Website Project for JS West Completed
Data Entrée has completed the project of developing the customer-portal application for the new JS West website (jswest.com).
The project is for JS West's propane division. It was a complex project involving integration with other software products and other web designers. We implemented an online customer interface that allows JS West customers to view account information, view statements, make payments, order products and services, and search for the nearest store locations.
Learning to use the web services exposed by the ADDSys SmartConnect module was the key challenge in developing the application. Fortunately the support people at ADD Systems were responsive and helpful.
Another challenge was developing the store-locator functionality. It required using Google mapping services and customizing them as needed. Out of the box, the Google functionality got us about 80% there. We could put together a serviceable store location/get directions page just by reading carefully through the Google documentation, without having to get too clever, but that wasn't quite good enough for us. Or, better stated, we didn't feel it was good enough for our client. There were some issues with the map display - mostly with the zooming - that we needed to work out to make it right.
We are proud of the results. Unless you're a JS West propane customer, you wouldn't be able to see most of the functionality we designed. But you can see the store locator functionality here. Just enter a northern California address or a zip code like 95354 to see how it works.