E3 Category: E-3 Special 1912

The variety of topics in the area of e-commerce is staggering. Together with SAP partners and a recognized SAP analyst from Teknowlogy/PAC, it was possible to develop a strategy for SAP existing customers - in other words, orientation for future e-commerce projects.

Die-hard Star Trek fans know it: In the sixth movie under Captain Kirk, the "old" Enterprise crew sets off on a journey to the "undiscovered" land. Of course, this land is not a place, but the future.

The customer experience is by no means new. Even in the corner store, customers had individual experiences when buying products that went beyond the mere purchase of the product.

By Jürgen Werner, Sector Manager Retail, and Patrick Pierron, Principal Consultant Retail, both CAS AG.

Ensuring an optimal customer experience involves all processes in retail companies. It has thus become the driving force behind digital transformation in retail. Which technical and strategic trends play a role?

Retail is more dependent on the success of digital transformation than any other industry. Where margins are low and volumes are high, successful digitization can be the difference between winning and losing.

Retailers must offer the perfect and individual customer experience for the digital customer. The demands of end customers require companies to respond quickly and develop different but synchronized customer touchpoints.

Customers today interact across many touchpoints, both B2C and B2B. Processes and technologies must be questioned and realigned not only across the company, but beyond the boundaries of the company.

Amazon has changed the rules of the game in retail once and for all. Customizing systems is no longer a recipe for success. Instead, it's the service that counts.

When B2B companies introduce online stores or platforms, it's not about a technical solution, but about added value and benefits for customers, brand management and, last but not least, greater efficiency through connection to existing processes.