SiteCrafting, Inc.
20 Aug
Website Innovation Profile #1
Changing the way an entire industry works is never easy. It can take a lot of time to get people used to doing things in a new way. Fortunately, during the past few years we have witnessed entire industries become disrupted by innovation. The Internet has changed the rules in so many industries - digital music, travel, banking - the list goes on and on. So one of our customers asked, why not Letterman jackets?
We all remember (at least those of us that were jocks) receiving our letter and going to the nearest sporting goods store and ordering our jackets. Typically, we chose from a limited set of styles, got measured, paid some money, and then waited 4-6 weeks for delivery. It's a process that still plays itself out in most of the country. Enter Lettermansclub.com...
The Opportunity
The folks at Lettermansclub.com found that the process of selecting a coat (now that multiple styles of coats and various patches are available) was time consuming. It was not rare for a student to spend 2-3 hours with a sales person getting measured, fitted, and designing the coat. Once the coat was perfect, the total cost for the coat would be delivered and it often resulted in re-working the coat to fit within the student athlete's family budget.
The process was further marred by the lack of being able to "see" the actual jacket and how the color combinations would work. This is similar to viewing three paint sample swatches and having to picture how it will look in a completed room. Oftentimes the "leap of faith" that it would look good was too much and led to more and more indecision. Students would often take the safe road and not add back patches or color combinations they were unsure about.
The Solution
The solution was a fully integrated jacket builder and tracking system. Student athletes are able to login to Lettermansclub.com and design their jacket on their own time. They are able to create an account, color their coat, drag and drop patches, select artwork for their patches, select trim and embroidery colors and submit their jackets online. The system keeps track of the cost of the coat as they are building it so they always know the total cost of their jacket. Once the order is submitted, lettermansclub.com staff are able to print out all the jacket instructions as well as see exactly where patches and embroidery are to be sewn, minimizing errors and resulting in a smooth build of the coat.
What's Next
Lettermansclub.com has a group of dealers across the region and will continue to add dealers across the nation. No longer do student athletes need to choose just the sporting goods store around the corner. They now have an easy online choice. Their local shop is going to be forced to change or will go the way of other businesses disrupted by the innovators.
In what area of your businesses can time consuming processes be replaced by innovation?
We all remember (at least those of us that were jocks) receiving our letter and going to the nearest sporting goods store and ordering our jackets. Typically, we chose from a limited set of styles, got measured, paid some money, and then waited 4-6 weeks for delivery. It's a process that still plays itself out in most of the country. Enter Lettermansclub.com...
The Opportunity
The folks at Lettermansclub.com found that the process of selecting a coat (now that multiple styles of coats and various patches are available) was time consuming. It was not rare for a student to spend 2-3 hours with a sales person getting measured, fitted, and designing the coat. Once the coat was perfect, the total cost for the coat would be delivered and it often resulted in re-working the coat to fit within the student athlete's family budget.
The process was further marred by the lack of being able to "see" the actual jacket and how the color combinations would work. This is similar to viewing three paint sample swatches and having to picture how it will look in a completed room. Oftentimes the "leap of faith" that it would look good was too much and led to more and more indecision. Students would often take the safe road and not add back patches or color combinations they were unsure about.
The Solution
The solution was a fully integrated jacket builder and tracking system. Student athletes are able to login to Lettermansclub.com and design their jacket on their own time. They are able to create an account, color their coat, drag and drop patches, select artwork for their patches, select trim and embroidery colors and submit their jackets online. The system keeps track of the cost of the coat as they are building it so they always know the total cost of their jacket. Once the order is submitted, lettermansclub.com staff are able to print out all the jacket instructions as well as see exactly where patches and embroidery are to be sewn, minimizing errors and resulting in a smooth build of the coat.
What's Next
Lettermansclub.com has a group of dealers across the region and will continue to add dealers across the nation. No longer do student athletes need to choose just the sporting goods store around the corner. They now have an easy online choice. Their local shop is going to be forced to change or will go the way of other businesses disrupted by the innovators.
In what area of your businesses can time consuming processes be replaced by innovation?
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by Brian Forth | 8/20/2008 5:32pm | Comments (1)
by Brian Forth | 8/20/2008 5:32pm | Comments (1)
jALtgT Appreciate you sharing, great blog post.Really thank you! Cool.
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