(1888PressRelease)
July 19, 2008 - A recent survey amongst NHS and private practitioners by Oldham-based Mobilis Healthcare, one of the country’s foremost medical suppliers, has revealed a growing trend toward purchasing healthcare supplies via the internet. Whilst the majority (50%), described as ‘Dabblers’, still view catalogues as their main source of product information, occasionally searching the web for specific purchases, other, mainly younger groups, characterised as ‘Explorers’ (25%) and ‘Settlers’ (10%), view technology as integral to practice, using the internet as an important means of sourcing information and purchasing supplies. Only 15% regard themselves as non-internet users, buying purely from catalogues, but accepting they are ‘behind the times’.
In response to this research and other customer feedback, Mobilis has invested a six-figure sum in a new e-commerce platform, in a bid to boost online sales from a current 2% to 20% of overall revenue, to take advantage of changing procurement patterns. At the same time, the company has revamped its traditional printed catalogues, including a 444-page publication listing over 1500 specialist healthcare products and individual catalogues covering sports medical, physiotherapy and podiatry solutions.
Mobilis, which has been established since 1978 and this year celebrates its 30th anniversary, has also taken the opportunity to revise its corporate logo, focusing attention on its genuine expertise in the medical and sports healthcare sectors. Offering a truly comprehensive choice of specialist healthcare supplies, from state-of-the-art electronic equipment to affordable commodity items, Mobilis has acknowledged expertise in the selection, sourcing and just-in-time delivery of branded and own label lines. It also employs qualified experts and consultants in areas such as sports pharmacy, biomechanics and physiotherapy, pelvic healthcare and orthotics, contributing to its impressive market know-how.
“We are amongst the market leaders in the specialist medical equipment and services sector and are keen to establish ourselves as a dynamic force, able to supply customers and their patients with the right products, at the right time and right price,” says Mobilis CEO, Colin Webb. “Thanks to the financial backing of our investment company, Sussex Research, we are able to gear up our e-commerce solution to cope with growing demand, while at the same time strengthening our catalogue and telephone sales operations with enhanced back-office systems.”
Working on implementing and expanding the company’s online sales and marketing activities is an in-house team of five experienced web developers, led by Business Unit Manager, Ross Matthews. For the new e-commerce platform, Ross selected the powerful Maginus Storefront solution, which integrates seamlessly with Mobilis’ recently installed Maginus ERP back-office system, linking into the group’s financial, purchasing, warehousing and order- picking processes and enriching an overall £2m software investment.
Informed by the findings of independent qualitative customer research, which covered NHS and private physiotherapists, podiatrists, occupational and sports therapists, across twenty hospitals and PCTs, the website design and development cycle took over four months, from initial concept to implementation. Award-winning online development agency, Nemisys, introduced additional interactive elements; web marketing company, Ambergreen, provided consultancy on search engine optimisation and other marketing initiatives; while Site Intelligence, which works with a number of leading high street retailers, is contributing specialist web data analysis.
With its streamlined new look, www.mobilishealthcare.com provides thumbnail images and brief details of all Mobilis products and services, indicating in-stock availability and delivery times. Extensive, flexible shopping cart functionality allows users to compile multiple orders across all product sections, while regular shoppers can log into their individual customer account areas, to help manage their billing and delivery information. Specially-created pages like Treatment Room, Exercise Finder, Events and Industry News sections add to the site content and meet customer demand for helpful advice and information, as well as just product details. In addition to trade-only sections for professional customers, there will be increasing facilities for consumers.
Aimed at practitioners, procurement officers and practice managers who still prefer product information in a handy printed format, the updated Mobilis catalogue is now almost one hundred pages larger, lists the biggest ever range of medical, clinical and therapy products, all colour-coded for easy reference, and has a user-friendly layout with clear and helpful photographs, as prompted by market research. There are also individual, specialist catalogues covering podiatry, physiotherapy and sports medical supplies, for those wanting a smaller, easier to navigate manual.
Catalogue buyers will also benefit from the company’s recent investment in sophisticated back-office software, since it will streamline the whole stock management and warehousing operations, enabling all orders received before 4pm to be picked and packed efficiently, ready for same-day despatch at an economical standard delivery charge.
Operations Manager, Gary Lynch, says that the integrated back storefront and back office collection will additionally provide high quality intelligence that will enable Mobilis Healthcare to further enhance its marketing activities, optimise its stock inventory and deliver the products its customers need, on time, every time.
Further information from Mobilis Healthcare, 100 Shaw Road, Oldham OL1 4AY, telephone 0161 678 0233, www.mobilishealthcare.com
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