Staples Inc. wants ordering to be easy for its business customers.

The online distributor and retailer of office supplies changed the name of its business-to-business contract sales division to Staples Business Advantage today within the company’s North American Commercial division, which encompasses e-commerce sites StaplesAdvantage.com and Quill.com as well as sales reps. Quill caters to small and midsize companies, StaplesAdvantage to larger companies.

“With more than 20 years of experience serving and fulfilling the needs of businesses of all sizes, this brand re-launch emphasizes the many advantages that our breadth of products, services and expertise offer to sophisticated business buyers,” says Shira Goodman, president, North American Operations.

Staples today also launched its Staples Easy System, which lets employees of its customers order Staples products and services by email, mobile app or text message. The system is still being tested by Staples and its customers.

After an order is placed, the Staples Easy System consolidates purchases from multiple employees and devices into one shopping cart that can be approved by the appropriate office personnel. The Easy System also encourages the use of approved vendors, and reduces redundant orders, the company says. The system is also designed to remember customers’ past orders in an effort to anticipate customer needs. If a customer requests “Blue Pens,” for example, the Easy System knows which brand pens the office prefers based on the company’s order history, and orders that brand.

“With Staples Easy System, ordering will transcend the limitations of apps and browsers, giving customers access to nearly 500,000 products ranging from office and breakroom supplies to furniture and technology products and services, anytime, anywhere and on any device, using the interface that is most convenient to them,” says Neil Ringel, executive vice president, Staples Business Advantage.

The service is currently only available to small businesses, but will be offered to larger corporations once the technology has evolved, Staples says. “A larger organization has more people placing orders, different methods for billing and typically multiple shipping locations,” Staples says. “Our plan is to start with small organizations, then evolve to larger companies to ensure accuracy.”

The company is also looking to add to its Easy System such new product lines as flowers, and catering and ride-sharing services. Staples declines to comment on when it will add such products and services.

Companies interested in using the Easy System can sign up at StaplesInnovation.com/Staples-Easy-System.

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