Tech insights

In app purchases - video games started this. Gamers could buy super powers or add-ons for their avatars without leaving the game. When games moved from consoles to Facebook, they retained this flavour. Though retailers failed to capitalize on this. Most retailers think of Facebook value as a "Like" button on their website or a "Page" in Facebook. Unless one has read Facebook developer documentation (https://developers.facebook.com/docs/payments/overview), little does one realise that Facebook provides the user management and payment APIs to enable a retailer to sell their products within Facebook app just like those games' in-app purchases. Some service providers like StoreYa.com or storefrontsocial.com are already enabling small retailers to sell online using Facebook. So the question is - will Facebook compete as an eCommerce Platform in near future?

While reaching out to customer care these days, it's common to go through a series of questions on IVR before one gets to talk to a person. Even then, if it's your follow-up call on an issue, you have to start with several digits of a request number. How about using some technology to ease customer's pain? The IVR software should begin with checking if there is any past record of interaction from the particular telephone number. If not, present the user with normal set of options. If yes, it should directly connect the user to support staff simultaneously pulling up the concerned record on the display for support staff to refer to. What more, in eCommerce scenario most customers call up to find out their order details. Retailers can use this technology to give out order status before asking them if they want to talk to customer care.

For a retailer, order and inventory management used to be a simple exercise. Keep track of what sells in which store and replenish based on those statistics. Not any more. While multiple channels have ensured larger customer base and greater turnover, it has made managing orders all the more complex. However, with challenges comes opportunities. As a retailer, this increased scale allows one to differentiate oneself in the market and become more cost effective. An efficient order management system allows a retailer to achieve the following: - Minimize transport cost - Minimize inventory cost Below is a list of basic features under the above listed categories that an OMS should support. Minimize transport cost Pick up nearest DC based on shipping address Avoid splitting of an order by sourcing it from a DC which has all the line items Distribute fulfillment across DCs considering their capacity to ensure efficient utilization Club multiple orders in single shipment whereve...