Altair Commerce Engine

ACE Overview

ACE is a web-based application that lets you build and manage robust, interactive websites for conducting business with customers and vendors. Easy to use web forms let you quickly add or change content. No special training or software is required.

As your visitor navigates through your website ACE automatically generates the pages based on the presentation choice you have made for the product or service. Changes to your products or services are made from easy-to-use forms and your changes are automatically translated into new website pages.

Store Manager

The ACE Store Manager provides you and your staff secure access to the various areas of your website. Acess to areas may be managed by departments. The Store Manager also provides access to a variety of optional ACE modules including:

Article Manager provides support for the creation, publication, archiving and retrieving articles from an article database.

Events Calendar provides you an easy process for showing events that are scheduled in the future. When your visitor selects the Calendar Page the computer will automatically display all of the events that begin from the current date forward. If you wish the display of future events may be restricted to any number of days that you specify.

Event Registration works with the Events Calendar to provide your visitor with event registration options including sign up and payment. Administration enjoys a flexible platform for creating different types of events, event detail, event point of contact, setting event fees, and unique roster for each event.

Mail Manager provides the ability to conduct Email Marketing Campaigns to people in the website database. This function may be used to send announcements or newsletters to selected individuals as well. Adding new e-mails is supported by a Visitor Registration page that asks visitor for name, address and a variable number of visitor profile questions that you can define. ACE also provides a quick opt-in form that will subscribe (or unsubscribe) a visitor to e-mail announcements/newsletter by simply entering their e-mail address. The Mail Manager Subsystem allows you to easily create newsletters which may then be sent to people with attributes that you specify. The body of the newsletter may be constructed using HTML to create attractive formats with links to your website.

Member Management allows you to create members for your website and provide access to website content based on member level. Web-based forms are used to define the various membership packages and their prices.

Job Openings allows you to post job openings and manage applications from your website. The module includes automated e-mail notifications to applicant and HR department as the application is being processed.

Online Sales

ACE supports online sales to both consumers (B2C) and customers with accounts (B2B). ACE provides unrivaled flexibility for managing and presenting your Products/Services from your website. Standard features include:

• Up to 10,000 Store Departments
• Up to 10,000 Product Lines per Department
• Product Line can have any number of Items for sale
• Each Item can have any number of options/styles (e.g. size, color, etc.)

Users of the optional e-Commerce module are able to manage flexible price and shipping models. Pricing is date range specific, variable based on units or dollars, adjustable by discount groups as well as customer-specific pricing. Similar flexibility exists for shipping fees.

Order Processing

The ACE Shopping Cart makes it easy for a visitor to buy your products online in a secure transaction environment. For customers that select the ACE e-Commerce functions Altair automatically implements the Visitor Login and Registration pages so that orders from existing customers are expedited. A key aspect of ACE e-Commerce is the ability to quickly go to the product/service required. Ease-of-use is key to a successful e-Commerce site. ACE provides the ability to track orders that originated on another website. This feature allows you to offer other website operators a commission for referring their visitors to your website. The associated report allows you to see, by referring website, the orders that were created as a result of another website referring a buyer to your website.

Order Payment Processing

Once the customer has completed creating an order he/she moves to the Check Out Page. At this page the buyer is presented with a complete Order Confirmation page. When the buyer approves the information on the Order Confirmation page he or she is redirected to secure credit card processing where the buyer enters credit card information. If the buyers card is approved, Merchant Bank partner begins the process of transferring payment to your bank. ACE recognizes Customer with accounts and will create and e-mail an invoice for these customers once the order has been shipped. The optional Accounts Receivable System will manage payments and provide summary text files sutable for import by your accounting application or to the optional Altair General Ledger System.

ACE provides all customers the ability to view order status and order history.

Business to Business Sales

ACE has the ability to sell to consumers and/or businesses. The Business-to-Business (B2B) subsystem is an add-on to the standard Business to Consumer subsystem. When ACE detects a B2B customer it automatically implements existing sales terms (e.g. COD, Net 30 days, etc.) for the transaction.

Managing Orders

The ACE Order Management System provides a comprehensive set of modules for managing your orders and inventory including:

• Picking Ticket (the actual order) generation - This function creates an Adobe PDF document which details the order information.
• Order Status maintenance This function lets you track and update the status of each order by using a drop down menu
• Shipping Document generation which serves as both packing slip and shipping label
• Customer Order Lookup a search field for all orders (pending, existing, previous, etc) which searches the database against all orders in the order history
• Order Status Report (which is optionally available to your customers if you wish) lists orders and their current status
• Inventory Manager this report shows you status of all items sold on your website by department area
• Accounting Reports to facilitate interface to your accounting application this is a screen report that shows sales by date range and details

B2B customers are able to log in and access the following functions:

• Maintain list of locations authorized to place orders
• Identify who can place orders
• Implement order rules by location (e.g. maximum order size and maximum order amount per month)
• Ability to approve or disapprove orders that exceed location budget
• Reports detailing purchases by location or product

The Client functions allow your client to manage who can place orders and in what amounts.

Content Management System

Save time and money. Make changes to your website yourself, when you need them. The ACE Content Management System is easy to use. Upload graphics, change text and more without any special tools nor software from anywhere, anytime.

Bizweb Internet Solution

Altair's BizWeb Internet Solution for small business

Created for growth potential, this website package provides a powerful database-driven website with many features and functionality. This package is designed for the business which wants a website to build on as the business grows.

If you have website requirements that include:

• Dynamic New Site to drive sales
• A new website design (redesign)
• Database-driven website
• Compelling graphics to propel your Brand
• Growth as company needs and budget dictate
• Edit & Update capability (Content Management Sytem)
• Hosting & domain name services
• e-Mail Accounts Online & Email Marketing
• Online Sales and Shopping Carts
• B2B and Vendor Management
• Centralized Contacts,
• emails with your company name

Options include:

• Calendars, contact management and To Do lists
• Inventory Management, Sales Management, Purchase Order Management, Point-of-Sale, Project Management, AR & GL interface
• Customized features for your business and more

Small/Mid-Size Enterprises

Mentoring

Altair works in the role of Coach with exisiting staff of smaller firms to provide the needed experience and expertise associated with researching, designing and building technology applications that take advantage of the newest, proven, technologies.

Design and Development Services

Altair works in the role of Internet Partner to provides design and development services to firms when in-house staff is too busy helping run the business or lacks specific expertise.

Outsourcing

As today's servers and databases have become increasingly powerful they have also become very complex to manage. Altair provides outsource support for your servers and databases.

Level the playing field!

The benefits of technology and the Internet have largely been derived by large corporations with full-time staffs that can design, develop, deploy and maintain these sophisticated and complex systems. Altair's mission is to establish partnership relationships with small and mid-size business that provide our customers reliable access to this technology at affordable costs.

iPad Point-of-Sale

Introducing Altair's comprehensive, intuitive, and NEW iPad Point-of-Sale System. This application lets users in the field conduct a variety sales transactions all tethered to the central locus of control, a powerful information database.
Contact us for a demonstration.

Membership Manager

Altair's Membership Management tools let your organization seamlessly manage event calendar & registration, members status, and membership communications.

Ideal for HOAs, Chambers of Commerce, and other groups, the administrator manages all aspects of individual memberships:

• New online sign-ups
• Multiple membership levels and automatic renewal reminders
• Member login to profiles and communications, attendance, registration, and payment history
• Member edits (each member can edit/update their own member data; upload photos and logos)
• Directories - several options to choose from ranging from open to private, different member categories, and corporate sponsors/members
• Events calendar with easy Admin access
• Events registration/payment with automatic confirmation/receipt
• Email communications: newsletters, promotions, announcements and other communications
• Administrator console: tools to manage member status (active, pending, other), sign-ups, events calendar, event rosters, and more

Member access, Administrative ease

Altair's Membership Manager makes it easy to manage administrative tasks while members access important news & information. Member Privileges include access to website content based on membership level. Members receive reminders when membership is about to expire. Members who have not renewed can be moved to pending status in one click from the Administrator Menu. Member can the current status of membership, membership period start and end dates, and pay dues online.

Membership Directory

Curb expenses associated with Print Directory in favor of an Online Directory. The online Membership Directory is available to members via login with password. Options include printer-friendly directory for members and a business directory for the public with the advantage of creating new visitors (potential new members) on your website.

Online Instruction & Testing

With the ability to deliver instruction and test online, your assets are more marketable than ever. From specialized topics to litigation mitigation, an online learning platform which you can administer is within your reach.

Online Courses

Get a rich set of options for effectively communicating your Class Schedule, Course information, Policies & Procedures, and online Registration. Online course presentation ranges from a single page displaying several products to an expanded, content-rich, multi-level resource. Standard options include:

• multilingual content (including character-based languages)
• custom reports & statistical analysis
• login & access control (up to 100 levels)
• administrator management: course Administrator receives registrations roster, can edit/change/add/delete courses, course descriptions, pricing, links, and more.

Online registration options include: open, regulated (selective enrollment), and controlled (prerequisite requirements). Students log in to secure access to instructional material and tests.

Online Testing

Test are built around courses. Each course may have an open-ended number of sections and each section may have a test with any number of questions. Test Tools allow the course administrator to develop tests for course material. Students answers and start/end times for each test are recorded. Test results are computed and stored in the database. Multiple options for communicating scores are available.

Event Calendar & Registration

Manage events in a flexible, robust Events Management interface which anyone with a valid login can administer. Incudes event calendar, registration, payment, confirmation, and roster.

The Events Calendar & Registration is a simple process to present events online and let people register for them. When your visitor sees your calendar, all events are displayed and in one click event details are presented.

Online Registration of Events is available with a complete set of options for Event Detail, number of people attending, number of tables or tickets for purchase, and options for method of payment. A real time Event Registration roster provides the Administrator with a comprehensive listing of sign-ups with payment status.

• The Events Calendar is easy to maintain and includes flexible options:
• online registration for each event
• options for fee-based and non-fee-based events
• set up events for the year
• set up recurring events
• multiple fees for an event
• automated confirmation for people who register

Administrator enjoys these great features:

• easy access from anywhere to the event management console
• easy set up for all events
• recurring events set up
• multiple fees capability (member fee, non-member fee, etc)
• event roster: by event shows all registration information including payment status
• automated confirmation for registrations