Retail News CRM

Tag: Transformation

  • Wanda Partners With Microsoft Accelerator To Empower Digital Transformation

    Wanda Partners With Microsoft Accelerator To Empower Digital Transformation

    Wanda Group, one of the Fortune Global 500 List companies, is tapping into the resources of Microsoft Accelerator to enable the next wave of digital transformation of the retail industry and commercial properties in China.

    For the past four and a half years, Microsoft Beijing Accelerator has accelerated 140 startups in China with alumni in the areas of hybrid cloud, IoT, big data, artificial intelligence, etc. These startups have strong strengths in technology innovation. Combining Wanda Group’s customer resources and Microsoft Accelerator’s alumni, startups will be empowered to do more for digital transformation in China.

    “As an entrepreneur myself, I’ve seen many technology startups face the same challenges. They focus on technology innovation and product development without much customer insight and user data,” said Hanna Lavy, head of Microsoft Global Accelerator Program. “Partners like Wanda Group can provide in-depth business insights and rich customer data to startups. Microsoft Accelerator looks forward to working with Wanda Group to enable startups to transform retail companies and commercial properties into digital businesses.”

    “Wanda Group and Microsoft share the same views on digital technology and business. Cloud computing, big data, IoT and artificial intelligence are the main drivers of the digital transformation of business,” said Jennifer Feng, Deputy GM of IT Center at Wanda Group.” Wanda Group has rich insights and user data as the leader of commercial property and retail business in China and we will partner with Microsoft to bring startups closer to end customers. Microsoft Accelerator will also provide qualified startups to be enlisted as vendors for Wanda Group. ”

    As the world’s largest commercial property enterprise, Wanda Group has opened 189 Wanda Plaza projects in China and plans to open 50 more in 2017. Three years ago, Wanda Group began its fourth business model transformation from commercial property to modern services with the result of forming four sub business groups including Commercial Properties, Cultural Industry Group, Internet Technology Group and Financial Group. Digital transformation is at the core of Wanda Group.

    Wanda Group IT embarked on enabling digital transformation of Wanda Group three years ago. For the past three years, Wanda Group IT has developed Wanda Building Information Modeling(BIM) System and Wanda Intelligent Building Management System in this endeavor with the adoption of Microsoft Azure and HDInsight big data analysis. Wanda BIM system seamlessly integrates the end-to-end information management process from project bidding to delivery for commercial property developers, designers, builders and supervisors.

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  • The Body Shop rolls out £10m digital transformation strategy

    The Body Shop rolls out £10m digital transformation strategy

    L’Oréal-owned cosmetics brand The Body Shop has launched a £10m, three-year digital transformation strategy in a bid to revamp its online appeal and boost the e-commerce channel.

    As part of the strategy, the British retailer has launched in 11 countries a new mobile-first e-commerce site which integrates content and commerce. The countries where the site is now live include the UK, US, Canada, France, Germany, Brazil and Indonesia, with 20 further countries expected to be added throughout the year.

    Given the scale of the business, The Body Shop has given regional variations to its new platform, which means its presence will be adapted to each relevant market according to consumer preferences for merchandising, payment and delivery fulfillment.

    The new website has a live appointment booking service for in-store consultations and a personalised skincare diagnostic tool. A click & collect functionality is also expected to launch later in the year.

    The Body Shop was founded in 1976 and quickly became a retail favourite with its colourful range of body butters, but in recent years it has struggled to remain relevant in a highly competitive market.

    The £10m investment to expand its global e-commerce footprint comes after the retailer saw a 19% increase in online sales in 2016 – double than the prior year’s figure. The share is expected to reach 20% this year.

    “With the successful launch of a responsive, content-rich digital platform, we have established a strong foundation to support our future innovation agenda and global rollout,” said chief digital officer Harriet Williams.

    “The Body Shop is a big business, operating in a large number of countries with both franchise and non-franchise markets. The platform needed to strike the right balance between global brand consistency and local relevance, being flexible enough to meet the needs of each individual market.”

    The Body Shop sells its nature-inspired products in more than 3,000 stores in 66 countries.

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  • Digital transformation and what it means for Indonesia

    Digital transformation and what it means for Indonesia

    Digital transformation will attain macroeconomic scale in Indonesia over the next 2-3 years, according to new predictions from IDC.

    The analyst firm says this will change the way enterprises operate and reshape the global economy. IDC calls this as the dawn of the DX Economy.

    “As digital transformation reaches macroeconomic levels, a DX economy will emerge and will become the core of what industry leaders do and operate,” says Mevira Munindra, research manager, Consulting of IDC Indonesia.

    “Essentially, to succeed, Indonesian enterprises must begin to think of the relevancy of their business in 10 years, and how they should react in the face of disruptive forces,” Munindra explains.

    Munindra also revealed the strategic top predictions that will unfold in 2017 and beyond and make the biggest impact to organisations in Indonesia:

    1. By 2019, 50% of IT organisations will create new customer-facing and ecosystem-facing services to meet the business DX needs.

    2. By 2018, lack of vision, credibility, or ability to influence will keep 80% of IT executives from attaining leadership roles in enterprise DX.

    3. By 2020, Indonesian firms will use open innovation to allocate expertise to 15% of new projects, aiming to increase their new product introduction success rates by over 50%.

    4. By 2020, nearly 20% of operational processes will be self-healing and self-learning — minimising the need for human intervention or adjustments.

    5. By 2018, online brand ambassadors and social media influencers will have more marketing power than traditional digital advertising, although this will subside through 2019 and beyond.

    6. By 2019, digital transformation investments will double, drawing funds away from store capital and profoundly changing the retail industry.

    7. By 2019, only 30% of manufacturers investing in digital transformation will be able to maximize the outcome; the rest are held back by outdated business models and technology.

    8. By 2019, cloud adoption will reduce infrastructure spend by 25% among top-tier banks.

    9. By 2019, 20% of local and regional governments will use IoT to turn infrastructure like roads, street lights, and traffic signals into assets instead of liabilities.

    10. By 2017, 90% of Indonesian cities will fail to take full advantage of Smart City data and digital assets due to a lack of process, project management, and change management skills.

    “In Indonesia, Digital Transformation is still not adequately represented within the enterprise, and this disparity in leadership will lead towards a delayed response towards market changes that will adversely impact business,” says Sydev Bangah, country manager at IDC Indonesia.

    “Timing is critical, and archaic thinking of riding-out trying economic times is no longer relevant, and should be addressed with process-led innovation,” Bangah  adds.

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  • Laos teams with Microsoft on digital transformation

    Laos teams with Microsoft on digital transformation

    The government of Laos has teamed up with Microsoft to advance the adoption of emerging technologies for sustainable economic development, with focus on projects with social impact.

    At a Government Solution Day event held in collaboration with the Laos Ministry of Post and Telecommunications (MPT) and attended by key government officials and partners, Microsoft showcased how the government can use technology to digitally transform and support economic development.

    Vivek Puthucode, GM for the public sector for Microsoft Asia-Pacific, said the benefits of the digital economy remain out of reach for many in emerging markets despite the enormous untapped opportunities across various industry sectors.

    “As part of Microsoft’s National Empowerment Plan, our approach is to work closely with governments and public sector agencies to support them in overcoming challenges and building more cloud-enabling environments to accelerate their competitiveness, productivity and modernization of operations through trusted technology,” he said.

    This cloud-based, digital transformation roadmap is especially aimed to enable emerging markets, such as Laos, harness the power of technology to embark on a digital transformation journey, aligned with their national priorities.

    “Embracing trusted technology, particularly the power of emerging ICT, will be key to enabling Laos’ growing economy to take a giant leap forward, propelling our nation into a digital enabled community and economy,” said Dr. Thansamay Kommasith, minister of post and telecommunications of Lao PDR.

    “Government Solution Day affirms our vision to drive inclusive growth, a smart government, and transform the way both public and private sectors operate – not only by ensuring accessibility of tools, but also by establishing the right processes and building the digital skills of our citizens,” he added.

    Besides having access to the right tools, people must also know how to use them, according to Michelle Simmons, Microsoft APAC’s GM for new markets in Southeast Asia.

    “Looking ahead, what will be critical for Laos to thrive is digital literacy. We are working with the government to not only deliver educational programs, but also to support the educators themselves with the right resources to impart science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills to local youth, preparing them for jobs of the future,” she said.

    Microsoft had previously inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Education and Sport in Laos to develop a holistic plan to leverage technology for education, covering a range of programs that will support the development of 21st century skills and employability of students.

  • Billabong kickstarts supply chain transformation

    Billabong kickstarts supply chain transformation

    Global surf brand Billabong and its family of brands is positioning its supply chain to support transformation of its wholesale and retail businesses.

    Billabong said it will connect suppliers and trading partners in a cloud based network using the GT Nexus platform to facilitate and automate processes for supply chain financing, order collaboration, invoice management, in-transit visibility and payment management.

    Billabong International Limited is a global marketer, distributor, wholesaler and retailer of apparel, accessories, eyewear, wetsuits and hardwoods in the boardsports sector under the Billabong, RVCA, Element, Von Zipper, Honolua Surf Company, Kustom, Palmers Surf, Xcel, Sector 9 and Tigerlilly brands.

    Jeff Streader, Chief Operating Officer at Billabong,said making data and capital more accessible to suppliers will remove friction and enable agile delivery of goods. The deployment of GT Nexus is part of a larger global initiative at Billabong to obtain real-time supply chain visibility to drive retail and wholesale business growth.

    “Risk and uncertainty remain prevalent as social, political and economic volatility pose constant threats to supply chains,” said Sean Feeney, CEO of GT Nexus. “The only way to assure undisrupted supply and delivery of goods while preserving margins is end-to-end visibility across all trading partners, brands and business channels. That’s the power of a cloud supply chain operating as a network.”

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