The retail and distribution industry has faced many challenges over the past year, such as digital transformation and new customer purchase behaviors. An industry that is likely at the core of the big boom in e-commerce due to the huge number of online purchases and transactions, the success of Amazon and other online shopping options. The retail and distribution industry has made significant progress, especially from an operational standpoint. To face the wave of new challenges generated by the digital landscape, many organizations have invested significantly in new tools, among which we find Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Marketing Automation platforms.
For many retail and distribution industry organizations, investing in software means risk, change, and facing several challenges. We have seen over the past years that the retail and distribution industry has changed its perspective. Organizations find value in having strong CRM and Marketing Automation platforms. Why? Mostly because it is breaking the silos between departments. In a brick and mortar context, platforms have to be the center of sales, operations, finance, marketing, and customer service. Nowadays, most of the software (phone systems, accounting, operations, etc.) are open sources, which means that it is easy to connect these to the CRM. Having all the information standardized in one platform, accessible by many, makes an organization’s day-to-day transactions and tasks a lifesaver.
Operations are not the same across all organizations in the retail and distribution industry. Most of the time, they all have their own operating ways, even if they are selling the same products or services. Also, operations are often very complex and hard to structure. By doing a strong analysis and inception phase, we can clearly identify how CRM & Marketing Automation platforms can automate and digitalize most processes. As a result, operations are much more fluid. Organizations are saving tons in operating expenses (OPEX), and employees can focus their time and effort on relevant tasks.
Customers are always expecting greatness from companies. As soon as they face small issues or look for specific information, they look for precise answers and solutions. With a well-implemented CRM platform, it is possible to provide great customer experience. From this perspective, the main goal is to limit the irritants and support the customers. To do so, customer service needs to have access to relevant information in a matter of seconds. CRM platforms offer the possibility to connect various phone systems to their software. This allows for a 360-degree view of the consumer’s profile when receiving a call, eliminating the need to dig for information.