Zebra Survey: The Future of Retail Depends on Seamless Experiences

Zebra Technologies Corporation, (NASDAQ: ZBRA), an innovator at the front line of business with solutions and partners that deliver a performance edge, today revealed the results of its 12th Annual APAC Shopper Study, which analyzed retailers’ technology plans for solving chronic shopping issues. Results show that retailers are looking to harness technologies like intelligent automation, cloud computing and mobility to drive economic growth. To strengthen retailers position in these unprecedented times, the launch of the 12th Annual APAC Shopper Study is aligned with the unveiling of array of products by Zebra Technologies.

As businesses reopen and rebuild from the COVID-19 pandemic, the resiliency of retailers and supply chains are being tested more now than ever before. One monumental shift relates to the concept of “Economy at Home,” which addresses the way consumers have completely changed their shopping habits. The frequency and volume of online spending on food has increased across the region, with consumers expressing a preference for self-checkout rather than assistance from cashiers for safe distancing.

To meet rising customer expectations, retailers need to rethink the safety of the customer journey, whether it is in store or via delivery. Click-and-collect, or buy online, pick-up in store (BOPIS), are becoming preferred methods of shopping, with 55% of consumers requesting more retailers to offer mobile ordering options. This is forcing businesses to rethink their fulfillment strategies given that only 36% of respondents agreed that their stores are equipped to fulfill web orders.  The study expects this trend to continue, while retailers implement additional solutions that minimize in-store contact and improve customer convenience at the same time.

“COVID-19 has significantly altered the retail sector, forcing both essential and non-essential retailers to assess their omnichannel fulfillment capabilities and quickly adapt their operating models in a matter of days – some implementing changes within hours,”  said Deep Agarwal, Regional Sales Director of India, Zebra Technologies. “We’re seeing how retailers are transforming ‘dark stores’ to serve as temporary distribution facilities inside their establishments. Retailers should prioritize the expansion of click-and-collect service offerings and invest in technologies that increase shopping capacity and speed. This reduces in-store traffic and aids in social distancing efforts, while providing retailers with inventory visibility across every corner of the shop floor.”

Putting a mobile device into the hands of a retail associate simplifies tasks like inventory management, yet an estimated 64% of retail associates are not equipped to maximize the benefits of technology. In response, retailers are moving away from dated green-screen technology to enterprise-class devices with intuitive, user-friendly interfaces with smartphone-like operating systems.

The pandemic has proven this true as click-and-collect orders have surged, creating the need for store associates to enable contactless transactions via curbside pickup with handheld mobile computers and tablets. When paired with a mobile printer, the likes of the TC52 touch computer and TC21 touch computer form Mobile Point of Sale (mPOS) solutions that can drive contactless fulfilment by alerting associates of new online orders, enabling them to pack merchandise, label products and print receipts prior to the customer’s arrival .

The adoption of mPOS solutions is expected to hit 98% by 2026, up from 76% today. The same trend is also observed for handheld mobile computers with scanners as retail associate device usage is expected to reach 96% by 2026, up from the current 75%.

Zebra Technologies has also launched Self-checkout solutions like the DS9900 Series Corded Hybrid Imager, DS9300 Barcode Scanner and the upgraded MP7000 Grocery Scanner Scale that are helping retailers to reshape the front-of-store experience. Growing up with technology and automation, 89% of surveyed shoppers agree that self-checkout improves their shopping experience. Additionally, self-checkout has become even more relevant during this pandemic as both shoppers and retailers strive to minimize in-store contact to ensure safety.

Returns are another pain point for shoppers and poses a significant challenge for retailers. Up to 51% of retail executives report that they have started or are planning to start upgrading their returns management technologies in the next five years. Meanwhile, 83% of retailers currently have or plan to implement automated inventory verification systems within the year to advance real-time inventory accuracy.

ASIA-PACIFIC HIGHLIGHTS

88% of retailers agree maintaining real-time inventory visibility is a significant challenge, and 85% say their companies need better inventory management tools to ensure accuracy.

Retailers also cite robot assistance (83%), smart check-out and real-time store IoT platforms (89%) as extremely important to their operations over the next five years.

81% of retailers plan to provide mobile ordering as a fulfilment option by 2021.

70% of retailers are integrating social media within their ecosystem for digital native shoppers to provide feedback.

SURVEY BACKGROUND AND METHODOLOGY

Zebra’s 12th Annual Shopper Study surveyed over 6,300 global respondents, including over 1,200 APAC region respondents (retail executives, store associates and shoppers) to gauge the attitudes, opinions and expectations that are reshaping brick and mortar and online retail. The results, summarized in a two-part series, are essential reading for industry leaders seeking actionable insights to serve today’s tech-savvy shoppers.

Six Must-Have Products for a Smooth WFH This Monsoon Season

This year’s monsoon season comes with an added concern as the COVID-19 pandemic is also gaining pace at an alarming rate! As some cities have once again begun announcing lockdowns for their citizens, it seems remote working is here to stay for quite a while. However, with the monsoon almost at its peak, there can be certain challenges to implementing a smooth work from home as electricity outages and weak internet connectivity become more frequent. For this reason and to help you tide over these challenges seamlessly, we have handpicked some top products you should have as a backup while working from home

1.       Syska P0511J Power Bank

In India, power outages are frequent during heavy rains. And considering we are completely reliant on electronic appliances this power bank is a must-have. Fuel your smartphones, tabs, mini speakers, MP3 Players, and other digital devices using the Syska P0511J Power Bank that comes with a steady capacity of 5000mAh and high energy density polymer cell. This gadget qualifies its “Overcharge and Discharge Protection” function in case the power is not switched off after completion of charge. Syska power bank is multifunctional, pocket-fit, sleek product and is available at leading retail outlets for Rs. 1,199/-. You can also get it at a discounted price on Amazon. The power bank comes in red, blue, and silver colours.

2.       Wipro Emerald Rechargeable Emergency Light

Good illumination is necessary while you are working at home. In the case of a power blackout, an Emergency Light comes handy. Wipro Emerald Rechargeable Emergency Light is a powerful 5 watt LED & high-quality rechargeable lithium battery operated emergency light that comes with in-built 2 levels of brightness and 50,000 hours of life. It is provided with a powerful 5 watts LED which gives you more radiant light. Wipro Emerald Rechargeable Emergency Light is available at leading retail outlets for Rs. 1290/- and you can get it at a discounted price on Amazon.

3.       Goldmedal i-Dock Player

We all would agree that music and pleasant weather go hand in hand. Sitting by the window, watching it drizzle, feeling the monsoon winds while sipping your hot cup of chai provides for the perfect indoor vibe. Goldmedal’s i-Dock player serves as a perfect partner for you to kick-start your weekend, listening to some of your favorite music while it pours outside. This sleek music player can be installed directly into a flush box with Goldemdal’s Curve modular cover plates, allowing you to play your favourite tracks stored on your Apple devices as well as other MP3 players. Equipped with an in-built stereo amplifier, the player enables direct speaker connection and also comes with a charging function for iPod and iPhone. An additional line output enables you to connect your music to any Hi-Fi or multi-room system to make you groove to your favourite songs. Goldmedal’s i-Dock Player is priced at Rs. 10,900/- and can be purchased from retail stores as well as leading ecommerce platforms.

4.       INALSA Steam Iron Geyser Titanium

Monsoons make clothes damp, wrinkly, and odourful. INALSA Steam Iron Geyser Titanium is compact and will assist you to steam-iron your fabrics hassle-free. With 2000W of power, Geyser Titanium iron eliminates stubborn wrinkles efficiently and effortlessly slides across various fabrics. Rapid Even-Heat technology delivers more high-grade execution and flawless. As they say first impressions are the last impressions, this product will help you to look your best for that all important Zoom meeting with your client. INALSA Steam Iron Geyser Titanium is available at leading retail outlets for Rs. 3,195/- and you can get it at a discounted price on Amazon.

5.       Syska- Mosguard Anti-Mosquito 15W LED Bulb

Monsoon is the breeding season for mosquitoes and the uncertainty of mosquito-transmitted infections, such as malaria and dengue fever is high. The Syska Mosguard 2 in 1 mosquito killer bulb is a safe chemical-free easy to clean product which will protect your home by keeping it insect free and provide energy-efficient adaptable lighting. It is available at leading retail outlets for Rs. 699/-.

6.       Easy Steel Floor Cloth Dryer Stand 18

Attempting to dry your clothes during monsoon is a challenging task. Garments are usually either soaking wet or damp. With Easy Steel Floor Cloth Dryer Stand 18 you can prevent this problem. Produced for better ventilation by extending the distance of each fabric, all length-types of clothes can be dried using it. The product includes three shelves and folds in half for space-saving. Easy Steel Floor Cloth Dryer Stand 18 is available at leading retail outlets for Rs. 3,999/- and you can get it at a discounted price on Flipkart.

7.       Goldmedal I-Strip 205101 LED Spike Guard

While working from home, you will need a product that can take care of your device charging requirements while increasing your comfort and convenience. Equipped with 6 international sockets with surge protection, overload protection and a power cord of 2 metres length, Goldmedal’s I-Strip 205101 LED Spike Guard can charge multiple devices such as your laptop, smartphone and power bank, at one go. The device can even be wall mounted making it easy to plug-in and plug-out at ease.  Goldmedal’s I-Strip 205101 LED Spike Guard is priced at Rs. 799/- only and is available in all electrical retail stores and also on Amazon for a discounted price.

Acuver Expands SAP C/4HANA Capabilities with Veteran Leadership Hires in Indian Market

Acuver Consulting, an emerging leader in supply chain & customer experience IT solutions, has announced appointment of new senior leadership for its SAP solutions – Tirupati Rao as SAP Practice Head and Amit Valsangkar as SAP Sales Head. 

To advance on delivering unified Customer eXperience through SAP C/4HANA, Acuver Consulting has onboarded exemplary SAP experts: Tirupati Rao as SAP Practise Head and Amit Valsangkar as SAP Sales Head. Tirupati Rao has devoted most of his career to the CX portfolio, setting up business from scratch as Regional Sales Director at Callidus Cloud and Sales Director CX post the takeover by SAP. Amit Valsangkar has been leading Sales & Service for pioneer CRM & ERP solutions like Microsoft, SAP, Oracle and Salesforce throughout his professional life. In his previous role, he was the Head of Sales and Business Development at Knack Systems. With the very best talent and experience the domain has to offer on-boarded, Acuver is building traction to redefine excellence in the CX sphere.

“We are delighted to have such cardinal, unmatched SAP CX veterans to lead our SAP delivery through these challenging times. They will be instrumental in enabling sustained success for Acuver’s clients by engineering unique customer journeys that address heightened consumer expectations.”, said Rajiv Upadhyay, Managing Partner, Acuver.

Customer expectations are seeing a drastic shift in the wake of COVID-19, and organizations that respond to changing demands will find an edge over competition. SAP C 4/HANA offers the right toolkit to address current market complexities and Acuver’s appointment of seasoned experts comes at an opportune moment. In the new role, Tirupati will be the chief custodian of Acuver’s SAP practise, identifying and nurturing new growth avenues be it in novel geographies, domains or new product launches stemming from the SAP suite. Amit will be the principal sales evangelist, scouting and converting new opportunities for Acuver to build and deliver Acuver’s CX expertise.

“From the dot come bubble to AI powered internet-of-things, I have witnessed the landscape evolve in pursuit of value-adding experiences. Customer-Focus is deep within Acuver’s DNA and I am thrilled to be building the customer success engagement portfolio to establish Acuver as the go-to authority on CX focused digitization”, said Tirupati. 

“Forging connections and learning via empathy is my life-long passion which can continue to flourish at Acuver. I am keen to build up synergies within the organization and aggressively drive up sales, expanding our customer base across geographies”, Amit stated.

To know more about the scope of supply chain and retail tech solutions from Acuver, please visit www.acuverconsulting.com. 

Acuver Consulting helps companies optimize their supply-chain for enhanced efficiency, profitability and customer experience. Acuver combines the right tools, methodologies and expertise in IT, business and technology to deliver solutions customized to the client’s unique operational landscape. 

Tata Communications Launches ‘Secure Connected Digital Experience’ to Help Enterprises Rebuild

Tata Communications, a global digital ecosystem enabler, today announced the launch of ‘Secure Connected Digital Experience’ (SCDx), a new proposition for enterprises to help them rebuild and adapt their organisations for a post-COVID world.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced businesses around the world to adapt suddenly to survive the huge disruption to everyday life. With many countries now emerging cautiously from lockdown, businesses are looking to redesign and restructure their operations for a transformed landscape.

Tata Communications’ SCDx proposition is intended to meet this growing, worldwide demand for new ways of operating, which includes far higher levels of working from home, rising security risks, a shift to digital commerce and more contactless experiences for employees, customers and supply chain partners. It will help companies currently relying on short-term fixes, such as consumer-grade applications or employees’ home broadband connections, by providing holistic, secure, enterprise-level digital solutions that address current challenges and are fit for the long term.

The SCDx proposition consists of three offerings:

* Tata Communications Secure Connected Digital Workplace enables enterprise employees (those typically working from the office as well as those working in the field), to work seamlessly and securely from anywhere through industrialised, scalable and high performance remote workplace solutions for complete workplace readiness.

* Tata Communications Digital Customer Experience Platform recreates the in-store experience online for B2C companies, with the next generation of enterprise commerce and video collaboration solutions for superior digital customer engagement.

* As supply chains become increasingly digital and transparent, SCDx will enable the supply chain ecosystem with secure access to enterprise core applications and significantly improved performance for third parties.

A.S Lakshminarayanan, MD and CEO, Tata Communications says, “COVID-19 is acting as a catalyst and accelerator of business transformation. In recent months, millions of employees have experienced working from home, consumers have embraced digital shopping and delivery, and businesses have adapted to doing more, virtually. These changes have created a new reality and we are not going back to how things were done before.

As enterprises shift from focusing on business continuity to business recovery and growth, they urgently need to rethink their digital strategies and transform themselves to prosper in this digital-first ecosystem. With Secure Connected Digital Experience, our goal is to enable enterprises to adopt new digital working models, accelerate their time to market and drive agility and resilience, giving them the tools to innovate, invent, and redefine their employee, customer and supply chain experience.”

Within the Tata Communications Secure Connected Digital Workplace offering, Tata Communications will provide a range of services to enterprises looking to enhance and safeguard the employee experience. It will provide secure and high-performance, zero-trust network access (ZTNA) through a partnership with NetFoundry, a subsidiary of Tata Communications. The zero-trust solution provides employees secure access to applications and data in the cloud, regardless of location, device or broadband connectivity, with 3-10X performance acceleration. This is vital for companies who want to digitally transform and embrace higher levels of remote working but need confidence that employees can access documents and apps securely and with an enterprise-grade experience, even on their home broadband connection.

Tata Communications Secure Connected Digital Workplace solution will also offer enterprise-grade collaboration and security solutions, ensuring that dispersed teams can collaborate without compromise, with seamless features like video, voice, messaging, etc. as well as secure access to applications behind enterprise firewalls to boost innovation, productivity and efficiency.

Through its connected employee solution, it will provide IOT-based employee health and safety wearables and SafePassTM smart ID cards, which enable effective social distancing, employee tracing and other safety norms, while enhancing worker wellbeing and minimising workplace risks in an industrial or campus setup.

NetFoundry was a key enabler in the digital transformation of FWD Insurance, one of the leading and fastest growing insurers in the Asia Pacific, providing FWD with a cloud-native, zero trust, software-only platform for FWD's cloud access use cases. When COVID-19 hit, FWD used the same platform to extend the secure access service edge (SASE) architecture for simple, zero trust remote access, while providing a high-quality end user experience for internal users and supply chain partners.

Shilpa Tumma, Business Information Security Officer, FWD said, “NetFoundry’s cloud-native connectivity has been the perfect match to aid FWD on our digital transformation and cloud-native application journey. In the current pandemic situation, although our usage has multiplied, NetFoundry easily scaled to cater to our demands to facilitate work from home in a few simple clicks, for both internal users and external parties. The solution helps us create AppWANs with zero trust micro-segmentation. NetFoundry multiplies the throughput by 3 to 4 times, giving the best user experience even for very huge file transfers.”  

Tata Communications’ Secure Connected Digital Experience builds on the company’s focus towards platforms and solutions for customers. The proposition leverages Tata Communications’ managed service capabilities and infrastructure and aims to drive intelligence across next generation connectivity; collaboration; cloud, edge and security; NetFoundry; voice, and more.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Tata Communications has been supporting customers to deploy relevant solutions in record time; in many cases, delivering changes and upgrades in less than six hours. Tata Communications has enabled tens of thousands of employees globally for remote working across more than 150 organisations including Tata Consultancy Services, with many more under deployment.

Springboard Secures $31M in Series B Funding Led by Telstra Ventures

Springboard, a mentor-guided online learning platform that prepares people for in-demand careers, announced today it has raised $31 million in Series B funding, bringing its total capital raised to more than $50 million. This round was led by new investor Telstra Ventures, with participation from Vulcan Capital and SJF Ventures, and returning investors Costanoa Ventures, Pearson Ventures, Reach Capital, International Finance Corporation (IFC), 500 Startups, Blue Fog Capital, and Learn Capital. 

Springboard launched India as its first geography outside the USA in 2019 and has placed its learners in Fortune 500 and world-renowned companies such as Samsung, Salesforce, Visa, LinkedIn, Cisco. The latest round of capital will enable Springboard to double down on student employability in response to the current job market in India and globally, by creating new hiring-focused products and strengthening employer partnerships to help graduates land their dream careers. 

Since inception, Springboard’s programs were designed to be entirely online, yet heavily supported by human interactions with mentors and a network of career experts. The new capital infusion will help Springboard further support job-seeking graduates by building several innovative tools for India and global markets:

The Hireability Forecaster, which provides early indications of student success and potential employability roadblocks by combining the power of Springboard’s predictive technology and the insights from its global community of almost 1,000 industry mentors. With 80% of Springboard mentors indicating they would hire their mentee, mentors and coaches will have the ability to indicate student achievement and intervene to course correct if students fall behind. 

Springboard Introductions, which offers Springboard students personalized, targeted introductions and job referrals from its community of over 13,000 mentors, alumni, fellow students, and employer partners that collectively represent over 50% of the Fortune 500 across 108 countries. Candidates who are internally referred are 15 times more likely to be hired than those who apply on a job board.

Student-Job Fit Recommender, an AI-driven job matching tool, which recommends open roles at Springboard’s employer partners that match each student's unique background and skill set. 

"India is witnessing one of its toughest challenges owing to the recent job losses that have impacted a large section of the workforce. It is therefore imperative for displaced workers to make the difficult transition into new, in-demand careers,” said Parul Gupta, Co-founder, Springboard. “Our remote-first, mentor-guided model is uniquely positioned to serve not only these individuals, but also universities and employers who need help navigating today's new economic reality. We're delighted to partner with a great group of investors, as we continue on our mission to transform over one million lives by 2030."

“Technology used to be a niche area but that’s no longer the case. As more and more companies are built on tech, the need to understand concepts like Data Science, AI, ML, UI/UX has become more homogenous. For learning to be meaningful, it needs to encompass state-of-the-art curriculum with real-world projects as well as mentorship and that is what Springboard stands for. With this funding we are in a good position to build on our strengths to provide in-demand job skills and holistic support at every step,” said Vivek Kumar, Managing Director, Springboard.

“The education sector is facing a tectonic shift. As enterprises and countries alike seek more and better talent with digital skill sets, the technology training market is set to explode,” said Albert Bielinko, Principal, at Telstra Ventures. "We invested in Springboard because the strong educational and job placement outcomes achieved by its students are a big differentiator. Springboard's highly personalised approach is built with the online learner in mind first, not as an afterthought, and offers a life-changing value proposition for Springboard's graduates.” 

Started by co-founders Gautam Tambay and Parul Gupta in 2013, Springboard pioneered a learning model that has enabled thousands of successful career transitions into the most in-demand technology fields via its job-guaranteed programs that are taught entirely online. Unlike most online learning companies that stop at teaching technical skills, Springboard focuses on employability -- 94% of eligible graduates secure a job within a year, earning an average salary increase of $26,000. Springboard’s unique strength is its remote-first yet human-centric approach that matches each student 1:1 with a personalized mentor—an industry professional working in their chosen field—who provides weekly feedback to keep students motivated and accountable. This approach has resulted in 330% student enrollment growth from June 2019 to June 2020. 

Furthering its commitment to student employability, Springboard is expanding its career services. It has tripled the number of virtual apprenticeship opportunities to build portfolio-worthy content and provide real-world work experience. The career services team has grown its career coaching capacity by 4x to provide more access to office hours, mock interviews, and a team of placement experts assigned to each student. To provide additional support during the job search, Springboard has extended its professional mentorship after program completion. 

In the coming months, Springboard plans to grow its industry-leading course offerings outside the high-tech industry to include additional skills gap disciplines. The company will also look to deepen its partnerships with universities and employers, enabling them to adapt to evolving reskilling needs in a post-pandemic economy.

YES BANK Launches KuchNayaSocho Campaign Across India

As India unlocks in phases from the current COVID-19 situation, YES BANK has launched a campaign, ‘KuchNayaSocho.’ Through this campaign, the Bank endeavours to instill hope amongst people and give a positive message to the society that we can adapt to the new normal through collaboration and innovative thinking. Since the lockdown was announced, the Bank launched a range of innovative solutions to help its customers adapt to the new normal.

All through our lives, be it at school, college or workplace, we have been encouraged to think innovatively and this approach has become an indispensable part of how we think. Building on this, the Bank has launched a campaign to partner communities and support them by building a bridge to a new future - KuchNayaSocho, a campaign embracing change and innovation to support customers and partners, alike. The campaign is being amplified across YouTube and Facebook.

Commenting on the launch, Jasneet Bachal, Chief Marketing Officer, YES BANK said,” While the last few months transformed our lives beyond imagination, bringing in a whole new world of isolation and social distancing, it has also reminded us that we are all interconnected like never before - a part of one another. The ‘#KuchNayaSocho’ campaign mirrors the way this transformation has impacted us, and how innovative thinking will pave the way for us to embrace the ‘new normal’. Through this campaign, we have also showcased how YES BANK is supporting all our stakeholders in adapting to the COVID-19 induced normal through digital solutions. The campaign urges ‘innovative thinking’ in order to adapt to the evolving changes, in readiness for the new.”

Keeping in mind the financial health, well-being, and daily travel requirements of commuters, the Bank recently launched solutions such as Fixed Deposit + COVID-19 Insurance Cover, an Overdraft against Fixed Deposit to meet financial and liquidity needs, a tap and go card for making contactless payments during bus travel, and a UPI payment solution for excess baggage during flight check-in for travelers of a renowned airline.

IDBI Bank Launches “IDBI Swarna Kalash” - Specialized Gold Loan Branches

IDBI Bank announced the launch of four specialized gold loan branches branded as “IDBI Swarna Kalash”, by remodeling its existing branches. These branches are located at Neelamangalam, Sivaganga, Vijaya Nagar, Bengaluru and L .B. Nagar, Hyderabad.

IDBI Bank in their Q1 FY21 Financial Results reported an increase in the growth trajectory with Gold Loans as one of the premium product with minimum delinquencies.

These specialized Gold Loan Branches will facilitate quick, transparent and hassle free Gold Loan financing. The Gold Loans are offered at a competitive interest rate, starting from 8% p.a., to cater to the increasing credit demand in the Agri, PSL, and rural markets. Overdraft facility is also available under these loans and can be applied via a digital platform.

Shri. Rakesh Sharma, MD & CEO, through a virtual mode, inaugurated these four branches in the presence of Deputy Managing Directors Shri Samuel Joseph and Shri Suresh Khatanhar, and Executive Director Shri Rajeev Kumar.

Speaking at the launch program, Shri Rakesh Sharma MD & CEO said that “We have witnessed a surge in the demand gold loan and have conceptualized “Swarna Kalash” as a premium offering of IDBI Bank. Our focus is on creation of such specialized branches to cater to the demand in the market and facilitate an easy access to our gold loan customers.”