Sterling Commerce Solves Stocking Dilemmas with Always in Stock Solution

Sterling Commerce introduces Always in Stock, which combines advanced cross-channel order management with integration capabilities. When a customer is faced with an out-of-stock product, Sterling Always in Stock helps the sales associate or call center agent to find the desired item in the retailer's network and the customer to choose a satisfying fulfillment method.

Sterling Always in Stock is a preconfigured solution that combines modules from Sterling Multi-Channel Selling and Sterling Multi-Channel Fulfillment with a user interface for sales associates and call center agents to optimize the entire "save-the-sale" business process.

The solution utilizes a special order process that also can accommodate "endless aisle" items. Once the transaction is complete, Sterling Always in Stock automatically triggers fulfillment from the designated location and provides complete order status visibility for the customer and the sales associate.

"Our customer satisfaction and loyalty is much improved when we can offer multiple fulfillment options to solve an out-of-stock or make the purchase more convenient," said Chap Achen, director, multi-channel order management, Best Buy, a long-standing Sterling Multi-Channel Fulfillment customer.

Sterling Always in Stock provides the following capabilities:

- A guided, automated save-the-sale process combined with an interface for store associates and call center agents

- Configurable sourcing rules that steer the associate toward the most appropriate fulfillment options, as well as flexible sourcing logic to support advanced cross-channel fulfillment options, such as ship to home, ship to store, store-to-store transfer and hold for alternate-store pickup

- Integration capabilities that provide real-time visibility by integrating with POS, inventory management and warehouse management systems