Flexsteel Implements New Electronic Ordering and Communication System

Furniture World News Desk on 7/16/2013

Flexsteel’s reported that it has implemented  technology that will allow all Flexsteel retailers and sales representatives to  easily submit orders electronically, check shipping status, download printed materials, and much more, immediately.

A previous in-house software program, Flexsteel Order Link, offered some of the benefits of the Backroom, but the new website provides greater flexibility and many more features. Unveiled at the spring High Point market, the Backroom program was well accepted. Over 900 hundred Flexsteel home furnishing retailers have already embraced the new system.

Flexsteel made a major investment in new state-of-the-art laptops and Bluetooth® scanners for nearly 50 sales representatives across the country, in addition to the development of the custom programming for the new website. Sales representatives are currently visiting their retailers in the field to demonstrate all the features of the Backroom and train sales staffs.

“Our investment in technology is sure to pay off. The Backroom website is revolutionary in scope and convenience. It’s a game-changer when it comes to our sales and customer service. Our retailers can access everything Flexsteel, easily and quickly — what they need is quite literally at their fingertips,” says Lee David Fautsch, Senior Vice President of Sales – Home Furnishings.

“Retailers can find answers to questions, look at inventory, check on production backlog and shipping information, and download any photo of any Flexsteel product. Anything they could do before by calling, faxing or emailing a salesperson or sales support staffer, they can find instantly through the Backroom,” says Fautsch.

Flexsteel’s entire collection of fabric and leather swatches has been scanned into the system so retailers can pull up every available color and pattern quickly and simply. They have the option to scan their own fabric displays or linen pages to ensure they are working with accurate information.

The Backroom can be customized by retailers to meet individual store needs; for example, sub- accounts can be created for multiple users and dealers can control who has full access or partial access to the information. Retailers can use a pricing configuration tool to determine pricing in any scenario. The website is able to meet all needs for Flexsteel retailers.

“We’ve developed a powerful website that can be customized for any of our 1,200 retailers across the country. They can use the full complement of features to their advantage on their terms,” adds Justin R. Mills, Director of Advertising. “At Flexsteel, we embrace technology to serve our retailers and meet our corporate objectives. The Backroom is a perfect example. And it won’t stop here, we will continue to build on this technology to be a leader in the industry,” says Mills.

Flexsteel will continue to release updates and build technology into the Flexsteel Backroom website. Finally, a new help desk has been established to provide support on a 24/7 basis.

About Flexsteel: Flexsteel Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ: FLXS) is headquartered in Dubuque, Iowa, and was incorporated in 1929. Flexsteel designs, manufactures, imports and markets quality upholstered and wood furniture for the residential, recreational vehicle, office, hospitality and healthcare markets. For more information on Flexsteel, visit www.flexsteel.com.