Blog
March 21, 2024
The e-commerce market is characterized by constant change, new technologies, and upheaval. For a variety of reasons, the retail backend is therefore becoming increasingly important, because only those who establish a future-proof IT infrastructure in their company will remain competitive. So what makes a future-proof and robust retail backend, and which systems are part of it?
These were precisely the questions addressed in the fifth Expert Talk with Dörte Kaschdailis, managing director of opexxia GmbH, a consulting firm for retailers in the areas of digital transformation and retail backend. Her experience and knowledge, especially on topics such as the introduction of ERP systems and robust retail backend issues and processes, provides an in-depth look at an e-commerce topic that many find exciting but also extremely complex. Dörte’s appeal: The vast majority of companies use legacy software, even digital pioneers who achieved groundbreaking advances in e-commerce 20 years ago. Old technologies need to be replaced everywhere with new technologies that are committed to the MACH principle.
What makes a transformation successful?
Various considerations must be taken into account when evaluating and replacing old systems and technologies. Above all, companies must be aware of what sets them apart and what their customers expect or want from them. Depending on where you want to differentiate yourself from the market, it may make sense to move away from standard software and introduce your own workflows. It is these adjustments that enable companies to stand out from the fierce competition.
However, it remains the case that companies absolutely need ERP systems, but should increasingly turn to classification standards for product and data procurement. This is not only to obtain product data in a bundled and structured form, but also to lay a data foundation that is suitable for further refinement and processing of product data. This is the only way companies can stand out with excellent product information or make their pricing competitive.
However, the retail backend includes not only ERP systems, but also PIM and, depending on the IT infrastructure, DAM and CRM systems. The focus should not be on ranking systems according to importance, but rather on clearly identifying which data processes take place in which systems. Only those who have a clear overview and have thought through data processes can determine how artificial intelligence can be used in a supportive and profitable way within the existing system landscape.
Degree of automation, flexibility, and scalability
Technologies have never been as mature as they are today. This means that system landscapes must be very well networked with each other, but also that all employees in the respective company must have an understanding of where the areas of responsibility lie, which data processes run in the systems, and how these interact. The main goal of these architectures must be to offer a high degree of automation while still being flexible enough to respond quickly to changing business aspects. This could be, for example, a complication-free connection to a new marketplace. The third requirement is scalability: IT infrastructures must be able to quickly handle higher order volumes without significant additional effort or enable the targeted expansion of online product ranges.
Artificial intelligence can add real value and provide support in all these areas. Watch the recording to find out what obstacles there are to introducing intelligent software and what modern companies need to consider. We would like to thank Dörte Kaschdailis for the exciting talk and are already looking forward to the next talk with Iwan Uswak, Senior Expert Data Orchestration at Fressnapf Holding SE, where we will discuss in depth how to overcome data silos and the importance of different data types. Will you be joining us?