supported by all devices. What is more, many services evaluates the so-called “reputation of the IP address”. Let’s take, for example, spam servers, which have a low reputation, and that means that e-mails from these addresses are rejected.

Swimming in the pool of IP addresses

Previously i-systems rented the so called pools of IP addresses, and their number was limited. When the company wanted to have bigger pool of addresses, the older one had be returned. This, however, involved a time-consuming configuration of domains and security.

Currently, being LIR, the company received a pool of thousand unique IP addresses. It is strictly connected with security, as in case of leased IP addresses, the operator can ask to return them at any time, which would result in unavailable i-systems sites. Being a partner of the main provider of IP addresses, no one can request their return.

Another benefit is the fact, that when having its own IP addresses, i-systems can direct them to any server room. In case of leasing addresses from the server room, while moving, they stay with particular server room. Hence, it is another element of security, and moving between server rooms is no longer a problem.

A pool of IP addresses, i-systems received while becoming a LIR, is a pool of brand-new addresses, which were never used before. The customer can therefore be sure, that for instance a month earlier under this address there wasn’t any  domain used for a spamming purposes or containing illegal contents. Receiving IP address from the server room is pretty like buying in secondhand, you never know who wore the clothes before and what happened during wearing them. Such address can be listed on blacklists and be blocked, and this can cause problems with, for example, receiving e-mails with orders.

Being among LIRs, i-systems company strives to improve the safety of services, being independent from server rooms and assuring unique IP addresses, which couldn’t be blocked in any way before. Having such addresses also affects better positioning. The company meets, at the same time, all the most stringent SSL standards, because one domain has a single IP address.