OPINION


March 2019 ertonline.co.uk Dan Power l UK Regional Manager, OneLogin


Engaging customers and employees through digital transformation


Merchants are facing a time of unprecedented change, with the collapse of the British high street creating a challenging environment.


N


o matter whether a shopfront is online or a physical store, all retailers are finding themselves facing the challenges of digital


transformation and as a result, the effective use of technology has become a key differentiator for those that will thrive. There is no doubt that technology has changed how companies and their employees function. In an increasingly connected world, where technology is influencing organisations in almost every sector, digital transformation is something that all businesses must embrace, or face being left behind and losing out to competitors. Today’s competitive market has meant that digital culture is essential for business growth.


Engaging your employees Gone are the days of notice boards for company updates, with shop assistants being treated as a separate entity to the rest of the business. Traditionally, staff based in the headquarters and those on the shop floor or in the warehouse have been treated in separate silos. Creating a


unified workforce and ensuring that all


employees are recognised can be problematic for many retailers.


Clever use of tools, such as Identity and Access Management (IAM), can be pivotal in organising different teams in line with the wider business goals, through portals that can be used to communicate with employees in all divisions. From internal communications to sales updates and educational portals, this technology can effectively inform and educate workers at all points across a business. This will, in turn, help create a more engaged, skilled and valued workforce that is aligned with the company’s business objectives and helping it stay ahead of the competition. Currently, retailers that are early on in their digital transformation journey, tend to use generic end-user-based systems and should be looking to adopt cloud-based services to integrate, educate and inform staff, no matter where they are based.


By using cloud-based Identity and Access Management systems, retailers can simplify internal processes, such as rolling-out company- wide incentive schemes, provide individuals with simplified access, requiring just a single password, to their pay slips and holiday booking management program. Not only does using such systems make this process more efficient, but it also maximises the value of investment in such systems.


Simplifying on-boarding and off-boarding To add another challenge, the retail industry currently sees a high


turnover rate and are


constantly recruiting to help manage the high levels of day-to-day footfall, on top of the annual peak periods for shopping. However, this constant influx of employees can present headaches for the IT teams, needing to onboard a high volume of new starters in a short space of time, while ensuring new starters have access to everything they need to work efficiently and productively from day one.


need to be seamlessly and securely removed from the system as quickly as they were added. By using automated tools, retail IT teams can onboard and off-board employees from all portals, applications and systems in one click, ensuring that employees can no longer access the corporate network once they walk out the door. Technology is vital to both improve and maintain employee engagement and retention, particularly since the future of the British high street is experiencing such a drastic transition to keep up with the digital age. At the end of the


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No matter whether an employee is temporary


or permanent, it is important that the right person has access to the right application from the right device and location, at the right time. To tackle this head-on, retailers must integrate all employee applications with the HR system to ensure a seamless onboarding process. In addition, this will also streamline the off- boarding processes for businesses and their workforce. Inevitably, employees at some point will eventually leave the company and will then


day, people are the centre of a business and a company’s most significant asset, so they must be at the centre of any digital transformation strategy. The reality is that if retailers fail to keep pace with their competitors they risk losing their main advantage – their employees. Retailers must keep pace with the fast-moving digital landscape and utilise new technology to connect all corners of the business. This will, in turn, allow employees to feel valued and aligned with the wider company objectives.


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