Laddawn.com : YMAC + Product Details

YMAC Logic - Stock Match 

Scenario - User has searched for an item and there is a Stock Match. We will show the user a single stock match & MOD result, then will present the user with a credible list of stock alternatives that the customer might also consider purchasing at this time or in the future.

Introduction

The following is a mapped out series of YMAC (You Might Also Consider) quote results to be used when a user enters in item dimensions and we are able to generate a stock item result. The purpose of this is to first return to the user exactly what was asked both in stock and then MOD (Made on Demand), but then to highlight credible stock alternatives and the stock program itself, not Laddawn's additional MOD capabilities. Here, we want to deliver the message that, we not only readily stock what was asked, but we can further stock the following changes to the product you requested if asked of us. While delivering this message YMAC results will simultaneously strengthen our image and educate our users of the breadth of Laddawn's stock program to boost current and future sales.  

The Results - The following is a basic outline of how and what we will present as credible results for the customer. The first two areas depict our exact match to what the customer requested, while the remainders are considered to be the YMAC data results.

1. Stock Exact Match
2. MOD
   
   Dimensions exact...start of YMACs
   
   
3. MOD Cradle Packed
4. Opposite Pack (Stock or MOD)
5. For Laddawn (LD) Reclosable Requests Only – Additional Reclosables
6. Different Closure (Same Material)
7. Different Materials (Same Closure)
8. Different Closure (Different Materials)
   
   Different dimensions... Same closure/material...
   
   
9. Stock Items at Neighboring Mil Thicknesses: 1-Up and All Down
10. Layflat or Gusseted Equivalents (Same Mil)
11. Next Closest Stock Items Within Mil

The Logic

Here we can see the bag flow chart for when a user enters a set of dimensions that produce an exact match from our stock SKUs. Here we can see the basic process, mapped out, that will generate two exact matches to what the user requested and a credible list of alternatives to what the user asked for.

Graphic's Key:
Maroon: Exact match, stock and MOD result

The Details - The following is a detailed review of each search result.

1. Stock Exact Match
This will be the first result in any instance where we are able to pair a stock match to the user's inquiry request. This is an exact match in a very true sense of the word. The dimensions, Mil thickness, packaging, closure, material and additives entered by the user all match that of a stock SKU, which we will present first to the user. Here there is no exception or deviation from the user's bag specifications and the attributes of the stock match we will present. Again, if we are unable to find an exact match to the user's criteria we would then undertake the YMAC: No Stock Match search procedure.

2. MOD
Once we populate the stock match we would then proceed to quote this job if it were MOD. This is considered to be exactly what the customer was looking for, without alteration, but often an inexpensive alternative to the stock result. This of course, comes as a result of longer lead time for the customer. 

We now begin the YMAC results.
Dimensions Exact.

3. MOD Cradle Packed

The first YMAC result is geared towards "down selling," providing the most inexpensive alternative at minimal change to a customer's request. However, it should be noted that not all items can be cradle packed. For example products that cannot be sold on a roll, such as our current reclosable bag selection, thus cannot be cradle packed. Also, if an inquiry does not have a width that is greater than or equal to 14" the item cannot be cradle packed. This holds true even if a gusseted item has a combined width and depth of 14" or greater. 

4. Opposite Pack (Stock or MOD)

This query exists to highlight various packaging methods available (BOR Vs. Boxed Loose), which will result in another pricing option that the user may have been unaware of. This search is not altering any aspect of the product itself but rather looking for other packing alternatives. A stock match is being searched for first, and, if unsuccessful, we would then populate the MOD result, if applicable. This is the last point under this YMAC process where we may present the user with anything but a stock match.

5. Additional Reclosables (For LD Reclosables Only)

This is the only real conditional check under YMAC: Yes Stock Match. This section's purpose is to increase the user's exposure and awareness of our reclosable offering. This query is only active if a customer is already requesting a LD reclosable bag. This is an appropriate time to logically pitch our highest grossing sales category within this YMAC. Here we "will" showcase all our reclosables, those that have; a zip and slide closures, white block and those that come with a hang hole, part, bubble, bio-hazard, chemotherapy bags and Minigrip. I put will in quotations since we are only showing results from these reclosable subcategories if there is a stock match. Unlike YMAC: No Stock Match, where we would show a MOD result if the request had a Mil thickness that fell within the current offering, here we are only showing exact stock matches. Here exact stock match is a LD reclosable bag that has the same dimension and mil thickness to what was initially entered. The only deviation from what was entered is the reclosable bag use itself, like showing a matching slider top when the customer entered a 3 Mil zip top. The only area where Mil thickness is ignored is when showing a reclosable bubble bag. Here a match will generate when the dimensions alone all match since bubble bags are not measured by Mil thickness.

Example: If we present the user with a stock match of 3775A – 10x12x004 LD reclosable initially, then we would then show the user item 4235A – 10x12x004 LD reclosable w/ hang hole under this section. But a big question we need to conclude (based on the 12/6/12  meeting, that can be highlighted in this example)... what about item 3775 - 10x12x004 LD reclosable by Minigrip? In the sake of easily pointing out this question, disregard the fact that this Minigrip SKU has a hang hole. Since this product is an exact match to what was entered should we show this stock product here or "above line," under the exact stock match section? There are two sides to this argument. The first would argue that placing this SKU above the line will help show customer's how much they can save by purchasing the Laddawn brand. Also, customers are NOT able to select Minigrip under the second level drop down for reclosable bags (but I think the original intention of this setup was to not create additional circumstances that would increase the percentage of non stock match occurrences for the user). This type of instance would prove to be the only way for any Minigrip product to be shown as an above line match. The other side to the argument is that we are trying to shrink Minigrip's presence within our offering. By keeping item 3775 under the YMAC results we will reduce Minigrip's brand exposure and move customers over to our brand. They can still see that we carry this brand of product looking through the YMACs and within our catalog, but we should not advertise a competitor to our brand along side our own. Also, if we are not fairly priced on Minigrip products this would pull down the value of our reclosable selection entirely.

6. Different Closure (Same Material)

Here is where we will designate the three primary closures that we mainly work with: open, reclosables and resealables. Within the same material entered, and again noting the Mil thicknesses we currently can search within, the YMAC will populate stock alternates up to two different closure styles. If the user entered any reclosable bag (including LD alternatives, like a slider top) we would look to populate a standard, open bag made of the same material or a resealable (but really only if it were a 9x12002 LD open or reclosable since we only stock one reclosable bag at this time).

Example: A customer enters 9x12x002 LD reclosable, which we would initially show a stock match to item 3765A. Under this section we would also show a credible stock alternative of item 440 – 6x9x002 LD Open & item 13650 – 9x12x002 LD resealable.

7. Layflat or Gusseted Equivalents (Same Mil)

Here we will look to altering the dimensions (WxDxL) to provide layflat or gusseted stock equivalents to what was entered by the user. This means that we are taking the dimensions of a entered layflat bag and altering them in hopes of finding a stock gusseted equivalent or vice versa. However, for a layflat bag to even be applicable for this query the layflat bag's width must exceed 6" and may not be a reclosable bag. If the customer entered a gusseted bag we would add the width and depth dimensions together to create a layflat equivalent and search for a stock match at this dimension. If the customer enters a layflat bag we would take the entered width and break it up between nearly every possible combination. So if a customer were to enter a 10x15x002 LD Open we would consider 9x1x15x002, 8x2x15x002, 7x3x15x002, 6x4x15x002 and 5x5x15x002. Here we would show a stock match of item 1430: 6x4x15x002 LD Open.

8. Different Materials (Same Closure)

Under this YMAC query we will showcase the breath of our selection highlighting material substitutions. Here we show the user our material capabilities presenting stock items that meet the exact dimensions, and closure initially requested but under alternative materials. The initial item entered will often need to possess a specific Mil thickness to even be considered for a particular material to begin with (such as our stock polypropylene only being offered under 1.5 Mil). Overall, the general purpose of this section is to educate and impress the user by our stock program's breath. This will act as a sales tool to grow future sales by, here, exposing the user to future capabilities that they might not have considered us for and will, in turn, call us for in the future.

Example: A customer enters a 4x6x0015 LD Open, we would initially show a stock match of item 55. Under this section we would populate item 13010: 4x6x0015 polypropylene open.

Different dimensions... Same closure/material...

9. Stock Items at Neighboring Mil Thicknesses: 1-Up and All Down

Here we are looking for a stock match to the entered dimensions, but outside of the entered Mil thickness. Here, we will take the Mil that was entered and look above, to the next stock Mil thickness up, and then to all the sequential Mil below in an attempt to find a stock item that is slightly thicker or thinner than what was initially requested.

Example: Say a customer entered a 20x18x36x002 LD bag, which we would initially show a stock match of item 1638. Here would show two stock items: 1764 – 20x18x36x003 and 1508 – 20x18x36x0015.

10. Layflat or Gusseted Equivalents (Same Mil)

11. Next Closest Stock Items Within Mil

This is the last YMAC for this scenario. Here we are looking to find a stock item relative to what was initially requested by the customer. Here, we hold all dimensions constant except one, WxDxL, and provide the next closest size above and below, repeating this process for all dimensions. However, we are not looking outside the specified Mil thickness, unlike the previous section. Thus, layflat requests will have a maximum of four results while gusseted will have a maximum of six.

Example: Say a customer entered a 6x8x002 LD reclosable that we initially show a stock match for item 3610A. First, holding the width and looking for the next closest length we would populate 3615A – 6x9x002 and 3605A – 6x6x002. Next, we will hold the length and look for the next widths to what was entered. With this we would also show items 3626A – 7x8x002 and 3585A – 5x8x002.

Early Design Explorations - The Stock Match Design(s)

These designs were created in the design process to show YMAC differences more obvious to the user as he/she scrolled. The use of color, sub header and alternate header treatments were considered.   

A. No categories, no subheads, orange	B. Categories, subheads, all purple	C. Categories, subheads, purple highlights

Research

Researched major online retailers and their use of header text as main entry points into product details.

Findings:
a. None of them use a separate "details" link/button to get into product details.
b. All of them that I reviewed (Amazon, Walmart, Target, Overstock, Zappos, Kohls, BestBuy) use the main product name to get into product details.
c. 2 retailers use "on roll" to offer an "quick view" into product details. Walmart and Overstock uses this interaction and it creates a pop-up to show smaller product details subset. I thought this might be a nice approach for us.

Note: pink shading indicates the entry points into Product Details.

Stock Match - Final YMAC and Product Description Designs

Key Design updates

+ Moving the product descriptions from a "details" link to be expanded as part of a item header link for each result item.
+ Adding Category info into main item header to go with dimension and gauge. New header lays out as follows...dimension, gauge, category.
+ Addition of sub headers to let users know difference between YMAC results.

Stock Match with multiple YMAC results Scenario - (3x5 2mil reclosable - Zip Top)	Product Detail Expanded	Product Detail Expanded Alternate Version	Spec tab selected

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YMAC Logic - No Stock Match 

Scenario - User has searched for an item and there is a NO Stock Match. We will show the user a single MOD custom item along with a credible list of stock alternatives that the customer might also consider purchasing at this time or in the future.

Introduction

The following is a mapped out series of YMAC (You Might Also Consider) quote results to be used when a user enters in a request and we are unable to generate a stock item result. The purpose of this is to first show what was asked MOD (Made on Demand), then to highlight credible stock alternatives "one step" away.

The Results - The following is the most basic outline for what we will present to customers, in order of importance. The first result is our exact match to what the customer requested, while the following are considered to be the YMAC data results.

1. MOD
   
   Start of YMACs  
2. MOD Cradle Packed
3. Opposite Pack (Stock or MOD)
4. Stock Items at Neighboring Mil Thicknesses: 1-Up and All Down
5. Next Closest Stock Items Within Mil
6. Final Stock Item Check
7. Opposite Bag Configuration (Layflat Vs. Gusset - Changing a layflat to a gusseted bag or vice versa.)

The Logic

Here we can see the bag flow chart for when a user enters a set of dimensions that does not resonate an exact match from our stock SKUs. Here we can see the basic process, mapped out, that will generate credible alternatives to what the user asked for.

The Details - The following is a detailed review of each search result.

1. MOD
In instances where we are unable to match a stock item to a customer's request we should first populate what this item would be made on demand. This is considered to be exactly what the customer was looking for, without alteration.

We now begin the YMAC results.

2. MOD Cradle Packed
The first YMAC result is geared towards "down selling," providing the most inexpensive alternative at minimal change to a customer's request. However, it should be noted that not all items can be cradle packed. For example products that cannot be sold on a roll, such as our current reclosable bag selection, thus cannot be cradle packed. Also, if an inquiry does not have a width that is greater than or equal to 14" the item cannot be cradle packed. This holds true even if a gusseted item has a combined width and depth of 14" or greater.

 3. Opposite Pack (Stock or MOD)
This query exists to highlight various packaging methods available (BOR Vs. Boxed Loose), which will result in another pricing option that the user may have been unaware of. This search is not altering any aspect of the product itself but rather looking for other packing alternatives. A stock match is being searched for first, and, if unsuccessful, we would then populate the MOD result, if applicable.

4. Stock Items at Neighboring Mil Thicknesses: 1-Up and All Down 
Here we are looking for a stock match to the dimensions entered by the customer, but outside of the Mil thickness that was entered. Here, we will take the Mil that was entered and look above to the next stock Mil thickness up and then to all the sequential Mil below in an attempt to find a stock item that is slightly thicker or thinner than what was initially requested. 

Example: Say a customer entered a 20x18x36x00175 LD bag. We stock this size in other Mil thicknesses but not under a 1.75 Mil. We would show two stock items: 1638 – 20x18x36x002 and 1508 – 20x18x36x0015. However, we would NOT show 1764 20x18x36x003 since this is not the next stock Mil thickness above what was entered.

5. Next Closest Stock Items Within Mil
This is the last point that we are purposely looking to find a stock item relative to what was initially requested by the customer. Here, we hold all dimensions constant except one, WxDxL, and provide the next closest size above and below, repeating this process for all dimensions. Thus, layflat requests will have a maximum of four results while gusseted will have a maximum of six.

Example: Say a customer entered a 6x7x002 Reclosable Bag. First, holding the width and looking for the next closest length we would populate 3610A – 6x8x002 RB and 3605A – 6x6x002 RB. Next, we will hold the length and look for the next widths to what was entered. With this we would also show an YMAC result of 3580A – 5x7x002 only, since there isn't bag that is 7" long with a width greater than 6". Please note, we are not looking outside of the specified Mil thickness here. 

6. Final Stock Item Check
This is serving as a conditional stock check. Only when we have been unable to populate a credible stock match will this conditional search be activated. The basic logic for having this check is that a customer may have a need that must be met in the shortest amount of time. Here we will make one additional check for such a substitution. What we will do is look at the Mil and the dimensions and check for alternatives. We will look simultaneous at the neighboring Mil thicknesses as we did earlier as well as the entered Mil, and now we are going to round the dimensions to the nearest whole number and check for a stock match. Also we will +/- 1" from each dimension individually and check all Mils again.

Example: If a customer were to enter a 3.1x5x002 PAS reclosable we would be unable to populate a matching stock item at this point. However this conditional search would populate a search result of stock item 4025 – 3x5x004 PAS reclosable. The following is the actual check this search is preforming under this circumstance: no stock Mils below two, no stock Mils at two, 3x5x004, 2x5x004, 4x5x004, 3x4x004, 3x6x004. 

7. Opposite Bag Configuration (Layflat Vs. Gusset)

Finally, the last YMAC consists of altering the dimensions to provide layflat or gusseted equivalent of what was entered by the user. This means that we changing the dimensions of an entered layflat bag to a gusseted equivalent or vice versa. However, for a layflat bag to be changed into a gusseted bag quote the layflat bag's width must exceed 6" and may not be a reclosable bag. If the customer entered a gusseted bag we would add the width and depth dimensions together to create a layflat equivalent. If the customer entered a layflat bag we would multiply the width by .66 to give us our new width dimension and multiply the original width again by .33 to give us our new depth dimension. All other aspects of the bag remain constant.

Example: The customer enters a 30x50x002 LD bag.

Width = 0.66 x W Entered, Depth = 0.33 x W Entered, Length = L Entered

So we would show the user a MTO 20x10x50x002 LD bag.

No Stock Match - Final YMAC Designs

Key Design updates

+ Display of multi lines to display Level 3 content
+ Adding Category info into main item header to go with dimension and gauge. New header lays out as follows...dimension, gauge, category.

Scenario A user searches for 9x12 Layflat bags with Blue Tint.	Scenario B user searches for 16x22 Layflat bags with Blue Tint. The user will see an additonal packaging option.