A US-based global manufacturer of performance footwear, apparel and sports equipment sought to enhance its customer experience (CX) to drive growth by streamlining IT service requirements and consolidating service providers. The company chose HCLTech as their partner for greater operational efficiency and enhanced CX. HCLTech supported the client with extensive business consulting, liaising with incumbent service providers to simplify the transition of complex, large-scale IT systems. By assessing the global corporate enterprise and retail store infrastructure, HCLTech now manages more than 15,000 retail stores, allowing the client to focus on new product innovations, while minimizing total cost of ownership (TCO), ultimately resulting in improved CX and increased market share.
The Challenge
Finding the right single service partner to maximize IT modernization and create frictionless UX
Our client sought more than an IT systems integrator. They required a partner that could empower a business-focused digital transformation with a unified operating model. Reliability and competency in managing distributed business applications and IT infrastructure were important, but the transformation partner also had to possess key industry expertise in modernizing retail stores through product and platform digitalization, while creating a frictionless UX.
The Objective
Transition from running the business to transforming it
Our client also required an assessment of their application landscape, validation of their IT strategy, consulting support and a framework best suited to retire legacy technologies and drive greater automation for better business efficiencies. Given the scope of requirements, theychose HCLTech to help achieve their ambitions and evolve from running the business to truly transforming it.
The Solution
Smart operations powered by innovation
In the engagement kick-off, HCLTech held discovery workshops with the client and vendors to understand the technology, applications and user behavior on the commerce site, such as visitor traffic and conversions. This led to the solution tenet of "smart operations powered by innovation" and a unified IT operating model for managed support services. The HCLTech solution for achieving efficient IT operations and application support included the following:
- Provide independent IT support for retail stores, corporate offices and connected warehouses
- Enable a powerful cognitive automation solution — HCL DRYiCE — to execute ticket self-closures
- Deploy seamless digital workplace solutions for better collaboration between cross-segment IT teams
- Implement a machine learning platform to augment predictive modeling for quick incident resolution
- Provide enhanced IT support during the peak holiday season
- Offer adaptive costing and offsets during pandemic lockdowns
- Structure a flexible engagement model with bespoke services
The Impact
Predictable, reliable and transformed business operations powered by proactive IT support
HCLTech helped our client achieve visibility across operations with a unified view of multi-model IT support. The team also enabled their business applications to run faster, with zero disruption and focused on rapid solutions to customer queries. By establishing a framework for IT operational excellence and business maturity, HCLTech helped them achieve the following business benefits:
- 6% improvement in forecast accuracy
- 9% improvement in lead-time accuracy
- 8% reduction in inventory costs
- Up to 100% improvement across service areas
Partnering with HCLTech helped our client realize their ambition of achieving digital transformation for scalable growth across physical and digital customer touchpoints, with a greater focus on investment in next-gen solutions.
