The global leader in semiconductors wanted to improve its online sampling function to drive sales. It partnered with Infosys to create a customized e-commerce solution combining guided selling, catalogs, and storefronts. The solution helped drive sales and provided opportunities to collaborate, innovate, and expand business. It provided accurate research and ordering of products to both existing and prospective customers.

1. Leader in semi-conductor technology rides on
e-commerce to drive sales
Abstract
A global leader in semiconductor technologies wanted to leverage its website
to build a robust e-commerce platform that could enable accurate research,
selection and ordering of products. The solution was aimed at improving its
online sampling function to generate greater interest among design engineers
and lure prospective customers. Infosys partnered with the client to create
a customized e-solution that went beyond a regular B2B or B2C model,
combining a number of functionalities for guided selling through extensive
sampling, catalogs and channel storefronts for meeting diverse requirements.
The e-solution not only helped in driving sales, but also provided the
company with more opportunities to collaborate innovate and expand its
business.
For more information, contact askus@infosys.com
Sep 2008

2. Business Overview & Context
The client, a world leader in semiconductor technologies, engages in the design, manufacture, marketing and sale of high-
technology components. The company’s semi-conductor products account for nearly 96% of its revenues. With its operations
spread across 25 countries, the company leverages on its website to build loyalty among its user community. The site acts
as a window to its range of products and encourages design engineers to use online samples in the designing and testing of
equipment. Such a sampling exercise is generally used to encourage users across the globe to try the company’s products
while designing end electronic equipment such as TV, mobile phones, MP3 players etc. If the designers find these samples
useful, they recommend these products to their company, which in turn gets converted into bulk order opportunities. A
precursor to the ‘buy’ decision, ‘sampling’ is thus a crucial tool in getting new customers.
The client’s existing e-commerce infrastructure was unable to leverage the benefits of ‘online sampling’ to its fullest. The
company was, therefore, looking at enhancing its e-commerce portfolio to drive sales and reduce support costs.
Business Challenges
The client wanted to leverage its website to build a robust e-commerce platform that could support its sales & marketing
activities and improve cross-selling opportunities. It was looking for an e-solution that could enable accurate research,
selection and ordering of products. The solution was not just aimed at meeting the requirement of existing customers, but
had to be compelling enough to lure prospective customers who log on to the company’s website. There was a need to build
a strong web infrastructure that could improve its online sampling function and generate greater interest among its target
community, specifically design engineers.
The client had to deal with many issues on its existing web infrastructure as the current ecommerce server platform was not
supported by the vendor anymore. The system was not scalable and required significant custom code. An obsolete platform
and usability issues not only hurt the speed of ordering but also resulted in missed cross-sell opportunities. Besides rising
integration and maintenance costs, the company needed to consolidate all its transaction applications and build a new
improved architecture and integration roadmap.
Client Context
Shift in Marketing Strategies
The recent past has witnessed the emergence of new markets and proliferation of large number of small and medium design
houses, independent sales representatives and distributors. This is also leading to a gradual shift in the ‘go-to-market’
strategies of semi-conductor companies across the globe. Advancements in e-commerce technology percolating from B2C to
B2B arena have impacted the efficiency of the ordering process of these companies.
This changing business environment and technology development requires the creation of a framework (process, systems &
data) that can be easily extended to channel partners and customers, thereby increasing brand, market share and revenue.
Large semi-conductor companies are required to take on a ‘Channel Stewardship’ role in the product’s value chain to drive
business efficiently through their channel partners and develop a strong brand that goes beyond just selling chips.
• Extending and sharing the
process, like demand shaping,
bundling, etc.
• Extending technologies, like
enabling eMarketplace, storefront,
ODMs order brokering
Channel
Stewardship • Sharing detailed product,
OEMs requires increasing configuration, pricing, and
Semiconductor the sphere of inventory data
EMS
influence on • Selling platform (a combination of
channel integrated circuits, chips,
partners by software, reference design,
support, finance all tested and
Distis
configured for use)
• Defining joint performance
management criteria and
measurement systems
Web enabled eCommerce platforms are used as enablers to take on channel stewardship role by large semiconductor players.
This channel stewardship role will help take the order enablement through a channel marketplace.
2 | Infosys – Case Study

3. The Solutions Approach
This project aimed at setting up a web infrastructure that could support the ‘Worldwide Samples’ (WWS) application. The
existing sampling application had to be migrated from Microsoft Site Server 3.0 with SQL Server 2000 as the backend to IBM
WebSphere Commerce 6.0 with Oracle 10g in the backend. This was the first of the many applications that the company
envisioned to build on the enhanced e-commerce platform.
Infosys partnered with the client to create a customized e-solution whose usage would be beyond a normal B2B or B2C
model:
• Guided selling through extensive sampling, thus enabling designers to find solutions that would fit their requirements.
• Storefronts that could meet diverse requirements in terms of products lines, channels, pricing, currency, contracts,
languages, geographies and sectors.
• Enabling sales force, distributors, resellers and design houses to:
• Access accurate product information
• Introduce new products faster
• Gain real-time pricing and availability
• Place orders
• Check order status & track shipments
How did Infosys help?
Infosys was already engaged with many of the client’s IT services requirements across multiple business groups. It had been
involved in creating other Transaction Management applications for the client’s internet sales and marketing channel. It could,
therefore, leverage on its in-depth understanding and knowledge of the client’s existing systems to ensure timely delivery of
the project at minimum costs.
Infosys has extensive expertise in the semi-conductor domain within its manufacturing vertical. It also brought with it an
expertise in implementation of IBM’s technologies and proven strength in delivery of quality and cost-effective services
through its ‘Global Delivery Model’. Infosys leveraged on its alliance with IBM and its in-house Center of Excellence to build
a strong ecommerce platform on Websphere Commerce 6.0.
The entire project was implemented in an iterative manner to ensure that business had enough time for testing thereby
reducing risks. In-house testing tools and quality checks were appropriately deployed to give the client enough confidence on
the product capabilities. Infosys also helped the client in developing certain custom applications that were not available in the
out-of- box solution.
Infosys – Case Study | 3

4. Business Benefits
The e-solution that was initiated to support a sampling function was gradually enhanced to provide a comprehensive
e-commerce portfolio. The key benefits of the project were:
• The ‘online sampling’ application has become more effective in generating
Fi a ial
n nc
Financial orders, thus implying more business for the company.
• There has been a significant reduction in maintenance and running costs.
• The improved web interface has made it easier to place orders, thereby
reducing the time spent in entering or reviewing requests. This has, in turn,
Opratial
e o n
Operational increased the overall efficiency and productivity of its people.
• There is more visibility into the overall demand and inventory from all
channels.
• The revamped e-commerce infrastructure not only supports existing
applications better but also provides scope for scalability and expansion.
• The website has cleaner interfaces and a new look that attracts a whole new
set of customers.
Fl Flexible
exible • There are more opportunities to collaborate transactional applications into
one single platform. This also provides the customer with a consistent user
experience.
• The company has more avenues for expansion as it can sign on new
distributors and sales channels in emerging markets.
• The company can introduce cutting edge designs and new features at a
In tive
nova
Innovative much faster pace.
• New features like cross-selling will be added in the future to enrich user
shopping experience, ensuring greater customer satisfaction.