Agilent Technologies Enhances Customer Buying Behaviours via BroadVision
Spun-off from Hewlett-Packard in 1999, Agilent Technologies is on the leading edge of nearly every major trend in communications and life sciences.
Agilent’s Semiconductor Products Group (SPG) wanted to replace its dated web-site with one leveraging enriched functionality offered via BroadVision. Following a process to select suitable suppliers, SPG turned to Agilent’s trusted partner, Capgemini to help deploy a solution.
The implementation was delivered ahead of schedule and within budget forecasts, and creates a firm foundation for Agilent to build strong relationships with customers.
Client Profile
Agilent delivers product and technology innovations that benefit millions of people around the world - from optical and wireless communications to disease and discovery research.
Leading companies like communications equipment manufacturers, Internet service providers and biopharmaceutical companies depend on more than 20,000 Agilent semiconductor test, measurement and monitoring devices and chemical analysis tools. These help drive the communications and life sciences revolutions that are transforming the modern world.
Agilent has facilities in more than 40 countries and manufactures products at sites in the U.S., China, Germany, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and the U.K. Agilent Labs has its headquarters in Palo Alto, California, with additional sites in Colorado, Japan, Scotland and China. Some 37,000 employees serve Agilent customers in over 120 countries.
The rich heritage from Hewlett-Packard ensures that Agilent continues to support the values so important to its founders: trust, innovation, uncompromising integrity, respect and teamwork.
Business Issues
The arrival of Agilent was acclaimed as the biggest all-time initial public stock offering in Silicon Valley. Extensive technology capability, strong relationships with customers and partners, and leadership in the markets served by Agilent were key factors behind this success.
The markets that Agilent operated in were undergoing profound change. For example, communications was a $1 trillion global market yet half the world’s population had never even made a single phone call! With projected growth in the semiconductor industry, Agilent Technologies’ customers needed to access product and technical specifications. Agilent’s SPG (Semiconductor Products Group) website comprised static pages with very few tools. Customers could not easily search on more than 10,000 available products.
SPG wanted a portal to enhance the buying experience for customers and facilitate world-class solutions. This would provide a foundation for customer information to be dynamically generated and support one-to-one marketing in future.
Having successfully deployed a similar project for Hewlett-Packard’s Latin American website using BroadVision, Capgemini had a relevant, proven track record. BroadVision’s unique relationship-management strengths were precisely what SPG needed to leverage and integrate the rollout of their new website and eMarketing program.
Capgemini had added advantages to maximise the benefit - knowledge of the technology coupled with an intimate understanding of Agilent’s business. Capgemini was therefore invited aboard as partner to meet Agilent’s vision.
Solution
In order to ensure quick-wins, Capgemini helped define the project scope to implement BroadVision for two product segments: Networking and Wireless.
The team leveraged capabilities and strengths on web design elements to allow SPG engineers to capture information at a detailed level. Design of the portal also made an allowance for product information to be added in the future.
In less than seven months, the team accomplished the BroadVision implementation for given segments. The result was a solution that could be adapted to meet sophisticated demands from Agilent’s customers, and was highly acclaimed.
On an ongoing basis, Capgemini helped develop a rollout strategy for additional product segments based on Agilent’s vision and business requirements. This ensured that Agilent could push the web technology envelope for other SPG areas in a managed and controlled way. As a result, the BroadVision implementation was extended to support product Design Centers for Imaging, Optical Navigation, Motion Control, Infrared and Barcode, LED and Opto-coupler.
Following completion of the entire suite, customers and users accessed a single portal for SPG with links to:
- features & news
- hot news
- tradeshows and exhibitions
- news releases
- products in several categories
- eight market segments
- order information
- online store
- library.
The link from the library allows access to information for applications, design aids, product data sheets, specifications and performance data in each product segment or design center. Users access advanced search engines, with dynamic links to all Agilent operating groups. Registered and entitled customers can track order samples directly from the website. Non-registered customers can order small quantity of parts online by directly linking to Semiconductor Products Group’s distributors.
Benefits
In addition to increased efficiency via a rapid implementation, Agilent saved time and resources by automating many of the current processes and broadening net-service capabilities.
One of the most important aspects of the project’s success is that it has become a keystone in Agilent’s mission to define and develop an exceptional, differentiating E-Business capability.
Together, BroadVision and Capgemini have helped Agilent to achieve its vision, strengthen its brand and successfully carve a new channel to reach and serve customers.
“Capgemini partnered with us on the first phase of our E-Business program and together we delivered the best-in-industry, on-line design support for our customers.”
“Our new web-site - www.semiconductor.agilent.com - provides networking and wireless design engineers with accurate, personalised product and application information, and easy access to related product literature. Our new web-site helps us provide superb customer service.”
eBusiness Manager, SPG Division, Agilent Technologies
Written in co-operation with Agilent Technologies, Inc.
