How does cloud computing help retail companies cope with challenges?

In recent years, retailing has faced a major shift, perhaps more than ever before. As a result, companies must readjust to a new business environment in order to survive and thrive in a new multi-channel world:

Keep an eye on the customer and feedback it to the marketing and Sales Decision Center;

Integrate data and processes within the enterprise to eliminate existing business barriers;

Re-evaluate the high cost and operational weaknesses of its own technology platform;

Build operational capabilities to deliver services in a multi-channel environment.

According to Accenture, Cloud computing can help http://www.aliyun.com/zixun/aggregation/24095.html "> Retail companies achieve these changes because cloud computing combines low capital investment, standardized applications and platforms, Features such as rapid deployment and less operating costs. Many organizations need to make several it changes, and the cloud will be part of each solution:

1. Platform integration, rationalization and virtualization

Many retailers are working to scale up and transform aging old applications and network platforms to capture the benefits of private virtualization and cloud, while reducing the cost of infrastructure from the data center to the desktop. In short, if retailers want to keep their systems constantly innovating, they can't ignore cloud computing.

2. Data-centric

At present, many applications run only in a single scope (such as products, departments), its "hard-coded" business functions

Usually outdated and narrowly focused. Building or upgrading enterprise data centers, or building new data center applications across the enterprise, means doing a lot of work, and cloud solutions can reduce costs and accelerate implementation.

3. Ubiquitous Customer contact points

Customers choose to become "trans-channel" consumers through multiple channels of contact with retailers, and they are based on convenience, location, ease of use, technical availability, and many other factors. Only a few years ago, when many core retail systems, processes and services had developed, customers did not take these factors into account. These new customer interaction models are changing rapidly, driving retailers to embrace more innovative and cost-effective solutions.

To support and implement this change, many of the emerging solutions in this area employ cloud-based technology to implement infrastructure and functionality beyond the retailer's data center.

Whether it's a social media platform, an E-commerce engine, search optimization services, or a mobile computing solution, these capabilities exist in the cloud and enable retailers and customers to interact in a unique and innovative way, and do not need to invest in new channels, as they usually do.

4. Global expansion

As more and more companies opt for cross-border operations, they also face daunting tasks to upgrade their technology infrastructure to support new global operations. The cloud can dramatically reduce the cost and speed up delivery. Simply put, if a retailer wants to expand its international business, the cloud can help it achieve its goals.

5. Universal Analysis

With the increasing reliance of retailers on retail technology, the importance of analytical tools is becoming more and more apparent. This focus will generate a sustained demand for dynamic analysis and computing power. Retailers need to acquire a huge amount of computing power to achieve the cyclical demand for analytical processing capabilities and coping with seasonal consumption peaks. In addition, as the new analytical business process translates into a cloud service, retailers will not only improve their computing power, but also benefit more from the need for business capabilities.

6. Procurement

The cloud can help retailers achieve dynamic it sourcing capabilities based on multiple vendors and increase and decrease it capabilities based on price and service levels.

7. Automation

Many retail companies still have a large number of personal information stored manually and electronically in spreadsheets and other forms. The new regulatory and risk management process will drive this change (e.g. Sarbanes-Oxley). Cloud solutions help transfer data from tables to more manageable standardized applications.

8. Enterprise Risk Management

Almost all retail companies still need to increase their risk-resistant ability of their enterprises significantly, especially in the data management technology, the information gathered truthfully, the processing of complex events and enterprise inventory analysis. Accenture believes that cloud-based solutions are suitable for many of these services.

(Responsible editor: Schpeppen)