Implementing IBM Sterling Store Engagement for Businesses
Written by Luqman Khanzada
Java Developer OMSOnline Shopping has rapidly increased over the last few years and has become an indispensable part of the global retail framework. According to research, over two billion people purchased goods and services online in 2020 alone, and the online sales revenue represented almost 4.2 trillion USD that year. This enormous eCommerce revolution has brought about notable changes in customer behaviours. Instead of abandoning traditional in-store shopping, as some economists once predicted, customers now use local stores as omnichannel shopping resources.
Contemporary customers these days search for a product online and then visit nearby stores to complete the purchase. Even if the customers have already paid for the product, they prefer to purchase the item from a nearby store.
This is because even though customers have identified what they want to buy from the website, yet they prefer to see the product and test it in a nearby store before completing the transaction. Nevertheless, providing good in-store service to customers helps to boost business sales, build customer loyalty, and enhances the brand’s value. Therefore, it has become a challenge for businesses to support their omnichannel customers to improve online and in-store services.
Problems with Traditional In-Store Services
Customers today demand a superior service level with both online and in-store experiences. Unfortunately, traditional store associates do not have updated real-time inventory information. Hence, they fail to offer accurate information about product stock and availability in real-time. This results in customer dissatisfaction and risks losing important customers as they start looking for alternative retailers who provide the same services. Also, the store associates cannot process orders, and customers wait in line at the counter to complete the purchase. The customers want a quick checkout process, and this delay is not acceptable to them.
Since the store associates don’t have access to real-time inventory and customer information such as past orders and preferences, they cannot provide suggestions on complementary products and recommendations on other items. There are no proper tools for store managers to analyze sales and view information such as order status, fulfillment rate, and activity-tracking, which cause delayed orders and overall store inefficiency.
The Solution
IBM Sterling Store Engagement is a complementary capability of IBM Sterling Order Management software which helps businesses solve the complex in-store sales challenges, providing a seamless and satisfactory in-store purchase experience for customers.
It offers a combination of order management, inventory visibility, analytics, mobile capabilities, standardizing inventory, and task management processes.
Key Features of IBM Sterling Store Engagement
- Responsive Web Interface: IBM Sterling Store Engagement provides dynamic web design for portals that loads seamlessly on devices such as tablets, desktops, and mobile phones. This feature allows all store employees to easily access the portal and provide vital information to customers from anywhere.
- Multiple Fulfillment Options: It offers multiple fulfillment options such as in-store shopping, pick-up, and home delivery, enabling stores to scale their businesses and reach more potential customers.
- Simplified Return Process: Returns are a vital part of contemporary eCommerce. An easy return process helps businesses grow and strengthens brand value. IBM Sterling Store Engagement has a simplified in-store return process that allows customers to physically return the product at the store and get a refund instantly.
- Contactless Payments: Contactless payment has seen a tremendous rise during the pandemic and become a significant part of eCommerce. The contactless payment capabilities in IBM Sterling Store Engagement ensure swift and efficient checkout processes.
Benefits of IBM Sterling Store Engagement
- Growth in Revenue: The store associates can access updated product and customer information, allowing them to provide personalized recommendations resulting in up-sell, cross-sell, and satisfactory in-store experience for customers.
- Improved Efficiency: Standardized processes such as optimized delivery or pick-up, swift transaction, and checkout processes enhance store efficiency. This solution also provides valuable information such as location data, supply and demand of specific items to increase sales.
- Improves Customer Experience: The responsive web interface for tools can be easily accessed from any device such as desktop, tablet, and mobiles. This enables store associates to provide real-time information about product availability, pricing, and recommendations ensuring an efficient in-store purchase experience.
- Swift Checkout Process: IBM Sterling Store Engagement offers a streamlined and swift checkout process enabling store associates to complete transactions and close orders, thereby reducing customer queues at the counters and increasing customer satisfaction.
Royal Cyber’s IBM Sterling OMS Solutions
The IBM Sterling Store Engagement solution benefits for all aspects of business including store associates, store managers, and customers. It empowers sales associates to be well-prepared and deliver phenomenal customer experiences. In addition, businesses can harness the solution's capabilities to improve efficiency through omnichannel offerings.
Royal Cyber is an IBM Business Partner with a team of certified professionals well-versed in IBM Sterling OMS implementations. Get in touch with us to know how we can assist you in empowering your business to deliver enhanced customer services.
