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Alison Patriarca, m.d. of Triptych Systems, urges booksellers to make the most of technology.

Technology is offering the book trade an abundance of choices and opportunities. In real terms the cost of bookshop systems has dropped significantly over the past few years. Computer hardware has never been cheaper. There are now numerous options available to bookshops to communicate transactions electronically with trading partners; the richness, accuracy and currency of bibliographic information continue to improve; services such as BookTrack can now give bookshops a new dimension of market information; and wholesalers have also added a wealth of new facilities over the years.

With all this on offer, why does recent research by Triptych Systems suggest that the more recent developments, notably those using Internet technology, are being taken up much more slowly than expected?

The Internet has introduced features and capabilities that have not previously been practicable. Systems such as PubEasy.com have clearly demonstrated the Power of "self service", making it possible for bookshops to look at their own order status information, search a title database, link to publishers’ marketing websites and place orders online. The much heralded Batch.co.uk will take the concept a stage further, enabling bookshops to reconcile and make their payments online. Both Book Data and Whitaker now offer online services over the Internet.

These changes are not just about business-to-business trading. Many bookshops now host their own Website, and are seeking new ways to interact with customers. It is no longer a case of "if" but "when" the Internet will change the way we trade and communicate. The Internet can no longer be viewed as the exclusive domain of Amazon.com, BOL and the likes of Asda and Tesco. Interestingly, Amazon.com’s zShop service is now making it easier for any retailer – including bookshops – to display and sell their products on the Internet. If they have not done so already, now is the time for every bookshop business, large and small, to consider and Internet strategy.

There are many ways for bookshops to identify, source, promote and sell books, and technology is offering changes to traditional practices in all these areas. What may have been a viable way of doing business yesterday will be rigorously tested in the future.

The obvious way forward is to maximise the options and avoid cul-de-sacs and one-way services. Bookshops need a good choice of services, and to be able to swap supply with minimal disruption to their business processes. They need access to information, not just about the book and author but also reviews and market information such as that provided by BookTrack. Bookshops need to be able to select the best source for a book, order in the most efficient way at the most effective cost, and provide the best customer service. This could involve using TeleOrdering, Buyline, First Edition or PubEasy.com. Each offers different service levels, costs and efficiency. Finally, the bookshop needs to be able to link any Internet site activity to stock in hand and, when appropriate, efficient replenishment.

Recent developments are beginning to put the connections in place. PubEasy.com is being fully integrated to provide real time enquiries, ordering and acknowledgements with built in "batching" facilities. Triptych has extended the Bestseller range to provide an "open" Internet browser-based system. Bestseller 2 incorporates full connectivity to all main service providers and their products, and in future will link into the new Batch.co.uk service. It will also be able to supply sales information direct to BookTrack and make it possible for booksellers to compare local sales of individual titles with national trends. Whitaker and Book Data can supply digital images of book covers to booksellers that can be used for in-store promotions or on a Website to sell direct to consumers through the Internet.

The book trade was at the forefront of technology when it had the foresight to adopt the ISBN. Bookselling has been one of the early drivers of Internet commerce. So it is right and proper that booksellers take up the new tools of business: tools that will help them do business efficiently and effectively, that will deliver and integrated business environment, support an "open" Internet environment and enable booksellers to exploit appropriate new services and opportunities as they become available.

"Reprinted with permission by The Bookseller November 26, 1999, J. Whitaker & Sons Ltd."