Overview
Our client is a major UK-based retail firm. Previously, they faced several challenges with scaling up to a dual store and ecommerce entity from its existing store-only operations.
We enabled them to transition from store-only operations to a smart retail store with a unified omnichannel experience, boosting e-commerce integration, employee productivity and customer satisfaction through smart workspace automation and advanced analytics. This change has ultimately enhanced both online and offline shopping experiences.
The Challenge
Issues with scaling up the in-store experience to smart retail store
The retail landscape transformation has led to shift in business practices, customer expectations and interactions between businesses and customers. This has also brought the in-store frontline workers’ role to prominence in terms of creating a superior customer and shopping experience.
Such was the conundrum faced by the client as they set their eyes on transitioning from merely a store-only operations to both ecommerce operations and in store operations. After starting with a pilot and expanding it to majority stores in the UK, our client wanted to scale to 5000+ stores across 15 countries in Europe to have consistent omnichannel experience.
Key challenges included:
- Difficulties in enabling one consistent omnichannel shopping experience whether online or in-store
- Empowering and augmenting in-store employees with tools and data insights to support customers and operate at the speed of digital
- Enhancing employee productivity and efficiency leading to better store operation
- Lack of syncing of order management, inventory management systems, warehousing systems and access to relevant data on tablets/handheld devices at stores and depots
- Issues in the automation of manual offline processes to an online workspace model
- No real-time visibility and location of ecommerce channel inventory using mobile/ handheld devices (3,000+ devices) at stores and depots
The Objective
Transitioning to a smart retail workspace with an integrated ecommerce channel
Our client wanted to bridge the gap between online and offline shopping experiences. To achieve that they zeroed in on employee experience and workspace automation like automating their offline operational processes to attain a smart retail store with an integrated ecommerce workspace model.
Furthermore, they wanted to integrate several repetitive manual tasks into a seamless ecommerce workspace.
The Solution
Enabling one-stop solution with HCLTech Digital Workplace Services
We helped our client automate and streamline their offline store-only operations model by transitioning to an omnichannel model by leveraging our existing Service Desk, Infrastructure Support and SIAM services.
Key highlights of the solution:
- We created the integrations of the ecommerce solution between Oracle Retail and the Warehouse Management System (WMS)
- We helped them carry out the integration of Zebra Visibility IQ to HCLTech WorkBlazeTM solution to give smart store analytics and provide store health across all devices
- Our solution leveraged the core foundation to implement more use cases that enabled a rise in customer and colleague experience
- Our solution led to an end-to-end smart retail store from existing offline workspace model
The Impact
Achieved a smart retail ecommerce workspace leading to an enhanced customer experience
Our HCLTech WorkBlazeTM solution had phenomenal impact on our client.
- Their average checkout time reduced by 30% due to mobile POS capabilities, leading to higher customer satisfaction and reduced abandonment rates.
- Store managers and associates used real-time data from the tablets to access product information, promotions, inventory levels leading to enhanced in-store shopping experience, ~15% increase in sales and 18% reduction in out-of-stock incidents. All this contributed to 25% improvement in Net Promoter Score (NPS).
- Inventory turnover rate increased by 15%, with store associates able to perform stock checks and manage replenishment more accurately.
- The average daily task completion rate improved by 35%, as associates could perform multiple functions on a single device, increasing their productivity.
- The need for extra staffing during peak hours has been reduced by 20%, as the tablets enabled faster service and streamlined operations.
- Store associates saved an average of 1.02 hours per day in routine tasks like inventory checks, order processing and product searches due to the handheld tablet’s efficiency.
