Introducing the Pallet Builder Feature on the TOTECS eCommerce Platform

At TOTECS, we're committed to helping businesses streamline their operations and enhance customer experience. That's why we're excited to introduce our Pallet Builder feature—designed to optimise bulk ordering and streamline the process of building and purchasing pallets of stock and optimising freight costs for your customer.

What is the Pallet Builder? The Pallet Builder is a powerful tool that allows your customers to efficiently create and customise pallets with the products they need. Whether they are purchasing large quantities for wholesale or simply stocking up on essential items, this feature simplifies the entire process, saving time and reducing freight costs.

Key Features and Benefits

1. Easy Customisation:
   • Customers can select products, adjust quantities, and view real-time updates as they build their pallet. The intuitive interface makes it easy to see how many items fit on a pallet and how much space is left.
2. Real-Time Cost Calculation:
   • The Pallet Builder automatically calculates the total freight cost as products are added, ensuring that customers stay within their budget. It also provides options for bulk discounts, giving your customers the best possible deal.
3. Improved Order Accuracy:
   • By visualising the pallet as they build it, customers can ensure they are ordering exactly what they need, reducing the chances of errors and returns.
4. Streamlined Checkout Process:
   • Once the pallet is complete, the checkout process is quick and seamless. Customers can review their order, and proceed to payment, all from within the Pallet Builder interface.
5. Enhanced Customer Satisfaction:
   • Providing a convenient and efficient way to order in bulk improves the overall shopping experience, leading to higher customer satisfaction and repeat business.
6. Optimised Freight Costs:
   • With the Pallet Builder, customers can fully utilise pallet space to minimise freight costs. For example, if a customer pays $350 for a pallet delivery, they can add more goods to fill the pallet rather than paying the same fee for half a pallet. Ideal for wholesale suppliers and manufacturers who want to assist their customers with better control over their shipping expenses!

How to Get Started
The Pallet Builder feature is now available to all businesses using the TOTECS eCommerce platform. To enable it on your site, simply access your admin panel, navigate to the feature settings, and customise it to fit your specific needs. Our support team is also on hand to assist with setup and provide any additional training required.

The Pallet Builder is a game-changer for businesses that deal with bulk orders. It not only makes the ordering process more efficient for your customers but also enhances the overall functionality of your online store. At TOTECS, we’re always looking for ways to help you grow your business, and the Pallet Builder is just one of the many tools we offer to help you succeed.

For more information on how to implement the Pallet Builder feature or to see it in action, contact our support team today.

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#TOTECS #eCommerce #PalletBuilder #BulkOrdering #Wholesale #CostEfficiency #CustomerExperience #Innovation

The TOTECS eMarketing Tool: The Future of eCommerce Marketing

In today's fast-paced digital world, having the right tools to manage your eCommerce business efficiently is more critical than ever. That's why we're here to share the TOTECS eMarketing Tool, a powerful feature fully integrated into the TOTECS eCommerce platform. This tool is designed to elevate your marketing efforts by seamlessly synchronising customer data, product catalogues, and order histories, all in one place.

Seamless Integration with Your eCommerce Operations
One of the standout features of the TOTECS eMarketing Tool is its seamless integration with your existing eCommerce operations. No need to juggle multiple platforms—manage all your eMarketing activities within the same system you use for daily business. This integration ensures that your customer data is always up-to-date, allowing you to create highly personalised email campaigns tailored to individual customer behaviours, purchase histories, and browsing patterns.

Tailored Campaigns for Targeted Marketing
Imagine having the ability to identify customers who haven't made a purchase in the last four months or those who have never purchased specific products. With TOTECS, this is a reality. The platform can pinpoint these opportunities, allowing you to design targeted campaigns that offer discounts or specialized marketing content aimed at increasing sales. This level of precision marketing is what sets TOTECS apart from the competition.

Consistent and Optimised Content Across Channels
Consistency is key in any successful marketing strategy, and the TOTECS eMarketing Tool makes it easy to maintain this. You can manage and update your website content directly from the platform, ensuring that your emails and site content are always aligned. Plus, with built-in SEO tools, you can optimise your campaign content for better search engine performance, driving more traffic to your site.

Cost-Effective Marketing with a Micro Fee
While the TOTECS eMarketing Tool eliminates the need for additional third-party software subscriptions, there is a micro fee for the marketing materials sent to each customer. But when you consider the increased sales and customer engagement that result from these targeted campaigns, it's a cost well worth paying.

An All-In-One Solution for Growing Businesses
Whether you're a small business looking to grow or an established company aiming to streamline your operations, the TOTECS eMarketing Tool offers a fully integrated, all-in-one solution. No need to worry about managing multiple tools across multiple vendors—TOTECS has you covered.

Keen to hear more? Reach out to us today to see how the TOTECS eMarketing Tool can transform your business.

A recent report by the Australian Signals Directorate shows that malicious cyber activity continues to pose a risk to Australia’s security and prosperity for small, medium and large businesses.

Many Australian businesses, hold sensitive and valuable information making them attractive targets for cybercriminals.

The most common cyber threats to watch out for include email compromise, business email compromise fraud (financial loss) and online banking fraud.

Malicious cyber actors often exploit unpatched and misconfigured systems, or take advantage of weak or re-used credentials to access systems and networks. Here at TOTECS, where we can, we aim to assist with patches, updates and/ or mitigate vulnerabilities in our platform when vulnerabilities are assessed as critical by vendors or when working exploits exist.

To defend against email attacks, we encourage our clients to set aside time for regular cyber security training, and ensure staff are cautious of emails that contain requests for payment or change of bank details, or contain an email address that doesn’t look right.

If staff receive suspicious emails, they should verify the legitimacy of suspicious messages via the organisation’s official website or verified contact information. Contact details that were sent as part of a message should not be trusted, as these could be fraudulent.

For information regarding the report, click here:

So what can you do to best protect your business?

• Turn on multi-factor authentication for online services.
• Use long and unique passphrases for every account. Password managers can assist with creating passphrases to protect your account.
• Turn on automatic updates for all software, and do not ignore installation prompts.
• Regularly back up important files and device configurations settings.
• Be alert for phishing messages and scams.
• Only use reputable cloud service providers and managed service providers that implement appropriate cyber security measures.
• Regularly test cyber security detection, incident response, business continuity and disaster recovery plans.
• Review the cyber security posture of remote workers including their use of communication, collaboration and business productivity software.
• Train staff on cyber security matters, in particular how to recognise scams and phishing attempts.
• Let TOTECS know as soon you find or feel something isn't as it should be so we can help you straight away.

Here at TOTECS we understand and appreciate that cybersecurity is an ongoing effort. Businesses need to remain vigilant and adaptable to stay ahead of evolving threats and as businesses grow, their digital footprint expands, making them more attractive targets for cybercriminals.

Let's work together to make Australian businesses a difficult target for cybercrime!

Understanding the Power of the TOTECS Deals & Vouchers Feature

TOTECS is proud to share the details of the Deals & Vouchers feature, a powerful tool designed to transform the way businesses manage promotions and engage with customers. This functionality is set to revolutionise eCommerce strategies, providing TOTECS clients with the ability to create and manage unlimited deals and vouchers, tailor promotions to specific customer segments, and analyse the effectiveness of their marketing efforts.

Manage Unlimited Deals and Giveaway

ne of the standout features of the TOTECS Deals & Vouchers functionality is the ability to create unlimited deals and giveaways. Businesses can now offer exclusive discounts and promotions to attract new customers and reward loyal ones. Whether it’s a seasonal sale, a special giveaway, or a time-limited discount, the possibilities are endless.

Automatic Activation and Advanced Targeting

Gone are the days of manually activating deals. With TOTECS, users can set date ranges for automatic activation of deals, ensuring that promotions go live exactly when intended. Additionally, the advanced filter tools allow businesses to assign deals to specific customer segments or target products, making it easier to tailor promotions to the right audience.

Flexible Redemption Modes and Controls

The Deals & Vouchers feature supports various redemption modes, including auto redemption and promo/voucher codes. This flexibility ensures that businesses can choose the method that best suits their needs. Furthermore, redemption frequency controls allow for limiting how many times a deal can be redeemed per user or account, adding another layer of customisation to promotional campaigns.

In-Depth Reporting and Seamless Integration

Understanding the impact of deals is crucial for any business. TOTECS provides comprehensive reporting tools that analyse deal effectiveness, tracking views, user engagement, and sales. This data-driven approach allows businesses to refine their strategies and maximize their return on investment.

Integration of deals is seamless with TOTECS.

Redeem forms can be embedded into checkout pages, home pages, or custom CMS pages, ensuring a smooth customer experience. Additionally, a dedicated deal button can be placed on product areas within search results or detail pages, and a deal listing area can display products available for redemption. Deals can also be embedded into email campaigns to reach a broader audience.

Why Choose TOTECS Deals & Vouchers?

Boost Sales: Drive more conversions with targeted and appealing deals.
Increase Engagement: Keep customers engaged and coming back with exclusive offers.
Improve Customer Loyalty: Reward loyal customers and attract new ones through special promotions.
Gain Insights: Use in-depth analytics to understand which deals are most effective.

The Deals & Vouchers feature is a game-changer for TOTECS clients, providing a versatile and powerful tool to enhance marketing strategies and drive business growth.

Get Started Today
TOTECS clients can log in to their platform and start exploring the Deals & Vouchers feature immediately. For more information, visit the TOTECS website or contact the TOTECS team.

Stay ahead of the competition and elevate your eCommerce game with TOTECS’ innovative Deals & Vouchers feature!

Introducing TOTECS Repspace Functionality – Your Key to Sales Success

Here at TOTECS, we want to talk about our revolutionary Repspace functionality, designed to empower sales representatives and supercharge your sales performance like never before.

So, what exactly is Repspace, and how can it transform your business?

Let's dive in:

Purpose-Built for Success:
Repspace functionality has been meticulously crafted with three key purposes in mind:

1. Effortless Account Management: Say goodbye to the hassle of navigating multiple customer accounts. With Repspace, reps can seamlessly switch between customer accounts to place orders with ease and efficiency.

2. Insightful Account Analysis: Gain invaluable insights into customer account status, balance, and history, including invoices, payments, credits, and transaction records. Plus, take action when needed – whether it's processing payments or addressing account issues.

3. Empowering Customer Engagement: Train your customers to navigate the website, browse product catalogues, and place orders independently, fostering a self-sufficient and streamlined buying experience.

Unlocking Sales Potential: But that's not all...

Repspace goes above and beyond by providing reps with a wealth of additional tools and information, including:

1. Fast and easy access to product catalogues, customer pricing, and discounting tools.
2. Real-time access to up-to-date product information, ensuring reps can provide accurate and relevant details to potential customers.
3. Personalised pricing options and informed decision-making during negotiations.
4. Valuable insights into credit limits, outstanding invoices, and payment history, enabling reps to address customer inquiries promptly and identify upselling or cross-selling opportunities.

The Results Are In: With Repspace at your fingertips, you can expect to:

• Enhance and streamline your sales performance.
• Provide your sales representatives with the necessary tools to excel in their roles.
• Work more efficiently and effectively, saving time and reducing errors.
• Improve conversion rates and drive higher revenue.

Ready to take your sales game to the next level?

Get in touch with our team today to learn more about how TOTECS Repspace Functionality can revolutionise your business.

How do you know it’s time for a new eCommerce platform?

• Are you feeling frustrated by the limitations of your current eCommerce platform?
• Is the lack of flexibility hindering your ability to control and grow your online presence?

It's time to break free from these constraints and embrace a transformative solution – welcome to TOTECS.

TOTECS offers a game-changing eCommerce platform that empowers you with unparalleled control over your website.

Imagine the freedom to edit webpages, update banners, and completely overhaul your website's appearance—all with the ease of accessing HTML/CSS/Javascript code. Your online presence, your rules.

Here's why TOTECS is the ideal choice for your business:

1. Adaptability to your Business Needs:
• Our flexible platform allows you to adapt and customise your site based on the changing needs of your business. Stay ahead of the game as your business grows and market conditions evolve.

2. Scalability:
• Anticipating growth? No problem. TOTECS easily scale to accommodate increased traffic, products, or services without requiring a complete overhaul.

3. Customisation for Unique Branding:
• Stand out from the crowd and be an industry leader by customising the look and feel of your website to align with your brand identity. Create a unique and memorable online presence that resonates with your audience.

4. User Experience Optimisation:
• Enjoy the power to modify and optimise user interfaces and experiences, leading to increased customer satisfaction, higher conversion rates, and improved customer retention.

5. Integration Capabilities:
• Seamlessly connect your website with other tools, services, or third-party applications, enhancing overall business efficiency by streamlining and automating processes.

6. Responsive Design for Mobile Devices:
• Ensure a seamless experience across desktops, tablets, and smartphones. Our flexible website design adapts to various devices, improving accessibility for a wider audience on the go.

7 Quick Adaptation to Industry Changes:
• Industries and market trends evolve rapidly. TOTECS enables your business to swiftly adapt to changes, implement new technologies, and adjust your online strategy with ease.

If you've invested in a website design resource, we can train one of your team to unlock the full potential of the TOTECS eCommerce Platform. If you don't have a resource, no worries—we will collaborate with you to design a website that reflects your unique branding and business goals.

Make the switch to TOTECS today and watch your business soar to new heights.

Take control, stay agile, and thrive in the ever-evolving digital landscape.

Ready for the next chapter in your eCommerce journey?

The Best ERP Integrations for B2B eCommerce

Accelerate Your B2B Ecommerce Growth with Seamless ERP Integration

In today's rapidly evolving B2B ecommerce landscape, integrating your ecommerce platform with an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system is no longer just an option; it's a necessity. Seamless integration with your ERP system can significantly enhance your business operations, streamline processes, and drive growth. Let's delve into the importance of ERP integration, the pros and cons of not integrating, and how the TOTECS platform can help accelerate your online growth.

The Importance of ERP Integration

Streamlined Business Operations

Integrating your B2B ecommerce platform with an ERP system allows for seamless data synchronization, eliminating manual data entry and reducing the risk of errors. By consolidating ecommerce data, inventory reports, order processing automation, and shipping logistics with your ERP system, you gain valuable insights through reporting and analytics. This enables efficient workflow automation and fully optimizes your business operations.

Holistic Inventory Management

ERP integration enables holistic inventory management by tracking inventory and orders in real-time. You can efficiently handle product backorders, out-of-stock items, and spikes in inventory demand. With up-to-date information on stock availability, you can provide a seamless ecommerce experience for both customers and your ecommerce staff.

Enhanced Customer Experience

Seamless ERP integration enables an omnichannel, self-service experience for your B2B customers. They can easily discover products, manage orders, track shipments, and access their purchase history 24/7. By providing a user-friendly and personalized shopping experience, you can increase customer satisfaction and drive repeat business.

Pros and Cons of Not Integrating with ERP

Pros:

- Quick setup for small businesses
- Lower initial investment
- Suitable for businesses with simple processes and low transaction volumes

Cons:

- Manual data entry leads to errors and inefficiencies
- Lack of real-time inventory updates can result in stockouts or overstocking
- Limited scalability and growth potential
- Inability to provide a seamless customer experience

How TOTECS Platform Can Help Accelerate Your Online Growth

The TOTECS platform offers a comprehensive solution for B2B ecommerce businesses looking to accelerate their online growth through seamless ERP integration. Here's how:

Seamless ERP Integration

The TOTECS platform seamlessly integrates with leading ERP systems, allowing for real-time data synchronization and streamlined business operations. With TOTECS, you can consolidate ecommerce data, inventory reports, order processing automation, and shipping logistics with your ERP system, enabling efficient workflow automation and fully optimized business operations.

Advanced Inventory Management

TOTECS provides holistic inventory management capabilities, allowing you to track inventory and orders in real-time. You can efficiently handle product backorders, out-of-stock items, and spikes in inventory demand. With up-to-date information on stock availability, you can provide a seamless ecommerce experience for your customers.

Enhanced Customer Experience

With TOTECS, you can provide an omnichannel, self-service experience for your B2B customers. They can easily discover products, manage orders, track shipments, and access their purchase history 24/7. By providing a user-friendly and personalized shopping experience, you can increase customer satisfaction and drive repeat business.

Scalability and Growth

The TOTECS platform is highly scalable, allowing your business to grow and expand without limitations. Whether you're a small business or a large enterprise, TOTECS can accommodate your needs and support your online growth journey.

Conclusion

In today's competitive B2B ecommerce landscape, seamless ERP integration is essential for driving growth and staying ahead of the competition. With the TOTECS platform, you can accelerate your online growth, streamline your business operations, and provide an exceptional customer experience. Don't let outdated systems hold your business back; integrate with TOTECS and unlock your full potential in the world of B2B ecommerce.

Introducing the TOTECS Referral Partner Program

In a dynamic business landscape where collaboration and innovation reign supreme, TOTECS is proud to announce the launch of our Referral Partner Program. This program marks a significant milestone in our commitment to empowering businesses and fostering mutually beneficial partnerships.

At TOTECS, we understand the importance of building strong networks and leveraging collective expertise to drive growth. With the Referral Partner Program, we're inviting passionate entrepreneurs, consultants, ERP vendors, business enthusiasts, and industry experts to join us on this exciting journey.

What is the TOTECS Referral Partner Program?

The TOTECS Referral Partner Program is designed to reward individuals and organisations for referring qualified leads to TOTECS. As a Referral Partner, you'll have the opportunity to earn rewarding commissions while helping businesses discover and implement innovative solutions that drive their success.

Why Become a TOTECS Referral Partner?

By becoming a TOTECS referral partner, you will gain access to a generous commission structure that provides a steady stream of income over 24 months. 

This extended earning period means that financial rewards continue to grow, offering not just a one-time payout, but sustained revenue that adds to your business’s financial future.

The ecommerce business technology solutions that TOTECS provides are in high demand, and the market is continually growing. Earning potential remains strong, with a growing customer base that values the services you are recommending.

Support is given with access to comprehensive training materials to help you succeed as a TOTECS Referral Partner. Click here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH3ysu6OftRmhgCldqwHHxw

How Does It Work?

Joining the TOTECS Referral Partner Program is simple:

Achieving a Seamless B2B Ecommerce ERP Integration to Meet All Business Needs

In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, integrating B2B ecommerce platforms with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems has emerged as a critical component for success. As businesses endeavour to enhance efficiency, scale operations, and elevate customer experiences, the synergy between B2B ecommerce and ERP solutions presents a strategic advantage. Through seamless integration, companies can revolutionize their operations, optimize inventory management, and deliver unparalleled service to clients, positioning themselves as leaders in their industries.

Understanding B2B and B2C Ecommerce Dynamics

Before delving into the intricacies of integration, it's paramount to comprehend the fundamental disparities between B2B and B2C ecommerce models.

B2B (Business-to-Business) ecommerce revolves around transactions between businesses, often involving bulk orders, intricate pricing structures, and enduring partnerships. Conversely, B2C (Business-to-Consumer) ecommerce caters to individual consumers, prioritizing user experience, personalized marketing, and swift transactions.

The Importance of ERP Integration

Effective integration of B2B ecommerce platforms with ERP systems unlocks a plethora of benefits:

1. Streamlined Operations: Integration eradicates manual data entry, mitigating errors, and streamlining processes across departments. This fosters heightened efficiency and productivity, enabling seamless business operations.

2. Real-time Data Synchronization: Integration ensures seamless synchronization of data, such as inventory levels, order status, and customer information, between the ecommerce platform and ERP system. This real-time visibility empowers informed decision-making, fostering improved customer service and satisfaction.

3. Enhanced Customer Experience: Armed with accurate, up-to-date information, businesses can deliver personalized experiences, expedite order fulfilment, and facilitate transparent communication with customers. This cultivates loyalty and satisfaction, enhancing the overall customer experience.

4. Scalability and Flexibility: Integrated systems possess the agility to adapt to evolving business needs, accommodating growth, introducing new product lines, and responding to shifts in demand without disruption. This scalability and flexibility lay the foundation for sustained business growth and resilience.

5. Inventory Optimization: Integration provides invaluable insights into stock levels, demand forecasts, and procurement processes, facilitating enhanced inventory management. By mitigating stockouts, minimizing excess inventory, and optimizing supply chain efficiency, businesses can achieve significant cost savings and operational efficiency.

Key Considerations for Integration

Successful integration of B2B ecommerce with ERP systems necessitates meticulous planning and execution. Here are pivotal considerations to heed:

1. Compatibility: Ensure seamless compatibility between the ecommerce platform and ERP system, selecting solutions with robust integration capabilities or leveraging third-party connectors where necessary.

2. Data Mapping: Define comprehensive data mapping and mapping rules to facilitate seamless communication between systems. This encompasses mapping product data, customer information, pricing structures, and order details, ensuring harmonious integration.

3. Customization: Tailor the integration to align with unique business requirements, considering customizations for pricing, product catalogues, workflows, and reporting functionalities to optimize system performance.

4. Security and Compliance: Implement stringent security measures to safeguard sensitive data, including customer information, payment details, and intellectual property. Ensure compliance with pertinent industry regulations, such as GDPR, PCI DSS, and HIPAA, to mitigate risks and uphold data integrity.

5. Testing and Validation: Execute comprehensive testing to validate the integration's functionality, performance, and reliability. Test various scenarios encompassing order processing, inventory updates, and data synchronization to identify and address potential issues preemptively.

In conclusion, achieving seamless integration between B2B ecommerce and ERP systems is indispensable for modern businesses striving to maintain a competitive edge in the digital marketplace. By harnessing the right technologies, strategies, and partnerships, organizations can unlock operational efficiencies, elevate customer satisfaction, and foster sustainable growth amidst the dynamic landscape of contemporary commerce.

Did you know Ezymart Distribution is powered by TOTECS?

Ezymart Distribution, Australia's leading wholesale distributor and importer, is the driving force behind the success of over 500 Ezymart stores nationwide, offering a diverse inventory of over 5000 products. But here's the exciting part: Ezymart Distribution doesn't just cater to its stores; it supports a wide range of businesses, from convenience stores, newsagencies, and grocery stores to pharmacies.

What makes this possible? Ezymart Distribution has harnessed the power of B2B eCommerce through the TOTECS eCommerce platform. With this innovative solution, businesses can place orders efficiently and seamlessly 24/7. Each order placed online seamlessly integrates into Ezymart Distribution's backend systems, streamlining the process from order to pick, pack, and dispatch.

At TOTECS, we take immense pride in being at the core of this dynamic partnership. Our technology empowers Ezymart's distribution network and ensures vibrant shopping experiences at every corner of the country.

The best part? TOTECS is here to enable your business, just like Ezymart Distribution, to thrive in today's fast-paced retail landscape. Join the revolution and stay tuned for more exciting developments! Your success is just a click away.

Sales Reps Ordering Catapults SEO Rankings and Dramatically Reduces Search Speed

Sales reps are the highest users by far of any of our clients' hosted TOTECS eCommerce websites. With Repspace facilities built into the Content Management System (CMS); reps can navigate the website product catalogue exactly the same way that customers do. It happens all day, every day, as they go about fielding customer enquiries and submitting orders on their behalf.

The constant repeat traffic of sales reps is liquid gold for natural Google SEO rankings. Why? Because Google analytics monitors daily traffic activity, baseline load and user session duration. Google will determine that a website has better quality content, the longer the user session is active.

Some TOTECS clients have both rep and customer service personnel using the website, which further catapults SEO rankings and keeps them on top of competitors in organic searching.

Despite the softer economic conditions, TOTECS clients, who have adopted this winning formula, continue to outperform the market, with consistent growth in website traffic and online sales. Clients using Repspace facilities have seen a minimum average annual growth of approximately 15% over the past 5 years and there is no looking back.

Repspace was designed exactly for this purpose. Typical sales reps ordering tools are mostly separate apps or modules in the ERP, that require a remote desktop login. Google is blind to navigation activity in these tools and thus those businesses miss the enormous SEO potential and lock in that Repspace offers, by being built into their TOTECS content managed website.

More advanced reps features are on the drawing board for 2024 with further integrated workflows with SQUIZZ.com coming.

New TOTECS Website - Part of a major UI/UX upgrade

Our team are excited to announce that we have upgraded our website www.totecs.com on the MWD framework and it is now live. The website features a rich showcase of our platform’s capacity to deliver high quality and tailored solutions, with a diverse and vast set of functionality and features. With interactive forums and a suite of Q&A, the new website tools place more information in the hands of users.

https://www.totecs.com/ecommerce-platform-forums.html.

https://www.totecs.com/faq.html.

We would be delighted to hear any feedback regarding the new website, so feel free to let us know what you think or get in touch if you wish to login and take a deeper dive.

The website is part of a broader initiative to revitalise the overall branding, look and feel of the TOTECS eCommerce platform that your websites run on. This includes adding new features, improvements, and refined user ability across the platform's Administration Centre, content managed websites, Connector software, and server infrastructure. All with the aim to help your staff and users be as productive as possible.

Single Page Checkout for B2B and B2C On Its Way

Our RnD team have spent the past 6 months researching single page checkout, which has become a popular and simplified process for retail consumer customers. Instead of sequencing through multiple checkout pages, the user works from top to bottom to complete their order. For B2C workflows, the process is somewhat simpler, however for B2B workflows where advanced freight, logistics, deals, and payment mechanisms need to be factored in, it's quite a complex task to get right.

Our RnD team released delivery address auto-complete mechanisms available to User Registration and Order Checkout forms. With this feature turned on, it can enable your online customers to start typing their address, and the auto-complete works with Google's Maps service to show matching addresses to choose from. This makes it faster, more accurate and easier for your users to complete delivery addresses.

https://youtu.be/aDRUP3jv6G8 for all the details.

For B2B workflows, auto complete address selection must still enable the customers to either choose delivery addresses already set against their debtor account, or provide special instructions in addition to address data. This functionality is ready to implement so feel free to get in touch with service@totecs.com to get the ball rolling.

We are currently looking into developing a single page Order Checkout solution. This looks to simplify Order Checkout for your users, leading to a more streamlined ordering experience. It would keep the advanced order checkout features, such as freight carrier selection, dynamic surcharge calculations, warehouse/location assignment, as well as product deal recalculations, but do it all with less major page updates. If this is functionality interests you, then feel free to get in touch with service@totecs.com

From Click To Robot - TOTECS Clients Push Integrated Warehouse Automation

Ezymart Distribution are taking warehouse automation to a whole new level with the implementation of Amazon style robotics automation. After acquiring a 20,000 sqm warehouse in Sydney's west, Ezymart Distribution have implemented the robotics hardware and have started picking. Ezymart Distribution want to achieve complete end-to-end automation from click to robot, and have engaged us to work with them to integrate with their new ERP Platform, to harness the new automation capabilities.

With over 1000 customers ordering online all day, every day, Ezymart Distribution want to further harness the advanced order surcharge and integrated freight mechanisms, to achieve zero touch order fulfillment in the near future.

Several leading TOTECS clients have invested heavily into warehouse automation as well as tablet/mobile devices for picking & packing. A key TOTECS feature for large distributors is account specific dynamic order routing. For example, when a user is a customer linked to a sub debtor in Victoria, the order is posted to the Melbourne Warehouse versus the Sydney warehouse for sub debtor in New South Wales.

Feel free to get in touch to discuss advanced click-to-delivery automation workflows.

Eliminate Manual Keying from PDF to Order

Imagine what it would be like if you eliminated all manual keying of purchase orders emailed from customers. The most successful clients on TOTECS achieve approximately 40% of orders keyed in online, whilst up to 65% do their research online. The harsh reality is that for many customers, they must create a Purchase Order in their ERP/Accounting System and then email it through for entry into your system.

The Holy Grail is for these orders to flow through from end to end without any error nor any consideration for the integrated systems in play. This is what SQUIZZ.com is built for. We call it Universal Electronic Data Interchange (UEDI).

In the meantime, staff still are required to manually key in orders from pdf attachments embedded in emails. Now there will be a way to eliminate this keying via a PDF Order Import being built into TOTECS' sister platform SQUIZZ.com.

Our RnD team are currently actively developing the automated PDF order import tool into SQUIZZ.com and it's set to be a very powerful mechanism to win back margin by reducing manual keying, errors and hidden costs.

We are currently asking clients to submit example customer Purchase Order PDF files to us, so the RnD team can test the facility with all manner of different formats. The first alpha testing release of this facility is only weeks away.

TOTECS preparing to catapult Stareast with a major play in the HVACR Supply Chain

We are working with long term client Stareast on a major initiative to revolutionise the HVACR industry with a modern and fresh approach to parts, equipment and supply online. The details of the project are completely under wraps however Stareast CEO Jayden Nowfal is excited with the progress thus far.

"We will keep you posted once this project comes to life, however early indications are that this new eCommerce Website will set a new bench mark for the industry." Jayden Nowfal Stareast CEO

Exciting Year For TOTECS and SQUIZZ.com ahead - Glenn Drew CEO

G’Day,

Well, the COVID-19 financial year is over and we are all optimistic that we are past the most intense period. The year has put the spotlight on eCommerce and all clients have leveraged TOTECS and SQUIZZ.com to maintain or grow their business online. After a wild April/May 2020 when nationwide lockdowns bit hard and demand patterns swung all over the place, supply chains have mostly recovered. That said, hiccups continued to impact the market with stock shortages caused by lockdowns and impacts to manufacturing overseas.
 

A New Era For eCommerce

COVID-19 has heralded a new era of working and doing business from anywhere. Our business has transitioned to a 3 tier working model whereby the home office is the primary location (tier 1), our hub office for collaboration and training (tier 2) and mobile office in the field (tier 3) is the new normal. When we asked our team in June, the feedback was that the work anywhere model has had an overall positive impact on productivity by eliminating the commute and enabling people to focus. That said, bringing people together remains important and collaboration in both our SQUIZZ.com platform and through video conferencing tools has maintained connection and continuity.

In the market, the changing patterns of working have given eCommerce a dramatic boost and fortunately our clients have benefited as customers moved to working and buying online. Profoundly, those who were setup with full automation received the greatest wins both in demand and efficiencies. Where lockdown restrictions caused skeleton crews in the warehouse, the eCommerce website continued to push orders through and remote administration and customer service personnel could manage the activity remotely.  

Paving The Way Towards The Connected Economy

Another broader trend we have seen occurring before COVID-19 hit is the transition of the Millennials as they enter the workforce. This new generation expects online tools and data to be at their fingertips. They are quick to adopt and embrace new technologies with hunger for smarter and more efficient means of connectivity across the markets they work in. 

Universal data exchange and digital trust are emerging themes and we are leading the way on these fronts with the progression of SQUIZZ.com. Our platform is transforming the thinking and opening up new frontiers of cross market opportunities as we pave the way towards building the Connected Economy where we bridge secure trusted relationships between people, organisations, marketplaces and the assets they own.

Whilst eCommerce remains entrenched as a successful vendor lead initiative, interest in public and private marketplaces is growing and I am delighted to advise that Connected Marketplaces will be released during this financial year. Stay tuned.
 

E-Invoicing / PEPPOL and Full Procurement Automation

We have had requests from clients who have customers asking to post documents through the new Australian Government e-Invoicing initiative, which will become compulsory for all Government departments by June 2022. E-Invoicing through PEPPOL will be developed into SQUIZZ.com over the coming 6 months so if you have clients looking for this capability, get in touch with us.

Additionally, we have also received requests from clients who wish to provide their customers with guidance on how to automate their procurement workflows beyond submitting web orders or synchronising product pricing and stock via connected relationships on SQUIZZ.com. We are currently building a content page template that can be embedded into your TOTECS website that instructs customers on the various methods to automate using SQUIZZ.com. We will get in touch this month to explain how this works and see if your business can utilise this tool.

If you wish to learn more, contact rachael.a.marston@squizz.com

2022 Don’t Miss The First Connected Economy Conference

Get ready for March 2022, where we will be showcasing eCommerce, Connected Commerce, Integrated Supply Chain, Universal Data Interchange, Smart Assets and Smart Cities with key technology and industry partners at the first Connected Economy Conference.  This 2 day event will be one not to miss and more details will follow in the coming months.

New Rocket Boosters For TOTECS and SQUIZZ

The TOTECS and SQUIZZ technology stacks are just about to get turbo charged with the recent significant investment into 10 latest release HPE enterprise servers where each server has the equivalent power of approximately 59,000 iPhones. The new servers will be provisioned in our Servers Australia and Equinix Data Centres over the coming 3 months. 

There are two key goals, which are to increase redundancy and speed up the processing time for each request to boost your online users’ experience. Our goal is to achieve 99.9% up-time where the new infrastructure is split between data centres whilst giving at least 3X speed increase for every URL request served.

Currently, TOTECS processes over 7 million eCommerce Server Requests per month which has grown by 2 million requests per month in 2 years. The new servers are provisioned to handle up to 10 times this capacity which gives plenty of blue sky to grow your online presence and harness both platforms to further automate your sales and customer service processes.

Changes To Billing Rates

Every 5 years we review our billing rates and there will be some changes coming into effect 1^st August 2021. The cost for IT personnel across all disciplines has nearly doubled over the past 5 years with most of the impact occurring due to COVID-19 period where demand for IT resources has risen dramatically with a major skills shortage in Australia.  Our implementation rates need to catch up and there is an increase of $40 / hr across all skill levels commencing 1^st August 2021.

There are some other alterations and an email will be sent to your accounts team outlining the full set of changes.

The good news is the base rates for Server Requests have not altered as a price increase was implemented in December 2019.

New Faces Join Our Team

Matthew Purss

In March, we welcomed Matthew Purss on board into the role of Head of Product Operations. Matthew has an extensive career across IT and Computer Science focused in the areas of Geophysics, Geospacial coordinate systems and scalable database / cloud architecture. Matthew will lead the migration of the TOTECS and SQUIZZ cloud architecture to the new hardware platform as well as the designing of the new Kubernetes N-Scalable cloud stack that will follow behind. Matthew is a leading digital geospacial software engineer and his DGGS technology will be incorporated into SQUIZZ.com Smart Assets as part of the Smart Cities build out of 2022.

Alicia Hagen

With extensive experience across digital marketing, strategy, content creation and website design, Alicia has joined our team as Head Of Communications. Alicia’s deep knowledge of SEO, SEM, Social Marketing has generated exceptional results for the businesses she has worked with and we are delighted to apply her broad skillset to help both our clients and our platforms scale.

Cassie Spear

Cassie comes on board as Head Of Community with exceptional experience working with community across various industries. In recent times, she has managed hackathon events for RMIT University and has a keen ear to the ground in the tech space. Cassie’s primary focus is to develop and lead the partner program for both TOTECS and SQUIZZ along with managing relations with the software vendors and their communities that we integrate with.

Mustafa Mustafa

Having worked in the IT industry all over the world, Mustafa has provided technical support for some the biggest companies on the planet. With a strong technical ability and friendly approach to resolving issues quickly, Mustafa comes on board to provide advanced support for our clients. If it’s a gnarly issue, Mustafa will be onto it.

Raz Nayani

eCommerce website implementation is an integral part of developing and growing your TOTECS eCommerce presence. Whether its building a new TOTECS website or adding features or workflow alterations, Raz joins our implementation team to deliver quality results according to industry best practice and is very excited to be part of the team.

Gearing Up For Online Growth

Never has there been a time where the opportunities for developing new online sales channels have been better. With the entire world now online, the world is literally at your feet.  The key point in this new era is that Data Is King and online sales growth correlates to how quickly and easily your customers can source accurate product information.  Whether it’s searching your TOTECS eCommerce website or getting real time catalogue, pricing and stock feeds through a SQUIZZ.com Connected Trading Relationships, you are in a strong position to grow your business online and tap new opportunities at scale. 
 

I sincerely know that 2022 will be a success for us all and we look forward to continuing our work with you to grow your business success online.

- Glenn Drew

TOTECS Now Integrates With Micronet's HARMONiQ System

G'day,

The TOTECS team is excited to announce that we have now integrated into the HARMONiQ business system, developed by the Australian software provider Micronet. This allows websites hosted on the TOTECS platform to seamlessly connect to HARMONiQ to synchronise different kinds of data, as well as import sales, quotes and payments.

For businesses currently running Micronet's Distribution System (MDS), HARMONiQ provides a logical upgrade, featuring a modern customisable user interface, industry standard Microsoft backend database, business analytics, and many of the features the Distribution system provides, such as warehouse management and stock controls. HARMONiQ may also be a great upgrade option for other businesses looking to leverage a fully featured Enterprise Resource Planning system at a fraction of the cost compared to other large enterprise systems.

Within the Connector software, the TOTECS team has provided a fully featured preset for HARMONiQ that can be set up within minutes. This can enable businesses to quickly start synchronising data from HARMONiQ to TOTECS hosted websites, as well as customise the deployed preset to their own needs. The Connector also allows HARMONiQ to seamlessly integrate with the SQUIZZ.com platform, enabling smart electronic data interchange (EDI) with customer systems, as well as synchronisation of HARMONiQ products, pricing and stock availability data directly into customer's systems.

If you're interested in learning more about our integration with Micronet's HARMONiQ system feel free to talk to our eCommerce experts, drop your queries on TOTECS Forums, or watch the Connector video below that shows how the HARMONiQ integration gets set up.

Cheers! 

Connector 1.19 Release video

Recipe for E-Commerce Success 

G'day,

The start of the new financial year has been really exciting for TOTECS with several major projects going LIVE and many more nearing completion. In this issue of REALTALK we will recommend a number of tactics to make the most of your TOTECS Platform which will help maximise revenue for your business as well as strategies for successful customer retention. 

The TOTECS Platform is full of features that not only enhance how users interface with the website, but can be useful in providing a personalised experience for your customers. How so? The features of TOTECS Platform are designed after considering the individual needs and requirements of businesses around the world. Making use of these features can do wonders for any type of business, trading in any category and in any environment. This newsletter will focus on e-Marketing Platform Features and how the right use of this specific feature can result in more web traffic and eventually, more $$$ sales.

The e-Marketing module built into the TOTECS Platform provides a potent method of promoting and communicating your product to the audience. Its provides businesses with the means to control the “Online Promotions Cycle” and allows businesses to send targeted outbound communication to specific groups based on mixing ‘User Subscription Categories’ and ‘User Group Filters’. Furthermore, this feature helps in tracking and monitoring of the promotions along with the feedback from customers for a better understanding of your customers' experience and future requirements. The e-Marketing Feature can be further categorised into three sub-categories: 

E-Media Mailout Messaging: 
With this feature, businesses can send out formatted eNewsletters, specials and deals to their customers with customised message templates and formats. Moreover, businesses can view the success of individual email campaigns in the form of Stats and Graphs.

Other features included in the eMarketing module include: 

• Easy Content Managed Mailout Editor 
• Audience Filter Tools to quickly assign target users
• Clone mailout for redrafting 
• Embedded Unsubscribe Link to preset or Custom Web Page

Target Audience Tool: 
With this feature, businesses can make and manage user subscription categories to create a pool of users that will be targeted with specific marketing promotions. 

Other features include:

• Users Subscribe to Categories in User Registration or Enquiry Forms
• Refine Target Audience with User Group Filters
• User Group Filtering Rules Based on User / Account / Basket / History / eMarketing

Product Deals & Vouchers:
With this feature, businesses can manage unlimited deals for exclusive discounts and giveaways. This feature can also enhance the business offering by using filter tools to assign different target customers and different target products. 

Other features include: 

• Automatic Activation Based on Set Date Range
• Various Redemption Modes Supported (Auto or Promo / Voucher Code)
• Redemption Frequency Controls (i.e. 2 times per user or account)
• Report to Analyse Deal Effectiveness - Views / Users / Sales

TOTECS Platform Release 13.01 & 13.02
While our R&D team is working on the next Platform Release, have a look at the TOTECS Platform Release 13.01 & 13.02. These releases consist of 2 new features, 14 improvements and 15 bug fixes that will bring you wealth of improvements along with new functionality. Major highlights of this release:

• 2-Factor Authentication: TOTECS has successfully incorporated 2-factor authentication into the platform to provide users with protection for their logins. 2-factor authentication is a two-step verification process that confirms the user's identity by utilizing something they know (e.g. password) and the second factor a separate 1-time-use code sent to their mobile phone via SMS.

• Currency Exchange Rates Connector Data Import: TOTECS platform now has the ability to update the exchange rates when a website has the multi-currency feature turned on. Using the Connector, the exchange rates can be obtained from many 3rd party exchange rate websites and banks, allowing for automatic updating of exchange rates at scheduled times. This helps overseas customers see more accurate product pricing in currencies they are familiar with.

You may read more about this Platform Release and post your queries on TOTECS Forum. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for all the Release Videos. 

Cheers!

Stand Out from The Competition by Maximising your Online Potential

An Australian owned company with the best fastening and bolt knowledge, range, stock and service in the business, Newcastle Hi-Tensile Bolt Company (NHTB) is a premier fastener specialist located in Newcastle, servicing Australia. A comprehensive fastener source and the preferred supplier to hundreds of companies spanning the construction, manufacturing, mining, heavy engineering, automotive and maritime industries. The team at NHTB strive to exceed expectations in offering helpful service and advice from their trained professionals to businesses throughout Australia, along with practical solutions to solve any problems.

How NHTB differentiated its online offerings from the other suppliers in their category?
NHTB are operating their online business on the TOTECS platform to provide a unique experience to its significant customer base. Their eCommerce website is built on the MWD format with a Product Catalogue for more than 50,000 products. The MWD platform is equipped with powerful features and smart navigation, so customers can quickly search for products, check pricing and add products to the shopping cart. Moreover, their website’s shopping cart is equipped with a Freight Calculator function that allows the customer to enter details such as post code and method of shipment to obtain an estimated freight quote. This mechanism has helped NHTB win its customers’ trust and provided its customers with the control over their purchasing cost.

What’s New? Two New Features!
The TOTECS Platform Release 13.01 and 13.02 brings two new features that will change the current dynamics of your eCommerce business. These new features are:

• 2 Factor Authentication for User Login using SMS: When a user logs into a TOTECS project from a User Login content managed web page area, there is now the ability to authenticate the user using both the login ID and password, as well as a separate 1-time-use code sent to their mobile phone via SMS. This two-factor authentication code helps ensure that the user is in possession of an authorised mobile phone, reducing the ability for users to share account credentials which can allow others to easily gain access to the project's data.

Click on the video below to learn how 2 Factor Authentication can be turned on to provide additional security when users login to a website hosted on TOTECS Platform

• Currency Exchange Rates Connector Data Import: Within the Administration Centre, under the Data menu, within the Data Imports interface, under the Connector Imports tab, a new data import labelled "Currency Exchange Rates" has been added. This data import will call the project's configured Connector software to have its Currency Exchange Rates adaptor data export that will retrieve the currency exchange rates from its data source. The data import will then update the exchange rate for all currencies that have been provided in the data.

Click on the video below to see how currency exchange rates can be imported from external currency exchange rates websites and banks from the Connector software.

You can learn in detail about these new features on our TOTECS YouTube Channel, if you have any queries regarding the new features, feel free to post it on TOTECS Forums.

Cheers!

ORCA: Designed by athletes, for athletes.

Orca has a track record of over 20 years as a leading sports apparel brand, predominantly in the triathlon arena. Just as the triathlon embodies endurance, stamina and versatility, so does every piece in the Orca collection. Orca have worked tirelessly over the past two decades to evolve, innovate and perform with the athletes. Today, Orca is recognized as the preferred brand amongst new entrant and professional triathletes around the globe.

How ORCA differentiated it's offerings from the competitors?
Orca joined hands with TOTECS to systematically reform their online presence. By customizing their website, Orca have been able to match their unique brand to the exclusive website layout. Orca have defined their sales strategy to solely focus on retail users in order to understand their individual needs and connect one-on-one with every individual who choose Orca products. This decision of customization has given them better search engine results to drive more users to their website, outperforming the competition, connecting with the customer and adapting to the changing needs of the company. As the website is built to the specification of business owners, it is providing the best user experience and resulting in the growth of business and customer satisfaction.

What's New: Important Improvements

The latest TOTECS Platform Release 13.01 is now available on the platform and here are few important highlights of the improvements:

• Tax Calculation Improvement: There is now the ability for baskets and orders to have the tax rounding calculation done in 2 different ways, either by first rounding tax totals for each product/surcharge and then summing up the taxes together to get the final tax total, or the new 2nd method is to calculate the tax by first totalling all the products and surcharges together that use the same tax code then apply the tax rate to calculate the tax total that is rounded. The tax total from these product/surcharge tax groups is then summed together to provide the final tax total.
   
• Customer Account Contract Detail Improvement: On a content managed web page displaying a Customer Account Contract Detail area, if a product in a contract is assigned to a parent combination product and the project's "Show Combination Children" setting is set to OFF, the area will now ignore this setting and always show products regardless of if they are assigned to a parent combination product or not.
   
• ALT HTML Attribute Improvement: On a content managed website, when a product flag image is displayed, the image now contains an alt attribute which contains the label of the product flag being used. This can help for search engine optimization by allowing search engine crawlers to find more information about the displayed image, as well as accessibility.
   
• Basket Summary Improvement: On a content managed web page area displaying either an Order Checkout/Submission area, or a Guest Order Checkout/.Submission area, if a user proceeds through checkout and successfully submits an order, then any Basket Summary areas displayed on the web page will dynamically update to show that the basket has been cleared and has no products within it.

You can access the entire list of new improvements and bug fixes from TOTECS Platform Release 13.01. You can also post queries regarding these new improvements or any other technical query on TOTECS Forum. 

Cheers! 

A Journey From Remote Controlled Car Racing to Fully Automated Hobby Business

Hobby Habit is Adelaide's leading hobby shop selling RC planes and cars, drones and model trains.Their aim has always been to provide their customers with the best possible buying advice and after sales service for all the products they sell. We are delighted to share Hobby Habit's case study with the community.

Designed on the MWD, Hobby Habit’s website is armed with a Mega Navigation Menu, a modern arrangement for traditional drop-down menu. As the company functions in both retail and wholesale industries, the website is a complete guide for passionate visitors and buyers. To boost customer satisfaction, TOTECS & Hobby Habit restructured the website to provide extensive detailing of their entire range using products attributes, giving Hobby Habit's customers a broad perspective of the type of products available on their online store. To further assist the customers on their eCommerce platform, a Freight Calculator operates to provide the customer with an expected amount of fees to be charged on delivery. Moreover, the Hobby Habit's website now accepts ZipPay as a method of payments for its customers.

Freight Calculator:

In countless cases, a surprise freight fee is snuck in at the end of the ordering process and often leads to an abandoned shopping cart and a lost sale.TOTECS offers a clever and popular solution to overcome this blocker by embedding a Freight Calculator function in the shopping basket summary page prior to checkout. 
The Freight Calculator feature is highly recommended for companies who need to build trust fast such as a consumer facing eCommerce website. Learn more about Freight Calculator here.

Want to know more about effective eCommerce strategy for your business? Contact us now and talk to our eCommerce experts. If you have any queries regarding any technical complexity, feel free to post it on TOTECS Forums.

Cheers! 

Master Web Design: A need for every eCommerce business

Instant Shade Umbrellas' wholesale website has been live on the TOTECS platform since 2012 and have recently moved from the trade interface to an MWD website. Their upgrade is a story that we would love to share with the community. 

What has MWD website done for Instant Shade Umbrellas? 
Instant Shade Umbrellas is a family-owned and family-run business with more than 20 years of experience in providing shade solutions in Australia. They are Importers, wholesalers and distributors of quality umbrella and shade solutions. TOTECS provided Instant Shade Umbrellas with an up to date website in the form of MWD website for their business which was a fully implemented eCommerce website with a Mobile Responsive Design that reduced the number of orders that their customers were submitting via phone and email. The intuitive presentation of the product catalogue make it an ideal experience for customers which ultimately increased the sales.

“We have had a partnership with TOTECS for more than half a decade now, which started when we felt the need to upgrade our platform with more modern web technology. Initially, we faced challenges integrating TOTECS with our accounting system as it is not a popular one, however the user-friendly design of TOTECS platform provided a breakthrough to these challenges resulting in more users visiting and making purchases from the Instant Shade Umbrellas wholesale website. The TOTECS team assisted the implementation in a very helpful manner and post-implementation services are great. I would recommend TOTECS to businesses that are looking for a manageable platform for their continuously changing eCommerce needs and requires quality assistance with their back-end processes.” – Michael from Instant Shade Umbrellas. 

According to the Yellow Digital Report 2018, smartphones are the most popular devices (87%) when it comes to the equipment ownership by consumers in Australia followed by Tablets (64%) and Desktop (60%). Mobile Responsive Layout ensures that website adapts to customer needs across all generations and validate the importance of having a mobile friendly eCommerce website. Would you like to know more about how an MWD website can transform your online business, then contact us now and talk to our eCommerce experts. If you have any questions about MWD websites or Mobile responsive designs, feel free to post it on TOTECS forums. 

What does an MWD website cost? 
As of 1st October 2018, you can have MWD website for $600 per month* + implementation charges excluding GST.
You can view the detailed MWD pricing structure here.

(*Terms & Conditions apply). 

What’s New? Clone Content Managed Websites:
The TOTECS Release 12.06 introduced a new feature of cloning a Content Managed website. There is now the ability for administrator users to clone an existing content managed website, allowing a new content managed website containing all content copied from an existing website. 

This new feature is beneficial for businesses as it will make it easy to set up second website and upgrade it without interfering an existing website.

Head to our YouTube channel and learn how to create a new content managed website by cloning all the web pages, files, content and configurations from an existing content managed website. 

Cheers! 

What Are Crypto Locking Viruses And How Do You Avoid Their Wrath?

We have seen several businesses around us that have been hacked in the past few months, with the worst being crypto locking virus attacks that make entire computers unusable and held to ransom. 

What are Crypto Locking Viruses? 

Crypto Locking Viruses, aka ransomware, are a type of malicious virus that once triggered will go through a computer/server's file system and encrypt all of the documents that the virus can find. The virus will leave a readable file that will give instructions on how the files can be decrypted, this is generally a transfer of bitcoins to the encrypter's account. By encrypting files that are integral to your business's day-to-day operations, these crypto viruses may immediately stop your business from functioning. Your business is then either forced to pay the ransom to unlock files on your infected computers (which may not even work after payment is made), or hopefully you can restore your files from back ups (presuming your back ups aren't infected and are up to date). Either way you may pay a heavy cost, either in time, money, or both.

Here’s some significant information about Crypto Locking Viruses:

• On average most ERP companies will have a least one customer hit a month and are sometimes hit themselves.

• Most recent versions of crypto virus are triggered from an email attachment, but they don't go off immediately, the more complex ones, spend time infecting other machines as they connect to the network and then trigger on a set time, date combination, usually based on the number of seconds since the time date the server was infected.

NOTE: A lot of IT networking companies will tell their customer: "Don't pay the ransom we will restore backups", most restores won't work, they either restore the original time bomb, or they miss something and end up costing a fortune.

• Most crypto viruses connect to an originating host server (or a server with an external address) to get the encryption key, this allows the perpetrator to be able to unlock the encryption.

NOTE: There may still be a few older viruses floating about that set their own encryption key when the encryption is triggered, it then uploads the key to the relevant machine, however there is a potential problem that the decrypting host was identified a long time ago and access to it was blocked. So, decryption is not possible under any circumstances.

• There has always been a myth that these viruses are developed for specific operating systems or databases. This is no longer the case, as now all operating systems are vulnerable and can be affected by crypto locking viruses. 

For all of the above reasons, it is essential to identify which type of crypto locking virus you are dealing with before you start trying to undo the damage that it has caused. 

How to avoid and recover from Crypto Locking Virus Attacks?

There are a few important things you can do for your company's security: 

• AVOID clicking links/attachments in emails from unknown sources. Look at the From and Sender email addresses before clicking on any links/attachments. If in doubt, delete the email. Phishing attacks work by you navigating to a website that pretends to be a legit company and then getting you to download files/viruses or handover sensitive information.

• AVOID downloading and installing files from unknown, unreliable sources on the internet.

• AVOID leaving your computer logged into services you are not actively using, such as SQUIZZ.com, Web Email, Facebook, Gmail, Outlook, Dropbox, One drive etc. If you are not using it, simply log out. If your computer becomes comprised then any open sessions with such software now becomes a target, and all your data in these systems are at risk.

• CLOSE RDP sessions, TeamViewer, VPNs when you are not using them. If your computer becomes compromised, hackers could use these connections to infect/control other machines.

• AVOID running your operating system as a user with administrator or elevated privileges. Most of the time you don't need to be running as an admin user, switch to an elevated user only when you need to install programs and perform special tasks.

• AVOID saving your customer/clients credentials on your computer in plain-text. This should all be saved in a system that is encrypted and secured, or in SQUIZZ.com which is also secured. If your computer becomes infected, any plaintext passwords can be used by hackers to infect other computers.

• If you think your computer has become INFECTED then pull the network cable out immediately and turn off the machine, especially if you are using your office Wi-Fi. 

• If you think Multiple Computers in your office network have become compromised, inform your IT department immediately in order to isolate those computers from the rest of the databases. 

• Keep your operating system UP TO DATE, keep your software up to date, only use the software you can keep up to date. Every software has vulnerabilities, while newer versions generally close the holes when found, leaving the old software running with elevated privileges can be the easiest way for hackers to infiltrate.

• UPDATE your passwords regularly. Avoid using simple passwords and using the same passwords across many services. Avoid using passwords in an obvious sequence, e.g. password 1, password 2. Use 2 or more random words in a password to make it easy to remember but difficult to crack.

• AVOID passing passwords in email or over insecure mediums. Use SQUIZZ.com, or other services running over HTTPS.

• USE Linux, if possible. Due to fewer vulnerabilities and being majority open source many people in the community are able to find, fix and alert the userbase of any vulnerabilities. It doesn't get viruses like Windows or other operating systems do.

Importance of Backups

One side note to these attacks is: that many companies suddenly find that their backups have not been working or have been incomplete for quite some time. 

Backups should be verified daily, and random test restores should be carried out on at least a monthly basis. 

A test restore does not need to overwrite all of the current data but restore your main applications (e.g. your accounting system and data) to a different area and then run a check on the number of files and file sizes backed up, if you run the test using the lastest backup, the backup and live data sets should be nearly identical.

It only takes one vulnerability to destroy a business. Attacks are happening everywhere, so be careful, mindful and smart about it. If you have any questions regarding Crypto Locking Viruses, please feel free to post it on TOTECS Forum. 

Cheers! 

TOTECS & SQUIZZ combine forces for the much-awaited Industry Seminar

THE WAIT IS OVER!

TOTECS & SQUIZZ.com are coming up with one of the most enlightening seminars of the IT industry. We are excited to announce the “eCommerce Automation Seminar” scheduled in winter of 2019. The dates, venue, registration details and agenda of the seminar will soon be shared with all the partners, clients and users of the platform.
 

Watch this space for further details. For any queries regarding the eCommerce Automation Seminar in 2019, feel free to contact us.

How TOTECS helped Safeman Australia in providing greater customer value?

Our clients use the TOTECS platform in many different ways and we are often asked what others are doing with the platform. Sharing ideas is a vital learning tool, so we are thrilled to present our client case studies. 

Safeman Australia is able to use TOTECS to send online orders to their customer's assigned warehouse based on the warehouse that they are assigned to in Safeman's Jiwa system. Furthermore, Safeman Australia are using a SQUIZZ.com Connector datasets to its full potential by using the dataset to manage their categories and the products assigned to those categories, product attachments, product images, product combinations and product attributes. Using TOTECS platform features, Safeman Australia is managing tens of thousands of products and supports thousands of users on their TOTECS Platform. 

Want your business to flourish like Safeman? Contact us now and make your business dreams come true with TOTECS.

WHAT’S NEW? Location Finder:

With the TOTECS 12.04 release, websites built on the TOTECS platform can now incorporate a location finder which can be used to direct retail consumers to their nearest store that stocks wholesalers products. The Location Finder allows you to show locations relevant to your business by integrating with Google Maps.

The Location Finder area uses the Google Maps API service to perform the search and display a map with the closest locations pinned, the area will also list details of the closest locations. This feature will help generate more sales in no time.

This feature will do wonders for wholesalers as this will allow them to open direct-to-consumer selling. Want to know more about this remarkable feature? Head to our YouTube channel and hear from our R&D team on how this feature can assist with generating more sales. If you have any questions regarding the Location Finder feature, feel free to post it on TOTECS Forums.
 
Cheers!
 
 

New TOTECS Website raises the bar for Integrated eCommerce

TOTECS are excited to announce the launch of our new www.totecs.com website featuring a new mobile responsive layout, improved user experience, intuitive design, fast and easy navigation and a suite of new resources to make it easy to share and collaborate within our community.

1. Platform Features
2. ROI Calculator
3. Pricing Structure
4. Online Payments
5. Build Your Own
6. Forums
7. Lodge Issue
8. FAQs

To find out more about the platform features, click here or contact us for more information.

 

ROI Calculator

All of us at TOTECS are focused on delivering highly rewarding and valuable return on investment (ROI) for our clients and their customers. We love working with clients who have set clear commercial goals and have implemented a comprehensive well resourced eCommerce strategy. To help with this, we have added a ROI Calculator to the website. We hope that this tools helps guide businesses in discovering the results that can be achieved through using the TOTECS Platform.

 

 

The calculator will give 3-year ROI including Revenue, Expense savings, Net margin and Customer approval. Click here to calculate ROI for your business.

Pricing Structure
The new website outlines our clear pricing model covering the Build and Monthly Hosting/Support. The monthly fees are designed on a smart ‘no win, no fee’ basis. In short, we give our client everything to build up their online business. They have access to all features, unlimited storage and websites. This creates a partnership footing. Our success ties directly into the success of our clients websites.

 

 

Online Payments
TOTECS strive to provide its customers with the highest level of service satisfaction and to keep up with this, online payments gateway is made accessible to our esteemed customers that will make the entire purchasing process faster and hassle-free. 

 

If you want to know more about Online Payments, please click here or contact us for more information. 

Build Your Own
To derive valuable ROI through automation across your business, it is essential to have an e-commerce solution integrated with accounting / ERP system. If your business has an accounting / ERP system that has not been integrated yet, then TOTECS offers the opportunity to customize your very own integration with the help of the Generic Adapter in the TOTECS Connector software. 

 

 

If you would like advice on creating a customised integration, click here. 

Forums
The TOTECS discussion forum is the gold mine of knowledge that provide tips and advice to the users and customers of e-commerce and accounting / ERP systems. The topics have discussions on a wide range of topics including Data, Content Managed Websites, Marketing, Stores, Users, Inventory, Bugs, Releases and New Features.

 

 

To visit or add a topic to the TOTECS Forums click here. 

Lodge Issue
With the all-new TOTECS.com, clients / customers can lodge an issue without any restriction of time or place and TOTECS team will get on it right away. To lodge an issue, click here or contact us to get your login details.

 

 

FAQs
Our new website has all questions you always wanted to ask. Frequently Asked Questions has up-to-date topics related to e-commerce platforms that include B2B, B2C, B2G, Sales Representatives and Punchout / EDI.

 

 

The FAQ’s area also has different valuable resources including our Document centre, TOTECS forums, Ambassadors and Certified partners of TOTECS. You can access our FAQs by clicking here, if you have any further query feel free to contact us.
 

WHATS IN IT FOR YOU?
Improve Your Internal Business Processes: It’s time to streamline all your internal business processes to maximize your productivity. The new TOTECS website will keep bringing all the aspects of your business into one central system.

Reduce Your Business Cost: By developing one central system, each department will have access to the accurate and timely information which will lower costs associated with setting up and maintaining multiple data centres.

Increase Overall Business Performance: The smooth and efficient flow of information will make the overall business perform in an absolute way. The appropriate ROI calculation will speed up the business cycle and gets you compensated more quickly.

This year TOTECS will enhance its company profile in the terms of customer satisfaction, services management, digital equity and profitable growth. In the year 2018, TOTECS will be a game-changer in the e-commerce industry because the ROI of clever customer workflows and business automation is irresistible. 

Cheers! 

 

Happy eCommerce Financial Year

Well, the 2017 financial year went past quickly and we hope your business received success in growth and profitability.  The year was a turning point for many businesses, as those with solid eCommerce strategies are thriving.  They have employed or reoriented their resources to facilitate online sales and marketing.  They are setting commercial goals and creating a digital focused internal culture.
 
We were buzzed to learn that several B2B clients lead the charge and broke through the $1 million online sales / month whilst many clients experiencing 150 – 500% growth in traffic, enquiries and sales.  Whilst sales targets are generally lower, many B2C clients experienced considerable growth in traffic and sales with various eMarketing and SEO strategies generating excellent results.

Another trend in supply chain over the year is the emergence of new strategies where traditional B2B businesses have diversified into supporting both B2B and B2C customers.  The overall cost saving can make the difference in being able to compete (and be profitable) across a range of price levels and customer profiles.

B2B Growth Impact of B2B growth with the activation of repspace functionality. Over time, reps train customers to place order online then focus on promotion activities.

This financial year is already off and racing with the release of our Master Website Designs (MWD) in July, demand is building with 16 projects already on the boiler. 
 
Since the seminar in March, our RnD team listened to the feedback and have worked at record pace developing 3 software releases packed with more high quality improvements.  Look out later this week for the 11.05 RnD Release report packed with videos covering more new features and implementation capabilities.  

We also have new faces on the team who are available to help with the growth of your online business.  

Checkout all the details below and we look forward to working with you this year.
 

Master Website Design

Universal EDI Is Gaining Strength

New Faces At TOTECS

 
We welcome aboard Darren Smith into our Customer Service Centre.  Darren has worked with TOTECS for 10 years in an applied capacity.  When his former employer wound up their business, we offered him a role as our eCommerce Services Coordinator and his focus is your online business growth.  Darren will be in touch to make sure you have everything you need.
 
In 2016, after 18 years in the Office Products industry serving in various leadership role, Ian Rosskelly has come on board as our eCommerce Strategy Consultant who is assisting clients in developing their eCommerce Strategy.  Ian gets rubber on the road.  In his former role, he grew his employers’ TOTECS website from $0 to $4million / annum in online sales.  If you want to develop a bullet proof strategy and accelerate your online business, drop Ian an email.
 
Cheers to a big year ahead,

Glenn Drew (CEO) 
The TOTECS Team

Speedy Websites - A Boom For Reps

The most successful reps are never in the office.  They are demanding people and rightly so.  They need information at their finger tips and they need it now.  Many customer relationships are supported by reps who do a top job out on the road.  

Reps are forging new relationships, cutting deals, explaining new products, solving problems and being the ears behind customer satisfaction.  

Mobility and high speed information are a reps most powerful resource.  TOTECS recognised this need and has engineered a highly productive Repspace to cater for both. It was once only available in the Trade Interface, but now it is website enabled. This means, any device, any time, any place, your Reps can receive the rich customer experience you are familiar with, as the features are embedded into all content managed websites.

While your Sales team celebrate this good news, there is only one thing to note. The old fixed-layout Trade Interface will be deprecated later this year. In other words, it will no longer be actively developed.  Why you may ask?  The Trade Interface is built using HTML Frames which has been removed from the latest HTML standards, therefore, future browsers may not support them.  Furthermore, the content management engine in TOTECS capitalises on intuitive and smarter techniques to dynamically load content fast which creating a visually modern and appealing website design and user experience.

Mobile responsive Repspace is here. It works on all devices for all conditions.  

Several clients are leading the way, and we will showcase their websites at the TOTECS Seminar. 

This is a big step forward for your Reps, with lots more in the pipeline (such as advanced quoting, product options and quote approvals).

Free the reps to do what they do best - sell, talk and connect :)

 

Glenn Drew, and The TOTECS Team
 

Smart Data Underpins eCommerce and Automation

Glenn Drew, and The TOTECS Team
 

Understanding TOTECS Risk Management

Last week. one of our clients asked an important question that I felt everyone would benefit from hearing our response.  The question was "What would happen to our website if TOTECS went into liqudation?".  This question fundamentally relates to how we deal with risk. 

To answer this question, we must go back a step and answer what would trigger a liquidation?  

The first is obvious where TOTECS Pty Ltd runs out of cash.  Our new billing model is based on usage and has been designed so that the operating expenses (including systems infrastructure, core salaries, super, taxes owed and coverage of debt is at least 20% less than income even as utilisation of the platform grows.  The old billing model was starving the company of necessary funds to match increased utlisation which demans more server infrastructure, data consumption and personnel to support it.   

The second trigger would be a failure to invest into the evolution of TOTECS or fix critical errors promptly.  Part of the operating expenses is ongoing investment into RnD covering the platform itself, the n-scalable server architecture and the data centre deployment architecture covering bug fixes, new improvements, new features, integrations and ongoing upgrades.  This also includes documentation, release notes and over the phone instant access support from a trained help desk.  Our Service Agreement outlines our procedures for issue resolution.

The third major trigger is a failure of backup and redundancy and the associated workflows around it that may cause serious damage to our clients' businesses if data cannot be recovered quickly if a major failure event occurs.  If the data centre fails for whatever reason, our systems are setup such that a sequence of steps are followed so that clients understand what is happening and that failover mechanisms are employed by our team which may result in activating the backup data centre.  Preserving data integrity followed by recovering the systems is the most critical priority when a major failure occurs.

The fourth trigger is that the company ends up in a protracted legal battle that it cannot afford to defend. The TOTECS Service Agreement has clauses that limit our liability in case there is a breach and provides pathways to remedy breaches should they occur.  This is intended to ensure that due process is followed in order to remedy the situation and avoid legal disputes.  

The fifth trigger is that the projects side of the business dries up leaving overheads of surplus staff and other project related expenses.  The TOTECS Partner model addresses this risk through a consulting model that gives flexibility to both TOTECS and Partners.  More than 60% of project work is completed by qualified Partners and our clients win the benefit of their diverse range of the skills.

All that said, should TOTECS come under any critical threat of liquidation for whatever reason, our procedure is to immediately notify our clients of the threat and work with them to determine the most suitable outcome.  As a second tier of defense against an insolvency threat, the IP trust could revoke the rights for TOTECS PTY LTD to continue to hosting and develop the lP and appoint another service provider to take over the service.  Of course, this is an action of last resort.

Fundamentally, SWOT is part of our day to day company management. We are actively engaged in researching the market and applying lessons learned to boost our resistance to shocks.

In the next set of Real Talks, we are going to outline the list of Optional Features now offered under the new billing model and provide case studies for each.

Cheers
Glenn Drew

CEO

Emarketing

• Instantly sends eMedia messages
• Allows users to sign up to emarketing during registration 
• Manually assign users to subscription categories and user groups through your Admin Centre
• Easily execute eMedia messages with the content editor
• Duplicate previous eMedia messages with the clone tool 
• Track and monitor eMedia performance in real time 

• Email marketing can maximize visibility and recognition of your brand on a global scale
• ROI of online marketing can exceed physical marketing strategies
• Emarketing is 20 times more cost effective then traditional marketing 
• Emarketing can target a specific customer base through direct marketing focused on client demographics
• Emarketing can be tracked and monitored