12
COMMENT/NEWS
DO YOU KNOW
COMMUNICATIONS
X The year ahead
will undoubtedly
WHO YOUR
be challenging
CUSTOMERS ARE?
ARE RETAIL
but the latest
KPMG/Synovate
Retail Think Tank
FOUNDATION STONE
white paper
points out that
there are many
P
aul Willows, information services
(IS) director for High Street
winning retailers
in the economy.
optician chain, Dollond &
As businesses
Aitchison spoke to Retail Technology
have failed – and
about the role of communications for
may continue to
retailers during the credit crunch.
– it said there is
Willows said: “Facing challenges
much turnover to
be won by their
ranging from higher manufacturing
competitors in the
costs to rising rent, retailers are
sector, if they have
Will we really be making 90% of our
readying themselves to ride out
the right strategy
purchases online by 2020? Some
the recession and many will now
and proposition.
bright spark at e-commerce trade
look towards technology as a way
body, the IMRG thinks so, although
to consolidate costs and improve
they do let themselves off the hook
ef� ciencies. Investing in technology at
by saying that this includes purchases
made in-store, but in� uenced by the
this time may seem like unnecessary
web. If this is true, and I don’t even
expenditure, but forward thinking
remotely think it is, then it’s probably
organisations will realise that using
time to get off the High Street.
technology is a smart way to
Recessions are when ideas – good,
streamline processes and facilitate
bad and crazy – come � ooding forth
ef� cient, leaner operation.
and it is worth pausing to examine “With companies starting to feel centralised EPoS [electronic point-of-
which are worth considering. What the credit crunch bite, it’s critical that sale] system, which will deliver wide-
the recession is doing is making more
customer loyalty and customer service ranging service-based ef� ciencies and
retailers accelerate their online plans
remain a top priority. Organisations innovations.
and prompting others who had not
need to consider how best to deliver “The new high-speed network is
bothered until now, to make a start.
high-quality, value-add services that the technology supporting this change.
So the good news is that a downturn
can effectively differentiate their offer. With reliable connectivity to all our
does at least stop people being in
For many, part of this strategy involves branches our data and information
denial over how important it is to
running a high-speed next generation � ows in real time. We now also
have a multichannel offer.
It is easy to say that some
communications infrastructure able to have the tools at our command to
retailers had got lazy; after all, you
provide a foundational platform for implement centralised, always on, next
can say what’s bad about even the
business operation, from e-commerce generation in-store systems delivering
X Retail software
most successful retailer, but it now
to telephony to back-of� ce functions � exibility, ef� ciency and 360-degree
vendor, Futura
has told Retail
looks incredible that some retailers
like stock ordering. customer visibility across all channels.
Technology
are still not sure about whether to
“A key part of the D&A [Dollond “The D&A communication
preparing for
go transactional online. I think that a & Aitchison] strategy has been infrastructure needs to be consistent
the upturn in
failure to do so is usually proof that to consolidate communications with our vision of creating an
the economy
the retailer in question has little or no
costs across our entire UK branch outstanding customer experience and
will be all about
idea who their customers are. If they
improving service
network. We are well on course in this is why we’ve invested in a next
and understanding
knew, they could make an informed
delivering a three year programme generation, � bre-based network.
customer
decision, whereas most retailers who
of customer service improvements, “Tough margin pressures, the requirements,
don’t want to go online, usually admit
underpinned by ntl:Telewest Business’ challenging market outlook, and agile
while keeping
to me that they simply don’t know
next generation network, to replace competitors mean that all UK retailers
stock and
where to start.
capital costs to
our front and back-of� ce systems, must push hard for operational
Where to start is to engage with
a minimum. It
customers, on or of� ine. If the future
thereby supporting and enhancing ef� ciencies and innovation, whilst
also said � exible
is uncertain, then it’s going to be a lot
our proposition of outstanding ensuring customer loyalty and high systems that
support the
more uncertain for retailers who don’t
personalised customer service. levels of service. Ensuring D&A has a
business with
know who their customers are.
“In order to stand out from the � exible and robust communications
accurate real-time
Chris Field
competition and further strengthen infrastructure in place, has provided
information, would
Consulting Editor
customer loyalty D&A is also now us with a strong platform on which to
enable con� dent
planning the rollout out of a new secure the future.” decision-making.
RETAIL TECHNOLOGY MARCH 2009
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