Introduction To TOTECS Login

Contents

  1. What Is the TOTECS eCommerce platform?
  2. Brief History
  3. How TOTECS Evolves
  4. Getting Help When You Need It
  5. Welcome To The TOTECS Community

Learn about the TOTECS eCommerce Platform and how it works.  We take you through the brief history of the technology, we show you how it evolves in the fast paced world of eCommerce and much more.  We have also provided some FAQs to address common questions about the platform.

What Is the TOTECS eCommerce platform?

TOTECS stands for Total eCommerce System.  Often when we think of eCommerce, we think of selling online.  But eCommerce is much broader than simply selling.  In this sense, it covers all business interactions online.  Fundamental to all interactions are the personal relationships between those who access your business online which are governed by the type of relationship they have with you.  For instance, the facilities and information I require as a customer are different to that of other customers and quite different to a supplier, or a sales rep, or a customers service officer, or an accounts manager and so on.

The TOTECS Platform is a relationship-driven eCommerce Platform that handles your digital touch points for conducting business online with end users.  A digital touch point could be the website, enewsletter, online store, facebook links and so on.  The Platform serves up content, products and workflows to users based on their relationship to your business.

What enables the TOTECS platform to be powerfully relationship-driven is its ability to connect Live with various Accounting/ERP used for back-office functions.  This is done via the TOTECS Accounting Connector software.  Most businesses want to keep their back-office software systems in-house or at a data centre under their control.  Often these systems have very limited eCommerce features or none at all.  Having a Live link between your TOTECS Platform and your accounting/ERP system, you can keep your back-office systems internal yet offer a highly engaging range of digital touch points including inbound browsing and ordering or outbound communication such as eMarketing.  

Whilst it is not essential, the TOTECS platform is geared for distribution businesses who stock inventories of products. Much of the power of the platform is in its ability to offer eCommerce workflows for 1000's of products.

The TOTECS Platform is versatile in the sense that it comprises many Modules and Features to suit a wide range of user experiences across the various types of supply chain industries.  The Platform is ideal for Retail, Wholesale, Commercial, Manufacturing or Franchise/Buying Groups.  The Platform comprises of an extensive range of features which lends itself to mould across a wide range of industries.

Due to this versatiliy, the TOTECS Platform caters for a wide range of complex business workflows across sales, marketing, accounts, payments, logistics and fulfillment.  Better still, there is flexibility to develop new features to cater for advanced requirements.

To get a feel for the TOTECS Platform, start by taking the TOTECS Tour

Brief History

In year 2000, at the height of the .com stock market boom, our founder Glenn Drew was invited to build a B2B eCommerce online store for a Melbourne commercial stationery company.  At the time Glenn was studying his computer science degree at Melbourne University whilst working part time as a computer network consultant.  Glenn developed the first online store using a product called INetStore.  INetStore was very limited in scope and Glenn quickly discovered a very crucial issue that would set the precedence for TOTECS.  B2B clients receive custom prices based on their agreed discount structures.  Glenn re-engineered INetStore (or more accurately hacked) and wrapped perl/ASP/php logic to provide the personalised trading relationships functionality.

In 2000, the stationery business switched their back office system to a platform called Micronet.  Micronet were impressed with the B2B online store and asked Glenn to develop an integrated eCommerce Platform that could be deployed quickly across their client base.  Glenn knew his clunky solution wouldn't cut-it and started looking for an eCommerce Platform that was centered around the user's trading relationships.  Scouring the web revealed no other platforms with such capabilities. 

Whilst on a working holiday in the US in early 2001, Glenn started to innovate the technology he wanted.  A technology that had the user relationship and Live accounting system integration at the core.  After designing an XML based language built on Java, he spent that year developing the foundation software for todays TOTECS Platform.  In 2002, the first Online Store went live for Group Newsagency Supplies.  Over the subsequent 6 years, this store grew from nothing to turning over $70million online sales per annum.

With 9 staff in the company by 2007/2008, the XSQUIZZIT team picked up on the emergence of web 2.0 emerging and noticed the current version 3 of the TOTECS platform needed to be re-engineered completely.  Glenn bit bullet and stopped sales and production for 12 months and invested $1.5m into the redevelopment project over 3 years.  It was a tough challenge and we were delighted that most of our clients adopting the new technology quickly.

In 2010, Glenn's brother Rowan took over leading the Software Development team whilst Glenn focused on the commercial vision and technology strategy.  In July 2013, TOTECS turns 8 and its a formiddable milestone.  Since 2008, the team have propelled the platform beyond Glenn's earlier vision to encompass relationship driven content management, online store, eMarketing and Live accounting integration via the powerful new TOTECS Connector.

The entire XSQUIZZIT Team have injected their ideas and innovations into TOTECS.  The TOTECS Platform represents the sum of the collective ideas of every team member who has worked in our company.  With the cloud based architecture fully bedded down, the future looks extremely bright for our wholly Australian owned and built eCommerce technology.  Enjoy the journey ahead.

How TOTECS Evolves

TOTECS is continually evolving to meet emerging needs of distribution businesses online.  Over the past 10 years, eCommerce has advanced rapidly.  We have seen the emergence of web 2.0, facebook, twitter, freight agregators, eMarketing, richer browsers and mobile browsing to name a few. 

Rolling changes into any eCommerce Platform requires a highly rigorous process.  There is much at stake for a commercial business if things go wrong.  When back-office systems contain errors, or worse, go offline, it is often resolved behind the scenes and generally goes unnoticed to the customer.  Not so easy for eCommerce where tens, hundreds or thousands of customers are interacting at the same time.  When a website or online store contains introduced errors, sparks can fly fast and in some cases, these issues can bring a business to its knees.  

When assessing eCommerce Technologies, most businesses are unaware of the complexities that arise as the eCommerce needs evolves, nor of the costs associated when things go pear-shaped.  The issues are often compounded when eCommerce Platforms are modified to suit a businesses individual requirements.  This often occurs with open source technology where deviations from the development roadmap can render an eCommerce website disfunctional or obselete withing several years.

XSQUIZZIT has developed a sophisticated process to ensure the TOTECS Platform can evolve quickly and remain always up-to-date with very little risk to your online businesses.  To achieve this, in 2009, we introduced the TOTECS Agile Monthly Release Cycle whereby new features, improvements and fixes are developed during the first three weeks of the cycle.  In the last week, each modification undergoes a strict quality assurance testing process whereby a comprehensive set of use-case conditions are tested and verified.  After verification, the release is approved and deployed into the TOTECS Cloud often without you even realising. 

In the rare event that the release introduces errors, the RnD team are on standby and have a hot-fix mechanism to resolve any issues very quickly. 

The TOTECS Agile Monthly Release Cycle ensures that you recieve software updates every month which always keeps their eCommerce Platform current.  The process gives you the peace of mind that all modifications to the TOTECS Platform are tracked, tested and verified prior to their introduction.  By posting upcoming developments in the Administration Centre and issuing monthly RnD Newsletters informing of the changes, we ensure you are empowered to see what's happening with your TOTECS Platform and take full advantage of new TOTECS Modules and TOTECS Features as they are released.

Getting Help When You Need It

Whilst the TOTECS Platform serves as the vehicle for trading online, the highly experienced team at the XSQUIZZIT Service Centre are ready to assist you.  We view the relationship with your business as a partnership and inside this commitment, we endeavour to provide the guidance and advice that propels your online business forward.

The Service Centre Team are accessible by phone or email.  When calling XSQUIZZIT, the Service Centre team will instantly recieve your call.  Your time is money and our objective is to ensure we resolve matters quickly and effectively.  To aid this process, your enquiries are tracked in our Ticket Management system.  Ticket numbers are issued to ensure that matters are properly completed.   

Online businesses operate 24/7, never get puffed out, don't request sick days but at certain times, you need a bit of assistance to fulfill on your objectives.  Sometimes urgent matters popup and after hours assistance may be essential.  The Service Centre Team offer an after hours service and will respond when critical matters are reported.  

The Service Centre Team also diligently manage the hosting infrastructure behind the scenes.  Everyday, they are servicing, monitoring, verifying backups and continually improving and expanding the infrastructure that underpins the operation of your TOTECS Platform.  This ensures that you can focus on growing your online business rather than being distracted by operational concerns.

Finally, your feedback is vital to the onging development and expansion of the TOTECS Platform.  The Service Centre Team take note of all feedback and steer it into the appropriate areas.  Please feel free to give us feedback at any time.

Welcome To The TOTECS Community

The TOTECS Platform exists through the collective advice and guidance of the XSQUIZZIT community comprising past and present staff, clients, advisors, mentors, web developers, service providers, accounting/ERP vendors and dare I say it, our friendly competitors. 

We want to further promote and grow the TOTECS Community through the TOTECS Online Forum.  Here, you can tap into the extensive knowledge, handy tips and great advice from others who have trodded down the same track. 

Your collaboration and contribution is welcome and we invite your feedback and experiences with the technology.  Through the collective wisdom of our community, we will build on the momentum generated so far and propel the TOTECS Platform forward.  A win-win for all parties (even our friendly competitors who may one day work with our platform).  We thank you in advance for your participation.