Platform Development: North Sales Quote System

This was a fantastic project to work on. Starting in 2002, the goal was to create a web-based method for quoting sails to augment a process of them being priced and managed in a DOS-based system. First, a web-based suite of applications was created to store and manage customer and boat information. From there, a pricing application was developed that mirrored the off-line application by importing the same data files into an SQL database and mirroring the formula logic within the web application. In this manner updates to data files could be uploaded daily and imported via automated procedures, keeping all price changes in sync.

Once sails were added to a quote they could be sent via email with all pricing information included supplemented with links to the Flash-based print-quality artwork. Using dynamic data input and on-the-fly ‘construction’ of the sail based on type, size, cloth and options - the Flash application dynamically created an entirely vector-based quote sheet, printable from any web browser with Flash installed. Jason and Daniel Venditelli (his partner at the time) were responsible for visual design of both the online application and the final printed output, information architecture and application design and development. Subsequently Jason redeveloped this idea in .NET to create multi-page, multi-lingual sail quote PDF’s dynamically within the context of a newer quoting application. This was part of a much larger effort to develop a complete set of applications in use to run many of the North companies world-wide, maintaining customer and boat data, pricing structures, currency exchanges, product definitions, quotes and more. (The original Flash-based version was finally retired in 2012 after having been in use for over 10 years and having provided over 100,000 quotes!)