Harvey Tool Digital Catalog
Project
"We need an easier way for a customer to find the specialized tool they need for their job out of a massive inventory"
Problem
Whether it’s milling, contouring, drilling, or reaming, end mills are intricate, highly specialized tools used for many different types of industrial metalwork. Harvey Tool, an end mill manufacturer, needed an easier way for a customer to find the exact drills or end bits they need for their job out of an inventory of hundreds of thousands of items. Previously, Harvey Tool sent out a large printed catalog of their inventory to current and potential clients. This was a costly effort that required frequent updates and could not guarantee in-stock items to the recipient. In addition, a simple product list could not assist a potential customer who needed specialized work done but were unsure about the best products to use.
Solution
Harvey Tool bought on AndPlus to create a comprehensive and interactive digital marketplace solution to replace the company’s physical catalog. The new “Find A Tool” section of Harvey Tool’s website followed the customer journey similarly to the company’s original catalog, but with helpful enhancements such as accompanying images and advanced search functions, AndPlus’s website integration maximized ease of use for clients and customers.
The Find A Tool program lets the user search the product inventory by three methods: Tool Style, Operation, and Material. This way, a customer could choose different paths to search for items based on their level of expertise and needs. For example, if a certain job needed to be done and the buyer only knew what type of machine drilling was required, but not the product itself, Find A Tool could guide them to either the specific product or an array of options by a series of drop-down menus. If a consumer knew what product they wanted, but needed to compare costs, sizes, type of material, or look for alternative options, they could search for the product itself and filter results by price, availability, and several other specifics.
After selecting a category, purchasers were now able to click on each product to find detailed information and technical specs, and select multiple tools for side-by-side comparison. Find A Tool also includes available inventory for each item, as well as an interactive map function to find local distributors, eliminating the potential for accidentally selecting backordered or out of stock items.
Outcome
Selecting products through the web function rather than a catalog streamlined the buying process and saved both the customer and the company time and money. This online catalog can now be accessed by anyone, infinitely increasing Harvey Tool’s marketing outreach. Eliminating printing and shipping dramatically impacted their customer acquisition cost, and their Same Day Shipping guarantee could now execute a timely delivery even faster. Overall, digitizing this marketplace had a profound impact on Harvey Tool’s current and potential customer base by using technology to improve customer service.
Technology Used
About Harvey Tool
Harvey Tool is a specialized end mill production company based in Rowley, Mass. Founded in 1985, Harvey Tool is a major provider of specialty carbide end mills and cutting tools to the metalworking industry. Harvey Tool is a subsidiary of Harvey Performance Company.
