Big Box
In order to get started with our discussions on Enterprise Applications, this week we will look at a number of customer facing retail applications that can be delivered in a variety of ways. Since almost all of us "shop", both on-line and in the brick and mortar world, these examples should resonate with most of us.
This weekend, I, like many others headed off to my favorite "big box" retailers to do some shopping. My shopping this week was more exploratory in nature - we "need" to replace a TV in our bedroom. OK - need is strong - we want a flat screen in that room too.
After our visit to the Electronics store of choice, we needed to visit a home improvement store for some items for our new patio. While shopping for these items though, it struck me that I was filled with a sense of foreboding. Last year, when we moved into our new old home after we picked up our possessions and relocated to the north suburbs of Pittsburgh, we never got all of the items that we needed for a project in one place.
In some cases I needed fifteen outlets and they had twelve. In some cases I needed six 14 x 6 registers - they had two. In some cases I needed sheets and king size pillowcases they only had sheets. Even when we wanted to buy clothing - they had the top my wife wanted - but not the skirt that matched in her size.
A few weeks ago, a Cupertino California based company, introduced a device that makes browsing the Internet a pleasurable experience virtually anywhere - even in big box retailers.
So, say I had an iPhone or a similar hand held device with a usable web browser, and say I wanted to find two more twenty amp outlets and I am standing in front off a display of them so I have the barcode (GTIN - formerly known as UPC) - or the retailers SKU (Stock Keeping Unit). And lets say that the retailer had mashed up their product file, their price file, their inventory on hand and Google Maps. And I had a piece of software in my phone that allowed my camera to "scan" the code or I entered it on the device with my fingers ("how quaint") - and my favorite retailer had a customer portal application that was integrated in this "mash-up" application.
I, as a consumer could now identify what I wanted, my device could send my current location, and send me the closest store with the quantity that I needed and give me the directions to the store from where I was standing. Or could allow me to order the entire quantity on-line and have it shipped to my house. Or if it was really pricey, and I was a really good customer - have the manger deliver the product to my house. OK maybe that is a bit much - but then again maybe not.
So, I bet somebody will create that kind of mash-up. If it is you as the retailer that does this and the customer is in your store - cool. If the customer is in another store and that company did not do this kind of thing - even cooler for you if they end up in your store as a result. If this customer is in your store, and your competition does this and you have not - not so cool.
This weekend, I, like many others headed off to my favorite "big box" retailers to do some shopping. My shopping this week was more exploratory in nature - we "need" to replace a TV in our bedroom. OK - need is strong - we want a flat screen in that room too.
After our visit to the Electronics store of choice, we needed to visit a home improvement store for some items for our new patio. While shopping for these items though, it struck me that I was filled with a sense of foreboding. Last year, when we moved into our new old home after we picked up our possessions and relocated to the north suburbs of Pittsburgh, we never got all of the items that we needed for a project in one place.
In some cases I needed fifteen outlets and they had twelve. In some cases I needed six 14 x 6 registers - they had two. In some cases I needed sheets and king size pillowcases they only had sheets. Even when we wanted to buy clothing - they had the top my wife wanted - but not the skirt that matched in her size.
A few weeks ago, a Cupertino California based company, introduced a device that makes browsing the Internet a pleasurable experience virtually anywhere - even in big box retailers.
So, say I had an iPhone or a similar hand held device with a usable web browser, and say I wanted to find two more twenty amp outlets and I am standing in front off a display of them so I have the barcode (GTIN - formerly known as UPC) - or the retailers SKU (Stock Keeping Unit). And lets say that the retailer had mashed up their product file, their price file, their inventory on hand and Google Maps. And I had a piece of software in my phone that allowed my camera to "scan" the code or I entered it on the device with my fingers ("how quaint") - and my favorite retailer had a customer portal application that was integrated in this "mash-up" application.
I, as a consumer could now identify what I wanted, my device could send my current location, and send me the closest store with the quantity that I needed and give me the directions to the store from where I was standing. Or could allow me to order the entire quantity on-line and have it shipped to my house. Or if it was really pricey, and I was a really good customer - have the manger deliver the product to my house. OK maybe that is a bit much - but then again maybe not.
So, I bet somebody will create that kind of mash-up. If it is you as the retailer that does this and the customer is in your store - cool. If the customer is in another store and that company did not do this kind of thing - even cooler for you if they end up in your store as a result. If this customer is in your store, and your competition does this and you have not - not so cool.
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