InterVarsity Press (IVP) is excited to announce the launch of its new integrated customer management system as of March 1, 2017. In partnership with AdvantageCS (ACS), IVP undertook a two-year project that overhauled its customer, order entry, book catalog, and rights/royalties databases, as well as revamped the existing ivpress.com website to work for customers of all types, from trade sales to direct-to-consumer sales.

“Our new platform will provide for a more tightly integrated business solution by combining multiple legacy systems into a single updated environment,” said Tricia Koning, director of information technology. “In subsequent years, IVP should reap benefits in the areas of consumer engagement, activity tracking, royalties automation, process improvement, ease of integration, and asset distribution.”

Koning, who spearheaded the project with the help of a core team at IVP, worked directly with developers, engineers, and designers at ACS beginning in February 2015 to create cohesive systems that will launch IVP into the future of book publishing and sales. ACS has been developing customer and subscription management systems since 1979, and the software they produce is known for all-inclusive functionality, adaptability, and scalability, as well as an emphasis on partnership with each of their clients.

“I’m so pleased that IVP’s team has persevered to move us to this new system,” said Justin Lawrence, director of sales. “The new features will allow us to track sales more precisely and recommend better books to customers based on deeper intelligence about what would work best for them.”

Sales representatives for IVP will be better equipped to target customers with specific books and specials, as well as keep detailed and comprehensive data on buying patterns. It will allow for an enjoyable and integrated customer experience from start to finish.

IVP’s website also underwent a major redesign as a part of the process, using a system created by ACS called Cider. Cider is a feature-rich e-commerce platform that includes a powerful shopping cart and self-service capabilities and the ability for marketers to create and assign promotions. The goal was to create a more fluid customer experience, allowing customers to see their purchasing history, particular discounts, and tailored specials.

“It’s been incredibly exciting to be part of this system and website overhaul at IVP,” said Lorraine Caulton, director of creative and customer engagement, the IVP department that oversees ivpress.com. “With the new site we’ve tried to improve the overall customer experience in the way it looks, by the books and specials that are featured, and through how it functions. We look forward to adding more features as we stay tuned to the needs of IVP enthusiasts.”

The adoption of ACS has been a long-term goal for IVP, and IVP’s emphasis on agility and adaptability over its seventy-year history has led to a successful transition. The new software made available by ACS will ensure that IVP continues to hold those standards by allowing for a more effective workflow between editorial acquisitions, development, marketing, sales, and royalties.

“The successful launch of the new system is a tribute to the work not only of the project’s core team but to all IVP employees who embraced change, diligently worked in their sphere of responsibility, and are now deploying the technology for the benefit of our customers, vendors, and authors,” said Jeff Crosby, publisher. “Saying something was a ‘team effort’ is a cliché, I recognize. But in this case, it’s an apt description of what our staff has done over the past two years. I look forward to the fruit it will yield in the years to come.”