Charteris

Putting it altogether; the IT, the business organisation and a service oriented architecture, will provide a retailer with:

• an IT architecture that allows change, rather then dictating what changes can be made.
• a business that is geared to meet the needs of the channels and ultimately its customers
• a multi-channel platform that will last, adapt and perform

In summary, multi-channel retailers require agility and in delivering these key assets, a retailer can acquire the lasting agility that will differentiate them in the marketplace. Agility can be measured in many ways but there are some simple measures to consider in assessing just how agile a retailer really is. For instance, how long would it take to do the following:

• introduce a new range or products across one or more channels?
• open a new channel (such as a concession or mobile commerce platform)?
• react to a competitors promotion?
• introduce regional pricing and promotions?
• introduce differential pricing across channels?
• start marketing internationally

If the answer to any of these is “longer than my competitors”, then there is room for improvement. Taking the customer centric approach will shortcut many of the hurdles in assessing what needs to be done and partnering with Charteris is a firm step towards creating agility.

The Charteris Approach
At Charteris we define Customer Centricity as “the alignment of organisational structure, processes and technology to deliver products and services to internal and external customers in the most agile way.” Applying this to multi-channel retailing is what we do best and have wide experience in making this not just a theoretical exercise, but making it real.

In gearing any part of an organisation to deliver a service, whether it be technology, system, process or people related, an understanding of the customer is vital. For example, a retailer who also provides white label channels has not only the end consumer to consider, but also the partner organisations to whom they provide white label solutions. Similarly, merchandisers, graphic designers and cataloguers servicing more than one channel can consider each channel as a customer. When an organisation starts to think along theses lines, about who their customer really is, then the implementation of a service led philosophy becomes an easier task. Underpinning this approach is taking a considered view of the customer in order to understand their motivations, behaviour, likes and dislikes.

Taking a customer centric approach enables each area to focus on delivering exactly what the customer wants. Critically analysing processes, systems and related functional areas and determining their effectiveness in delivering customer service is at the heart of the customer centric approach. Breaking down each element and step of a process and stripping out those that do not add value to the customer can create efficiencies and benefits across the organisation. In doing this, the multi-channel retailer can create a framework of services that is ultimately geared towards the customer rather than the requirements or functions of a particular channel or technology.

Structuring the operational model around the new architectures and solutions is often left as a last minute consideration in delivering any new system. Organisational structure and associated processes are vital in order to deliver the most customer focussed experience and service possible. Every aspect of the operational model needs to be visited and assessed to determine the value it actually delivers to the customer and ensure that the priority and focus is aligned to this strategy.

This is where the thinking around the use of SOA needs to break out of the IT box and permeate through the business functions and respective processes. This is where the hard questions can often be found and where the structure of business functions needs to be most challenged. However, the balance of dividing business functions amongst the selected channels as opposed to maintaining a centralised operational model is a real tightrope and one that can only be managed on a case by case basis.

Creating a business architecture by applying SOA principles is not an exact science in some respects is still in its infancy. Even considering the business and operational model as an “Architecture” is a step too far for some organisations. But, those that have embraced this philosophy have broken out of the traditional business models and created cross functional working units geared to providing services to their customers, whether internal or external. This approach not only is geared towards a value added customer experience but leverages the experience and expertise of the people within an organisation.

From an IT perspective, the use of SOA (Service Oriented Architecture) is a logical fit to fulfil the multi-channel solution where core capabilities such as product, delivery, payment etc. are developed in such a way that they are created as services allowing for re-use across the enterprise. However, if the IT department is the only place where the SOA principles are adopted, then there can be no real alignment between IT and the business. Therefore, it is essential that the SOA blueprint is adopted throughout the enterprise rather than remain solely as just another IT acronym. In order to achieve this, the entire organisation must adopt SOA principles and the blueprint for this ideally is owned by the business. If the IT department alone is trusted in implementing the SOA architecture (as is so often the case), then the chances of the remaining parts of the organisation fostering the principles of SOA (and hence the benefits) are somewhat slim.

So, the decision has been made to create a new architecture and it’s all hand on deck. Constructing the great new systems and solutions to support the multi-channel ambition is one thing, but there are many other considerations which are just as important. IT is undoubtedly the key enabler in this relentless march towards customer satisfaction, but it is truly only one part of the jigsaw. The creation of a technical architecture that is aligned to the operating goals is vital; less so is the selection of the exact technology as there are various products and technologies that can be blended together to form an effective solution. In addressing the architecture issue, the creation of a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) is widely recognised as the best practice approach and one that dovetails into a customer focussed strategy.

The key benefits of SOA in a multi-channel strategy are one of re-use and the ability to initiate changes (to business or channel specific rules and functionality) without having a knock-on effect to all parts of the organisation. As discussed in my posts on the practicalities of multi-channel retailing, re-using components such as inventory, delivery and payment across the channels as services increases the efficiency and realises cost savings across the channels. However, the full benefits can only be full realised by creating a business logic layer across these services where specific attributes cater for the requirements of each channel. This is where such elements as price, promotions and catalogue are controlled and provide the channels with independence despite sharing a common data set.

Providing the entire range of products in the catalogue, in as accessible format as possible, strengthens the offering of a retailer no end. Providing a fully joined up view on delivery options including premium and store pick-up is a challenge in its own right as it dictates that stock management and whereabouts are completely accurate all of the time. Co-ordination of different delivery methods amongst numerous partners need to be effectively managed so that data feeds and access to order tracking is fully transparent for not only the customer, but also the customer service agents.

Now the customer is only interested in how they are going to get their hands on the merchandise but ensuring that they are not disappointed or misled is paramount in providing a great customer experience. This is an area where taking a customer centric standpoint is vital and in combination with a service led approach can reap enormous benefit. The result of these approaches should be the provision of choice to the customer in how to receive their goods in a timely, and convenient fashion. No one solution fits all but by centrally co-ordinating the delivery options as a repeatable service amongst the various channels will provide the required choice. This means that all channels can obtain the same delivery services whilst the management of them is centralised

Customer Service is the lynchpin behind a multi-channel strategy but it is so often cast as the fall guy in attempting to cobble together a solution from legacy systems. The “poor relations” in the call centre have been seen as the last resort to support the inadequacies of IT solutions in reconciling customer orders, refunds and returns. This behaviour towards a retailer’s customers is the antitheses of a truly customer centric approach and one to be avoided at all costs. Empowerment of the customer service agent by a robust CRM system is paramount in delivering quality customer service and can save both time and money if implemented correctly. More importantly, it can be the last resort in retaining a disaffected customer when systems or processes do break down. Providing transparent visibility across all channels, coupled with empowerment to view and alter order details is the very minimum functions that need to be provided.

But it really does matter!
It is having the single view of the customer, stored in a single data store that unlocks the true potential of multi-channel retailing in providing marketers with the data that enables customer behaviour to be analysed and utilised in driving forward the customer plan. Presenting the right offer at the right time can only be consistently achieved by getting a grip on the customer’s behaviour and developing this capability. Architecting the CRM strategy to achieve this must take into account not only the qualitative data about customer numbers and orders, but also combining this with less qualitative data such as web statistics and responses to marketing campaigns and Customer Service centre contact. Identifying the trends in this data empowers marketers to create campaigns targeted at specific audiences as well as allowing merchandisers to select appropriate products in the right channels.

The Practicalities of Multi-Channel

The “multi-channelness” of a retailer is only really determined by the ultimate ambition of the organisation coupled with the appetite for some serious change. Those early trail blazers that managed a seemingly coherent multi-channel offering often got there by smashing various legacy systems together by brute force in the pursuit of an integrated solution. Often, this meant some behind the scenes issues in customer service, delivery and order processing that failed to provide a single view of the history of an individual customer over multiple channels. The impact of this ultimately hit the customer at some point in preventing them from switching channels for returns, combining deliveries or tracking the statuses of orders. Ultimately, these legacy “smash-ups” present longevity issues by their very nature in that they are difficult to maintain, extend and above all, have problems scaling as demand for their services grow.

These issues are only resolved by initiating substantial change in the backbone of a retailer’s information system so that there is one source of the truth for critical product and process data such as:

• Catalogue
• Inventory (stock)
• Orders and Order History
• Returns
• Customer
• Delivery
• Payment

Providing this coherent and centrally managed view on both data and processes gears the organisation for efficiency. Consistent product information and management forms one part of Catalogue management but there is also a distinct need to better manage the whole product lifecycle from birth to grave with particular reference to performance across channels. This can only be achieved by having a single strategy in information systems, product induction, categorisation and reporting. As an end goal, this is a tough challenge to resolve as any major change in catalogue management is often unpalatable with the more established areas or channels. Legacy systems in these areas rule the roost and require substantial re-engineering to accommodate the demands of the newer routes to market. However, those retailers who endeavour to undertake this challenge and implement a successful solution can reap the benefits.