Grants and Contributions:

Grant or Award spanning more than one fiscal year (2017-2018 to 2018-2019).

Consumers are increasingly likely to turn to the internet for purchases. One of the key issues for onlinex000D
shopping for businesses, is the high return rate due to customer dissatisfaction. Therefore, product suppliers arex000D
increasingly trying to develop new tools to ensure the customer has the most accurate information possiblex000D
before they make a purchase, to minimize this costly issue. The current application is to develop such a tool forx000D
furniture providers, to provide potential customers as accurate a picture as possible of how purchased itemsx000D
will look in their space. The applicants plan to develop a product configuration tool that will run over thex000D
internet and allow customers to select a product with a limited number of configurable options, starting withx000D
sofas where the leg and arm styles can be changed, sectional components can be arranged and different fabricsx000D
and finishes can be applied. Industry partner ViewIT ultimately hopes to provide the fully customizable optionx000D
for clients to view the sofa as a 3D model in a mockup of the room in which it will be placed. The tool will bex000D
useful for furniture providers, to promote online shopping and planning, to maximize the customer shoppingx000D
experience, while minimizing costs associated with returns and consumer dissatisfaction.