Integrated Solutions For Retailers Builds On OrderDynamics Recent Forrester Report in New Omni-Channel Research Supplement

Integrated Solutions for Retailers recently called on Forrester Research Principal Analyst, Peter Sheldon, and Retail Systems Research Managing Partner, Nikki Baird, for insights into the race towards Omni-Channel retailing.  The report, Can You Meet Consumer Expectations at Any Cost? is featured in the April 2014 print edition and builds upon the findings from our recent Forrester report, The Retail Order Management Imperative.

While both Baird and Sheldon approach the race to Omni-Channel seamlessness from decidedly different viewpoints, they share similar underlying strategic intentions. Both agree that a retail order management system is an imperative. Addressing the orchestration of the complex fulfillment scenarios Peter Sheldon states:  "When we talk about all these Omni-Channel permutations, such as click-and-pick, order from store, e-commerce fulfillment from stores, and so on, order management is the foundational layer. It's the glue that holds online and offline together".

The report also delves into change management and the need for company-wide buy-in and the role C-Level executives are playing in bridging the gaps between channels -- consistent with trends identified in The Retail Order Management Imperative -- 39% of retailers have a dedicated executive leading its Omni-Channel implementation and initiatives.

Click here to access the full report and to learn more about the imperatives in the race to "any-channel" retail commerce.

OrderDynamics Featured in Recent eMarketer Omni-Channel Fulfillment Report

With unprecedented sales, news of flying drones, bad weather and the now infamous delivery debacle, the 2013 retail holiday season was a watershed moment for Omni-Channel retailing. A lot can be learned from last year’s holiday season and that precisely is the focus of a recently published report by eMarketer entitled DELIVERY AND PICKUP TRENDS: RETAILERS SEEK THE PATH TO FULFILLMENT. The report (available to eMarketer subscribers) explores the lessons learned from last year’s holiday season and how retailers are meeting the changing demands and expectations of consumers through an Omni-Channel strategy rooted in fulfillment efforts.

Takeaways from the 2013 Holiday Season 

According to comScore the November-to-December 2013 period broke ecommerce records with a staggering $46.5 billion in sales. While The United States Postal Service’s prediction of a 12% increase in shipping volumes last year fell short of the more than 19% reality, carriers cannot shoulder all the blame. As the report notes, both carriers and retailers were unprepared for the unprecedented surge in online sales, leading to overpromising and under-delivering on customer deliveries. Citing a study by StellaService and consulting firm Kurt Salmon, the report notes that retailers made several errors including failing to upgrade their shipping capabilities to accommodate last-minute orders. Going forward, for the 2014 holiday season the report mentions that some retailers will attempt to spread out sales to mitigate the amount of shopping on Cyber Monday. In addition, retailers such as Best Buy will continue to leverage their stores for fulfillment to meet fast delivery times.

The Gap in Omni-Channel Fulfillment Execution 
The report also notes that while retailers acknowledge the value of seamless fulfillment there is still a gap in execution -- a finding very much in line with our recent Forrester Research report, The Retail Order Management Imperative. Moreover, enabling cross-channel offerings and revamping supply chains requires a significant investment of time and resources. eMarketer broached the topic with key findings from The Retail Order Management Imperative, as well as in an interview with OrderDynamics President Michael Turcsanyi. Michael notes that the role of real-time inventory and the challenges of inventory accuracy within an Omni-Channel commerce strategy has led to many retailers to delay investments into Omni-Channel strategy. In addition, the report focuses on in-store fulfillment and the impact such programs can have on store revenue and even customer loyalty. In speaking of efficiencies and profitability gained from in-store fulfillment programs, Michael explains, "The big picture here for a retailer at scale is big money. There’s a lot of money at stake around improving profitability and driving new net revenue into their stores."

Click here to access the full report to learn more about how multi-channel retailers are rethinking the store for fulfillment.

OrderDynamics to Exhibit & Speak at eTail Canada 2014

The OrderDynamics team is abuzz with excitement for this year’s eTail Canada Conference.  In its fourth year, the ecommerce and Omni-Channel retail event will be held on May 5 - 7, 2014 in Toronto Canada.

Throughout the course of the conference attendees can look forward to gaining insight and sharing ideas related to every facet impacting their ecommerce and Omni-Channel business today.  Key themes of this year’s show include Omni-Channel optimization for seamless online usability, cross-channel fulfillment and capturing CRM data to build a holistic customer profile.

The event will commence with a day of retailer-only roundtable discussions and think tank sessions. OrderDynamics President Michael Turcsanyi is slated to join an impressive list of thought leaders on Day 1 for the roundtable discussions. Michael will lead the discussion on The Retail Order Management Imperative: Why OMS is Playing a Pivotal Role in Cross-Channel Revenue Growth.  To cap off the first day of the conference, OrderDynamics will be hosting a cocktail reception at Zazou Lounge for the day’s participants.

Here are the details surrounding the roundtable discussions:

The Retail Order Management Imperative: Why OMS is Playing A Pivotal Role in Cross-Channel Revenue Growth 
When: May 5, 2014
Time: 10:30am (First 5 Rotations)
Speaker: Michael Turcsanyi, President at OrderDynamics

The team at eTail have once again lined up a strong panel of leading retailers and top analysts.  Attendees can look forward to speakers from Walmart Canada, Roots Canada, Beyond the Rack, and Lowe’s Canada.  Peter Sheldon, Principal Analyst at Forrester Research will also be exploring the nature of Canadian online shoppers and debunking the myths that surround them in his speaking session “It’s Different Here….Oh Really?”.

To meet our team and learn more about why OrderDynamics is Canada's leading commerce platform and retail order management provider drop by booth #2. We look forward to meeting you at eTail Canada!

Full event details:

eTail Canada 2014
Venue: Hyatt Regency Toronto (370 King St. West)
When: May 5 - 7
City: Toronto, ON
Registration Info: Click Here to Register (promo code: ETCA14ODYNAMICS)
Conference Website: www.etailca.com
OrderDynamics Booth: 2

Michael Turcsanyi, President at OrderDynamics, discussing the exciting evolution in retail and commerce at last year's eTail Canada conference.