In its quest for the e-commerce client, Microsoft has launched an application called ‘Dynamics 365 Commerce’, which is said to be “a comprehensive omni-channel solution for retail and e-tail companies that unifies back office, in-store, call center and digital experiences.”
On its blog, Microsoft said Dynamics 365 Commerce was a fully-connected solution that will evolve Dynamics 365 for retail, and transformed the entire customer experience — from the digital experiences that make shopping fun and rewarding to productivity and collaboration solutions that helped retail employees provide outstanding customer service.
What this new app will also help with is provide an intelligent feed-back system, giving deep insights to empower advanced decision-making and personalisation, delivering the fully connected commerce solution retailers need to build brand loyalty, optimise operations and supply chain efficiencies and deliver better business outcomes.
Alsya Taylor, Corporate Vice President, Business Applications and Global Industry, Microsoft, author of the post announcing the launch, said it was an “exciting time” to be involved in the retail industry.
“Shopping is no longer an isolated activity or a special destination, it’s something customers can do from anywhere, anytime”, she added.
Along with the existing applications, the new applications and capabilities will go on to provide a 360-degree view of your business; one that goes beyond data capture and backward-looking insights, to unification of all data, providing forward-looking intelligence All of this will be powered by Azure AI.
One new solution also part of the announcement was the Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management that can connect:
- the Internet of Things (IoT) signals from “mission-critical assets” with business transaction data
- enable manufacturers and distributors to proactively manage production and stock in real-time
- leverage predictive analytics to predict maintenance needs for business-critical equipment before downtime occurs
- boost equipment performance and increase throughput, minimize waste and improve business performance
Dynamics 365 Connected Store
Microsoft said the Dynamics 365 Connected Store provided insights into the retail space, helping physical retailers understand and improve the in-store experience by analyzing disparate data from video cameras and IoT sensors to providing real-time and predictive insights that help store managers and employees make better decisions.
Dynamics 365 Connected Store used observational data generated as customers move through the store, as well as the status of store equipment and product, to create employee alerts and actionable insights that can improve store efficiency.
For example, Connected Store can improve the checkout experience by triaging extra cashiers via instant notifications, based on sensor or camera data. Fluctuations in the condition of store equipment such as freezers and refrigerators can put product quality at risk. Connected Store, supported by Azure IoT Central, utilizes IoT sensors to monitor temperature and humidity, which can quickly highlight any anomalies to protect inventory.
Connected Store also tracks long-term trends in the retail space, illuminating patterns and opportunities across day-to-day, season-to-season activities and occurrences. Teams across the organisation can stay updated with automated emails and a Web app to review and report data.