3 Digital Assurance Intervention Areas in Retail

Very often, Retail is considered to be only customer centric, focussed on increasing the shopping experience, increasing scope of choice, etc. of the consumers. However, to increase this customer loyalty it requires intense operational management blended with the high end sophisticated technology. On the backend, software intervention is extensively required for resource and value chain management, distribution, inventory of stocks, and back office processes.

This blog explains three areas of digital intervention in retail and what enterprises ought to do to enhance the customer experience, thereby increasing revenues.

“US online retail sales will grow to $480 billion by 2019”, according to Forrester’s latest five-year
e-Commerce forecast. “Already, 69% of the US online population regularly buys products online, with clothing, consumer electronics, and computers generating about a third of all online shopping dollars in the US.”

[Tweet “B2C e-commerce sales are expected to reach $ 1.92 trillion and Retail Industry is highly dependable on Operations with low profit margins.”]

The above figures show how the online shopping is transforming the retail landscape. The role of digital in retail industry can be segmented in to three levels – Customer centric, Stakeholder management, and social commerce.

Customer Centric:                                             

Digital is enhancing the shopping experience in a huge way. Its intervention in customer and enterprise relationship is required for accessibility of information, promotion of products, choice/selection of the item, and online transactions.

Everything is on everyone’s fingertips. Mobile is revolutionizing the world. Surveys say that when the customers struggle with an app, they will abandon it in 4 seconds. Applications require Mobile Testing to enhance the customer experience.

Determining the target buyers of a product and promoting the information is one of the key ingredients of online shopping operations. For the incessant demands of the Retail industry that require daily promotions, ensuring the speed is important which can be achieved by regression testing.

For the Sensitive information shared online while purchasing, companies need to guarantee trust by means of comprehensive Security testing for the multiple simultaneous e-commerce transactions.

An incredible bulk of product information is accessible online, and the right information has to reach the right audience at the right time. It can be ensured through Functional testing of the applications at Omni-channel.

Retailers are redefining the shopping experience by transforming to digital at POS. Self-service kiosks, multiple payments modes, customer relationship management modules and loyalty programs are high visibility and utilised applications. A high-end integration of resources and programs to the applications is necessary to standardize the process. End-to-end testing of these applications have to be performed to meet the customer expectations.

Social Commerce:

74% of consumers rely on social media for making a buying decision. According to reports, 4 in 10 social media users have purchased an item online or in-store after sharing it or marking it as a favourite on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest. Consumers can chat online and connect with a representative before making a decision. This process has to be very sophisticated to quickly attract or divert them to online payment gateway.

Stakeholder level:

According to a research, the average number of items carried in a supermarket in U.S. is 42214. Logistics, supply chain management, and back offices are highly dependent on IT. Applications have to undergo quality assurance testing to increase accuracy and reduce costs.

Customers are demanding more options and greater comparison. This involves inventory of both product and human resources for the Company. Quality Assurance in Big Data Analytics help ensure meeting the needs of customers anywhere, anytime, and in the form required.

Retail industry does not have boundaries, the professionals not only require the domain knowledge but also the law applicable to that particular land.

Introducing Cigniti’s Retail Testing expertise of over 1200 testers, smart tools, automation scripts, and more. Cigniti’s testing expertise helps you ensure an innovative and cost-effective shopping experience. Cigniti has experience of working with:

• US-based world leading fast food restaurant franchises
• Companies having 2000 boutiques in 80 countries
• US-based wholesale grocery supply companies

…..and many more.

Working with Cigniti has helped them increase customer satisfaction, reduce costs, increase revenues, and accelerate the time-to-market. For knowing how Cigniti can assist you in your growth, drop a line to contact@cigniti.com