At Total Plastics, Inc. (TPI), precision is a word that is not taken lightly. After all, the company's livelihood is based on fabrication jobs that must be done meticulously, such as the custom creation of large point-of-sale displays and other made to order, specially tooled plastic items. TPI's equipment and capabilities are all focused around the company's precision abilities. At TPI, missing the mark on any project - for any customer - is never feasible.

"Maybe that's why management was a little hesitant in getting started on our online presence," said President Tom Garrett. "We expect the same precise performance from our vendors that we give to our customers. But since we weren't as familiar with the Web as we are with our own business, there was some nervousness about taking on a project that we knew had to be flexible."

Since December of 1999, Deligo Technologies created, implemented and maintained TPI's online presence. During that time, Deligo Technologies continues to increase the site's capabilities and expand the services provided to customers with its innovative ideas and the desire to be best in the industry. This website has proven to be more than just a worthwhile endeavor - it is a business necessity.

"Deligo Technologies came to TPI with several years of experience in the distribution business, so they weren't just a bunch of designers trying to sell a website. Several of their employees had experience with companies like Detroit Ball Bearing and other high-profile MROs and distributors. They designed a proposal that we could understand, and our lasting relationship began right there," said Garrett. "They weren't interested in talking over our heads to impress us with their capabilities. Their industry knowledge combined with those capabilities was what sold us."

The plastics community is a close-knit one, but also a highly competitive one. According to Garrett, one of the unexpected benefits of the website has been TPI's increased awareness and stronger image in such a cutthroat industry. "The website offers us one point of differentiation, and sometimes, that's all we need to get the business," said Garrett.

The biggest challenge was not only to get the entire catalog online, but to do so in a straightforward, easy-to-use fashion. The variety of products, manufacturers and value-added support had to be incorporated into TPI's website. Not just your average distributor, TPI offers its customers a distinct advantage in matching parts and products to very specific plastics tooling and fabrication needs. From foam tape and shrink tube conversion to cutting and tooling of more than 20 materials (acrylic, nylon, polycarbonate, PVC, Teflon?, Polyethylene, and acetal just to name a few), TPI truly represents selection.

"TPI prides itself on the variety of products it offers and the ease in which the information can be accessed by its clients," said Deligo Technologies' Vice President & General Manager, Art Carlucci. "The site would not be complete unless it could effectively communicate the product line, and help the site's users identify which product was best for each possible application."

Those possible applications include agriculture, architectural, engineering, chemical, medical, transportation and signage/point-of-purchase uses. As a user of the TPI site, how do you find your way through the maze of uses??

Thanks to Deligo Technologies, there is no guess work for the users of www.totalplastics.com. After all, TPI commands precision. Today, users can easily log on to the site's Product Configurator, a feature of the site that Garrett says has been a blessing for his company.

"From a perception standpoint, the Product Configurator has put us far ahead of our competitors," he said. "More importantly, it reinforces a message we strongly believe in - that we make doing business easy."

Deligo Technologies helped TPI recognize that the Product Configurator was not only an edge over the competition, but also a strong reason for its customers use the site to do business. "Deligo Technologies recognized the challenge of building customer trust over the Web, and tackled that challenge by making the configurator very easy to use and full of the content customers would normally have to get from spec sheets or engineers," Garrett said.

A specific example of how the Product Configurator has helped TPI's business lies in its engineered plastics line. Customers, customer service representatives, and field salespersons are able to compare TPI's products side-by-side in meetings, on the phone - even in the middle of the night - in order to match the customer's need with the best product for the job.

Deligo Technologies created customized customer catalogs and private "portals" for the site's frequent users, making the TPI site a truly personalized experience. When finished, customers are able to complete financial transactions online, which add additional convenience.

TPI's several locations have been able to use the new site to make internal decision-making and communications easier as well. With distribution and fabrication facilities located in major cities throughout Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana and Maryland, that was a tall order to fill. But today, locations in Baltimore, Chicago, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Fort Wayne, Harrisburg, Indianapolis, Kalamazoo, Pittsburgh, South Bend and Cleveland can all work together with a few clicks of the mouse.

"Deligo Technologies is very responsive, they are forward thinking, and a pleasure to work with," said Marketing Director Brenda Eller. She is very happy with the service they provide her and enjoys working closely with them to determine the next steps to improving the already unique and user-friendly site.

Even though site has already been a tremendous success, but there is much more to come for www.totalplastics.com in the near future. First, Deligo Technologies will be working with TPI to simplify the overall ordering into one seamless process by allowing users to do their own research on the products to determine which will be best for their needs and by linking its e-commerce component together with the Product Configurator. Second, by including the costs of shipping into their pricing page, TPI will have the ability to give a complete cost to the user no matter what type of shipping is needed for their products. This is especially complicated because depending on the size and amount of the product, the carrier, and the final destination, there can be many cost variations to consider. And as always, making transactions with TPI simple and increasing customer satisfaction remains at the top of the list.

"Total Plastics, Inc. became a leader in plastic distribution and custom fabrication by focusing on one thing: meeting customers' needs with the strongest distribution and sales channels possible," said Garrett. "Deligo Technologies understands that focus. They will take us to the next level with better Web tools, and we trust them to empower our distribution channels, inside and outside sales force, employees and customers even more."

Now that's a precise ambition - one that Deligo Technologies will meet with extreme accuracy.