Finding digital solutions for the retail sector

admin May 10, 2018 9:53 am Finding digital solutions in the retail sector can be a challenge. It can be all too easy for managers to focus on the business of shifting products from shelves. This risks losing sight of the bigger picture as to which products are making the best returns and what is working to attract customers into the store. There are a number of reasons as to why retailers struggle to see this big picture and many of them are related to systems. Lack of integration One of the biggest problems, especially for larger businesses, is that legacy systems can be difficult to integrate with newer additions. This holds back digital transformation projects since it is harder to exchange data with suppliers and other systems. The modern world demands greater levels of integration and of technical transparency. But this needs to be achieved without the commitment to costly and time-consuming development projects. This is why many businesses are turning to the use of APIs to allow more streamlined integration between systems. Of course, data needs to be usable across the entire business. Stores vary in size and location which means that their needs differ. Churning out standard centralised reports, therefore, will not be relevant to all of them. Systems need to be flexible enough to tailor information to the needs of individual stores. Development projects Retailing is inherently a physical business. This means that there can be a disconnect between the people at the sharp end and the development teams putting together systems. If retail systems are to be effective, then it’s vital to work closely with developers and system providers to ensure that solutions deliver. It’s important, too, to take the time to trial systems in a smaller scale environment so that, if they do fail it happens in a controlled way and at minimal cost to the business. Digital integration The buzz in many industries, not least retail, at the moment is around digital integration, bringing together systems both in-house and with suppliers to smooth the flow of data. And, of course, data is the key to understanding the business. It can tell you which products sell best and which bring customers into the store. Data on its own, however, is of little use unless you are able to analyse it effectively and draw meaningful insights. Working with a supplier such as Smarter Integration can help retailers to bring together systems and make sense of the data they provide. Smarter Integration has expertise in delivering integration and working with solutions from many of the leading providers of retail solutions. The online world is in a constant state of flux, changes happen quickly and businesses must react to changes in market conditions. In the physical world, it’s harder to do this, but that’s no reason to remain static. Change is an important factor in remaining competitive and without embracing the opportunities offered by digital integration and the use of data, retailers risk being left behind in a rapidly evolving world. Competition in retail has always been fierce. However, it’s become ever more intense since the internet revolutionised the entire concept of marketing. Post-dotcom, bricks-and-mortar businesses struggled to compete with their online counterparts. Previous PostNext Post

Remove the Barriers and Close the Digital Divide

admin January 25, 2018 10:03 am The UK is facing a digital divide, which is set to severely impact the economy. How do we remove the barriers and close the digital divide? As we become increasingly reliant upon technology in our everyday lives, it can be assumed businesses would be keen to embrace technology in order to communicate better with their customers and improve profitability. However, research last year from the CBI and IBM reveals that there is a growing digital divide emerging in the UK economy. With a little over half of all companies embracing the digital economy while the rest fall behind. This is surprising as the UK is one of the world’s leaders in e-commerce and its associated technology. Yet it seems that some companies are struggling to bring their business models into the digital age, resulting in lost opportunities. Barriers to Technology Adoption So what are the factors that are holding back businesses from exploiting the latest digital technologies? There are four principal reoccurring areas in addressing the challenges of digital business. These are: Connectivity worries Security fears Lack of in-house skills Uncertainty of getting a return Of course, these don’t exist in isolation. All four areas need to be tackled when putting together a digital strategy, whatever the size of company involved and in whichever industry it may be operating. That can be a daunting prospect, especially for smaller organisations that may not have a dedicated in-house IT team. To address these issues, many companies are now turning to a technology partner to help them achieve their digital goals. W3Partnership and our Smarter Integration Platform can help assist businesses in delivering agile, secure solutions that will be easy to implement and which will ensure an on-going return on investment. By establishing a core technical framework, services can be enabled far more rapidly and without the need for recruiting expensive and scarce technical skills. Using a series of pre-configured transport adaptors and other modules, it becomes far easier to launch projects and see them through to production in a shorter time frame. It’s also important to have a champion for the digital project within the organisation. Appointing a technology officer to oversee the project not only gives it a ‘face’ but demonstrates that the organisation is serious about its intent. It’s vital that the individual concerned is sufficiently senior to get things done and that they have the appropriate support at executive level to overcome any pockets of resistance. The Digital Advantage By integrating business systems and applications, companies can create a much smoother running operation. But more than that, correctly integrated digital systems can offer a springboard for change and business growth. Ultimately this should engender greater productivity in addition to enhancing the organisation’s ability to respond flexibly to change as it embraces new opportunities. Simply ignoring the opportunities offered by digital can result in the business falling behind its competitors, ultimately losing customers to those organisations that have taken the steps needed to exploit the opportunities offered by digital technology. Click here for more information or to arrange a demo. Previous PostNext Post

Retail and the Importance of Being Informed

admin January 25, 2018 10:01 am In the modern world, no business exists in isolation. The importance of being informed in the retail sector, can be the difference between success and failure. In the retail sector, perhaps more than any other, this means that information from customers, suppliers and distributors is vital to delivering effective services. Business-to-Business In order to succeed, retail and consumer companies are forging ever closer ties. This allows them to make better decisions, get goods to stores in a timely manner, and market them effectively. All of this is enabled by data. A combination of point of sale technology and effective supply chain tracking means that knowing exactly where goods are and how they’re selling is easier than ever before. But for this to work effectively, it requires a timely and accurate exchange of data. In the past, companies tended to keep their information close to their corporate chests, but now there’s far more pressure to share information and a focus on the importance of being informed. While this is good for business decisions, it does require a balance to be struck in regard to security and the governance of data. Business-to-Consumer Of course the customer is a part of this too. Thanks to point of sale systems, loyalty cards, online shopping and so on, retailers now know vastly more about their customers. This allows businesses to respond to real-life demand like never before. But this too is double-edged, as shoppers expect more from their retailers. They want to be able to buy products they’ve seen advertised and they want to take advantage of services such as click and collect to ensure that they don’t have wasted journeys. This means that retailers need to integrate their online and store systems, in addition to the integration with suppliers that we’ve talked about above. IT to Everyone All of this places extra demand on the IT department which has to deliver on what can sometimes appear to be conflicting requirements. Add in new sources of data such as Internet of Things devices and social media analysis, and it’s easy to see how the IT department can quickly become a bottleneck. It’s no surprise then that many businesses are seeking technology partners to help deliver integration and API initiatives. The IT department’s role then becomes one of change management and oversight, ensuring that change is delivered in accordance with the firm’s goals and compliance requirements. Of course IT is also the gatekeeper of in-house data and is therefore best placed to understand where information is generated and held, as well as how it’s secured. As more systems move to the cloud and are delivered using as-a-service models, you might think that the process would become easier, but the basic challenges of maintaining data and sharing it safely and securely remain the same. There will always be opposing dynamics within the organisation that require a mix of technology and cultural change to reconcile and meet the demands of both the company and customer. Retail organisations can no longer afford to do things in the same way they always have. They need to embrace the shift towards integrating and sharing data to streamline the entire supply chain. For more information on how Smarter Integration can be implemented in the retail sector, please contact us Previous PostNext Post

Think Smarter with Smarter Integration

admin January 25, 2018 9:59 am The Smarter Integration Platform – Helping to improve business efficiency by providing an integration capability in hours rather than months. Businesses today are constantly under pressure to integrate their technology, both in-house and with their partners and suppliers, in order to streamline their operations and deliver a more efficient supply chain. To make sure that any such integration is as smooth and painless as possible, it’s essential to have a secure, agile solution that will work with your chosen platform. For larger businesses, it’s not unusual to have inherited platforms and IT solutions that have come from mergers and acquisitions. There may even be separate IT departments, all of which presents an additional challenge when it comes to integration. Successful Integration In order to integrate systems effectively, speed is key and that means technical solutions need to be agile as well as scalable and reliable. It is also important that whatever solution you use doesn’t constrain your ability to grow the business. Enterprises need a way to integrate their applications and systems, to make their processes easier, faster, and to provide a robust framework for growth and change. For the past 10 years, W3Partnership has been working with organisations, enabling them to reach their individual integration targets. The company has designed and developed its own robust Integration Platform that can be adapted to suit any organisation’s criteria and requirements. The Solution The W3 Partnership Smarter Integration Platform is a solution that provides businesses with a set of pre-built patterns, technical services and connectors which allow users to link to business partners and other third Parties in a repeatable, consistent manner. The platform is built around either the IBM API Connect or the MuleSoft Anypoint platform. This means that it allows for any API strategy to become part of the digital integration framework of the business. It can be used with existing in-house systems, in the cloud or in a hybrid environment. It achieves this by using common technical services as the building blocks of integration. This is implemented using a pattern-based approach, supplemented by real-world experience, to ensure a flexible delivery model. All of this is tied together with an adapter framework that allows information to be shared over any network system. This makes it straightforward for organisations to start new services, validate information, transform and configure data to meet their needs. Thanks to this innovative patterned approach, the Smarter Integration Platform enables customers to quickly and efficiently set up new services without the need to recruit and maintain deep technical skills. Furthermore, integration is streamlined because the solution ensures that clients are left with a set of design documentation, pre-built patterns and transport adapters that allow faster, more efficient project initiation. Benefits to the client of this fully documented code provision include faster time to market and therefore quicker return on investment.  Its future proof too; since it is fully documented, it can be used for future project requirements and adapt to changing business needs so it’s a solution for the long term, delivering efficiency and cost savings. Previous PostNext Post

Crown Commercial Service Supplier

admin January 25, 2018 9:58 am We are pleased to be a G-Cloud 9 and Digital Outcomes Supplier Public sector bodies can be assured of our credentials as a Crown Commercial Service Supplier as a G-Cloud 9 and Digital Outcomes Supplier. Government Departments, Local Authorities, and Emergency Services  can use the Digital Marketplace to access our services, and be safe in the knowledge that they’re dealing with certified specialists. G-Cloud 9 is split into three lots: cloud hosting – platform or infrastructure services for processing and storing data, running software or networking. For example, content delivery networks or load balancing services cloud software – applications that are accessed over the internet and hosted in the cloud. For example, accounting tools or customer service management software cloud support – services to help you set up and maintain your cloud software or hosting services. For example, migration services or ongoing support W3Partnership Ltd and Smarter Integration can be found under Cloud Hosting and Cloud Support. The buyers guide can be found here. If you need support in developing or refining your list of requirements, contact us Previous PostNext Post

The Fourth Industrial Revolution

admin January 25, 2018 9:57 am The first industrial revolution used fossil fuels to mechanise industry and make mass transport available; the second saw the rise of mass production; and the third the rise of automation in production. The fourth will see the lines between the physical, digital and even biological worlds begin to blur. What is different is the speed at which all of this is taking place. Businesses that fail to embrace it risk the equivalent of being left riding the stagecoach while other companies take the steam train. Integrated Production Increasingly the production, distribution and retailing sectors are starting to overlap. This is thanks to the availability of information. Online shopping sites and growing numbers of internet of things (IoT) devices mean that businesses can capture vast amounts of data in real time about the people who are buying and using their products. This information can be used not only to make the sales operation more efficient, but by integrating it with factory floor systems it can improve production efficiency. It can also help to introduce greater flexibility by allowing manufacturers to respond quickly to changes in consumer demand and taste. The problem, however, is that much of the ‘big data’ collected is unstructured and needs work to make it usable. Changing Business Models Compared to the world of only a decade ago, today’s consumer landscape looks radically different. Billions of people now have powerful, versatile mobile devices allowing them to stay in touch and access an entire range of services wherever they are. Add in IoT devices such as fitness trackers, smart TVs and personal assistants including Amazon Echo, and there’s unrivalled opportunity not merely to service customer needs, but also to collect information about how they’re living their lives. With people constantly connected to the digital world, businesses have the opportunity to deliver products and services in a new way that can significantly improve people’s lives. The Big Picture Whether you’re dealing with customers, suppliers or partners, being able to service them effectively means that you need as full a picture as possible as to how they interact with your business. For many companies, the first step in achieving this is a CRM system. However, legacy systems may struggle with the number of inputs with which they must now cope, whether from other databases or from IoT devices. To succeed in the fourth industrial revolution, systems are needed that can cope with large volumes of data – much of it in unstructured form – and provide a clear, coherent view of what’s happening. To achieve this, enterprises are increasingly turning to cloud services and as-a-service delivery models, and adopting an Integration Platform in order to provide affordable, scalable systems that allow them to thrive in the world of big data and to make sense of the information, and also adopt a robust digital process monitoring tool, thereby staying ahead of their competitors. Previous PostNext Post

Public Sector Bodies use Integration to Protect Investment

admin January 25, 2018 9:55 am At a time when budgets are under pressure, public sector bodies need to get the most from their spending. This applies just as much to IT projects as it does to anything else. Indeed, effective deployment of IT can help to stretch other budgets and make better use of resources overall. The Government is keen to encourage digital projects and has set up its own G-Cloud digital marketplace to help organisations find the right suppliers and specialists for their projects. Integrating Data In government and education, just as in private industry, data is often collected in isolation. It exists in silos that are not accessible to other departments, even though the data that they contain that could be useful. This leads to duplication of effort too, as different departments may be collecting the same information without being aware that it already exists elsewhere in the organisation. The first step towards integrating the use of data, therefore, is to conduct a thorough audit of what information is being collected, where it’s being held and how. You also need to consider the other side of the equation in terms of the information staff need to do their jobs. It’s important to take into account the views of people at the sharp end here, as their views about what is needed may be different from those perceived by management. Other Considerations Of course there are a number of things that need to be taken into account when looking for ways to integrate information systems. Not least is safe handling of the data and taking proper measures to ensure that sensitive information is kept safe and only handled by those authorised to see it. The requirements of GDPR – which comes into force next year – apply to public bodies just as they do to private industry. It’s crucial to find suppliers that are familiar with the requirements of government organisations too. Companies such as the W3 Partnership that are on the G-Cloud marketplace have proven experience in working with public bodies and are therefore a good place to start. Using trusted suppliers also helps to overcome the problem of finding staff with the appropriate specialist skills to undertake the project. These skills are expensive and may be hard to come by, which can be a particular problem when budgets are tight. Even when using external contractors, however, it’s vital to have someone within the organisation who can oversee the project. This should be someone at a sufficiently senior level to be able to get things done and who can call upon other resources internally if need be. This also helps to reassure staff internally that the project isn’t just being driven by external forces. Integration of systems can deliver major benefits for government operations at all levels. These are not only seen in terms of cost, but also in streamlining operations, and making sure that data is available as and when it’s needed. In the long term, this enhances the ability of the organisation to adapt and to respond to change. Previous PostNext Post

Finance and the Digital Divide – Don’t Get Left Behind

admin January 25, 2018 9:54 am Businesses across all industry sectors are looking for ways to integrate applications and systems to make their processes easier, quicker, and to provide a solid framework for growth and change. Nowhere is this truer than in the financial sector. Customers are demanding easier access to their accounts from the web and from mobile apps, but at the same time businesses are under pressure to ensure that their systems are secure and compliant with regulatory requirements. New challengers There’s added complication in that new, agile FinTech companies are increasingly challenging the established players with innovative and disruptive business models. In order to compete, existing companies must be ready to adopt newer technologies. The core of finance is increasingly moving away from the high street bank or building society and into smartphone apps. Gaining an edge in the industry is no longer just about providing a product with attractive returns, it’s also about offering new and user-friendly ways in which to interact with the customer and address the everyday problems and demands that they face. This shift becomes more critical as the millennial generation – who have grown up with mobile access – become the dominant consumers and place greater demands upon their financial providers to keep up. A digital presence on its own is no longer enough; it has to be the right digital presence, delivering on the customer’s demands. This, however, presents its problems, even for new challengers. Digital worries You would expect finance companies to be at the forefront of the digital revolution, and in many ways they are, but there are still a number of factors holding them back. Security concerns, worries over return on investment and a lack of appropriate skills are all cited as reasons for lack of progress on digital initiatives from some of the more established players. In order to progress their digital strategies successfully, companies need to look at establishing partnerships with providers who can help them attain their goals. They also need to appoint someone to their senior executive team who can act as a chief technology officer in order to drive digital initiatives. Skills required Bringing finance businesses into the digital era means that there’s demand for a new set of skills to drive projects forwards. This means adding data scientists, analysts, and consultants to the existing skill sets that are essential to business success. This raises challenges in finding and retaining the right staff and providing appropriate professional development after on-boarding. Since these talents are likely to be in high demand, it makes sense to look at outsourcing the more specialised tasks. What is clear is that established financial companies can’t afford to stand still. Any gap left in the market by a failure to act will quickly be filled by new and disruptive ventures. The finance sector is changing fast and adapting to the opportunities which digital offers. Any business which fails to respond to this change is likely to see itself rapidly falling behind and losing market share to its competitors. If you are looking for ways to integrate applications and systems our consultants are on hand to offer advise, or why not take advantage of our free proof of concept. Contact us now Next Post