Retailers are shaping in-store and online experiences through technological innovation. But just how are they getting the information they need to create such experiences? More than ever following the pandemic, seamless user experience impacts both offline and online sales. Edge computing is an integral component when driving new services online.
Edge computing is a process that consists of capturing, storing, processing and analyzing data where the data is generated. That is to say, closer to the consumer instead of a centralized data-processing warehouse. Around 73% of retail business leaders see edge computing as a strategic investment and 47% of them are planning to invest in a linked solution in less than one year, according to a survey made by IDC Research.
When it comes to retail initiatives, it is clear that data access has a huge impact. Edge computing is a real solution that not only improves data access performance and speed, but also its security. Edge computing can lead to improvement in all areas of a company’s activities: personalized user experience, customer engagement, order shipment, process automation…
Let’s talk about the 3 steps to achieving great customer experience through tech innovation:
1. Build a different digital experience
83% of retailers surveyed expect to have access to data frequently or in real-time and two-thirds think that data access is essential to conduct UX. As for the clients, they expect customized and fast digital interactions, whether they are in a store, using their phone or a computer to check out e-commerce websites.
Edge computing makes it possible to attain the above-mentioned client expectations by allowing the data to stay close to where the digital interactions have occurred, permitting the improvement of operational speed. You can also connect sensors and track items added to your shopper’s cart thanks to this real-time data access. Edge has automatic reflexes that recognizes your potential customers and sends them promotional offers based on their shopping history and preferences.
2. Improve your operational efficiency
Edge computing is not just a way of bringing innovation to the customer. Supply chain applications that take care of delivery, inventory, pricing, management or scanning can be galvanized with IoT technologies, now adapting to the constantly changing consumer experience.
3. Secure your data
Personal and financial identification information is collected by retailers during customer transactions, and that is why security needs to be the number one priority whilst deploying edge computing solutions. Moving the data processor closer to the source of the data is a way of minimizing the risk from potential attacks. More security solutions can be now added to technology to reinforce the platform.
Edge computing is definitely a strong digital factor that can power tomorrow’s business models. Even before the pandemic, retail clients were asking for personalized and digital-first shopping experiences. Front-Commerce provides a solution that allows both clients and retailers to reach their potential and goals. By moving to a headless or composable commerce model, your teams will remain agile, allowing you to innovate easily and quickly.
To learn more about taking your commerce model into the future, contact us today.