2014 Dx3 Canada Conference: Recap of the Show

Last week OrderDynamics exhibited at the 2014 Dx3 Canada conference in Toronto.  For a second consecutive year OrderDynamics was a Bronze-level sponsor at the digital marketing summit.  The conference provided a great opportunity to see first hand how new technologies are impacting the way Marketing, Operations and IT professionals are engaging digital audiences.

The OrderDynamics Team at Dx3 Canada 2014.

In speaking with many Canadian retailers and manufacturers during the two-day conference, it was clear both are prioritizing ecommerce and online growth more than ever.  However, both acknowledge there is much more work to be done in terms of streamlining fulfillment, order management systems in general, and more.  Additionally, many retailers mentioned similar challenges when addressing Omni-Channel commerce strategies including an uncertainty of the technology required to properly enable and optimize cross-channel initiatives, as well as the ability to manage (and sell) all inventory across an entire organization (retail stores, warehouses etc.).

These are just several examples of complexities retailers of all sizes face as they continue to adjust to evolving Omni-Channel expectations.  Our experience helping some of Canada’s leading retailers launch sophisticated Omni-Channel strategies helped provide guidance and baselines throughout these conversations for some retailers considering similar investments.

The Fastest Path to Omni-Channel Revenue and Profit
On day one of the conference, OrderDynamics President Michael Turcsanyi presented “The Fastest Path to Omni-Channel Revenue and Profit in 5 Steps”, a step by step guide for retailers to phase themselves into Omni-Channel retailing and transform their operations.  The presentation focused on growing trends within retail, organizational shifts required to meet evolving expectations, and the value of offering cross-channel initiatives.  The half-hour session was packed with quality statistics of the Canadian retail industry and featured several key takeaways including:

• Create an Omni-Channel committee responsible for driving change
• Split your Omni-Channel initiatives into actionable phases; and prioritize around your customers and their needs
• Select a sales attribution model that promotes buy-in across departments and teams
• Adjust organization P&L to incorporate Omni-Channel revenue, savings, and costs
• Select a flexible technology platform that you can grow with

OrderDynamics President Michael Turcsanyi presenting at Dx3 Canada 2014.

Cutting Edge Digital Retail Solutions Entering Stores
Finally, one of the more engaging exhibits at the conference was the Retail Collective, an interactive and tech-driven digital shopping experience which featured virtual fitting rooms, web and mobile storefronts, interactive displays, in-store analytic platforms and more.  While the Retail Collective served as a practical example of ways digital solutions can be used within a retail store to drive enhanced engagement and improved customer experiences, it also stood as a reminder that retailers will need to thoroughly analyze whether innovative tools like these have a place in its stores.  Not all in-store retail experiences will benefit from such technologies, and yet, some might flourish.  Retailers will have to respect what their customers want in a shopping experience and temper sophisticated technology with what has helped make their stores successful in the past.

One of the interactive displays by Perch inside the Retail Collective.

While impressive, one concern shared among our team was the disconnect between some of these in-store technologies and the ecommerce platforms powering digital commerce storefronts.  In this live example, there appear to be an integration or strategy to connect each technology to further leverage and align functionalities.  That said, it’s not difficult to envision a time in the near distant future where all data and new touch points are completely integrated to provide an even more synchronized shopping experience for consumers.  As retail continues to reinvent itself, technologies and new concepts like these will most likely become the norm.  And as commerce platforms continue to shape how in-store retailing is handled (in-store fulfillment, cross-channel customer history, enterprise-wide inventory and more), it will be interesting to see how everything integrates over the coming years.

We’d like to thank Dx3 Canada for hosting a fantastic digital marketing conference and everyone who took the time to speak with us during the event.

The Retail Collective -- a glimpse into the near distant future of in-store shopping. 

In the meantime, we invite you to visit our website at www.orderdynamics.com to learn more about our ecommerce platform and retail order management system.

Sincerely,
The OrderDynamics Team
1 (866) 559-8123