Our 3 Takeaways from EuroCIS 2019

At EuroCIS this year, there was a great deal of discussion about the future of retail: what it looks like, what it means, and what retailers will need to succeed. The consensus was that success will come down to how effectively retailers can transform their organizations, executing new and interesting initiatives while streamlining their store and labor operations.

Here are our main takeaways from EuroCIS this year:

1. It’s Time to Master Omnichannel

Many still think of omnichannel as linking together physical and digital retail channels, but this siloed approach doesn’t adequately capture how customers approach retail today. Mastering omnichannel is about presenting a seamless blend of physical and digital channels, where the retail experience is consistent throughout the customer journey.

At EuroCIS 2019, the Omnichannel Forum offered thought leaders an opportunity to discuss not just how to execute omnichannel initiatives, but how omnichannel presents an opportunity to transform the customer experience and generate brand loyalty.

2. Retailers Need a Comprehensive Work Platform

One point that came up repeatedly was the importance of utilizing technological innovation to transform retail operations. Many discussed artificial intelligence and the benefits of utilizing analytics, as well as investing in a platform that addresses both workforce management and task management, optimizing retail operations as a whole.

Real-time task management provides the ability to not only prioritize and throttle tasks sent to store associates, but also send alerts in order to respond to real-time changes in the store. With real-time task management on mobile devices, store associates have access to a prioritized list of daily tasks at all times, and are more engaged with their work as a result.

3. The Future is in Digital Transformation

One of the most important topics at EuroCIS this year was digital transformation and how retailers can accomplish this by investing in key, technology-driven initiatives.

At the show, Joel Eglin from Coop Switzerland discussed how they transformed store operations by improving communication and task execution. By sending store users relevant, role-based communication that is prioritized, Coop is able to improve efficiency and increase task completion rates at stores. They also obtain immediate visibility into their real-time store execution, ensuring that head office users can react quickly to maximize opportunities, respond to challenges, and reduce operational costs.

Reflexis ONE provides retailers with the ability to take action and turn these takeaways into measurable improvements in stores. With a single platform of real-time store operations and workforce management solutions, Reflexis enables retailers to optimize labor spend and simplify work for store associates.

To learn more about how the Reflexis ONE retail work platform can help you put these lessons into action, contact me – David Rogers, VP Sales and Marketing (EMEA) – for more information.