IT-investeringen in detailhandel nemen ondanks malaise voorzichtig toe

Voor 60% van de ondervraagde CIO's is meer productiviteit van werknemers en klanttevredenheid de belangrijkste drijfveren om meer in IT te investeren.
Dit blijkt uit het 'Retail CIO onderzoek 2003' van IBM onder bestuurders van internationale retail organisaties over hun IT-uitgaven. IBM Business Consulting heeft dit onderzoek uitgevoerd in samenwerking met het tijdschrift Executive Technology Magazine.

Voor wat betreft nieuwe technologieën, zoals Radio Frequency Identification en draadloze verkooppunten, zijn retail organisaties nog voornamelijk aan het 'window shoppen'. De verwachting bij een groot aantal retailers is dat de kosten hiervan nog verder zullen dalen en de mogelijkheden van de technologie zullen toenemen. Nieuwe systemen en applicaties worden wel al getest, maar nog niet aangeschaft.

Belangrijkste knelpunten van IT-systemen in de wereldwijde detailhandel
zijn:

• Inefficiënt werkende logistieke - en merchandise-management vormen voor 48% van de organisaties het grootste struikelblok om kosten te beperken;
• Slechte beschikbaarheid en bruikbaarheid van analytische data is voor 72% van de ondervraagden een probleem;
• Beperkte integratie van systemen is voor 60% van de ondervraagde retailers een probleem;
• Verouderde point-of-sale (POS) systemen zijn voor 58% van de detailhandelsorganisaties een probleem;

IBM ziet dat zeker ook in Nederland retailers hebben te maken met een snel veranderende omgeving. Consumentenvoorkeuren veranderen, de concurrentie wordt steeds intensiever en technologische innovaties volgen elkaar in een steeds hoger tempo op. Daarnaast stijgt, mede door het moeizame economische klimaat, de financiële druk op retailers en is de absolute noodzaak aanwezig om veranderingstrajecten op korte termijn financieel succesvol te realiseren.

Om goed in te kunnen spelen op de snel veranderende consumentenmarkt streven retailers ernaar om hun organisatie steeds flexibeler in te richten. Voorraadbeheer en merchandise managament zijn hierbij belangrijke aandachtspunten. Van de deelnemende retailers ervaart 84% voorraadbeheer als de grootste mogelijkheid om kosten te reduceren door het toepassen van ICT. Daarnaast investeren retailers in merchandise management strategieën die hun winstgevendheid verhogen.Verder overweegt 40% van de onderzochte retailers 20% van hun ICT uit te besteden in de komende 3-5 jaar.

De uitkomsten van dit onderzoek onderstrepen het belang dat retailers zien in IT-investeringen en het ontwikkelen van nieuwe diensten in een moeilijke retailmarkt. Wel gaat het meestal om nieuwe projecten die pas over minimal één en maximaal vijf jaar in de winkels te vinden zullen zijn.

Het gehele, Engelstalige, onderzoeksrapport kunt u hier downloaden.

Als blijlage treft u het, originele, Engelstalige persbericht aan. Voor meer informatie kunt u contact opnemen met:

Tineke Mertens
PR Manager
IBM Business Consulting Services
Off: +31 36 545 4594
Mob: +31 6 200 150 92
tineke.mertens@nl.ibm.com

RETAIL CIOs BOOST EMPLOYEE PRODUCTIVITY AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

September 4th, 2003 - Retailers driven by intense competition, a slow economy and discerning customers are increasingly seeking to exploit advanced technologies to improve both customer satisfaction and employee productivity. 60% of retailers have cited these aspects as the main drivers of IT spending, according to a new survey released by IBM today. According to survey participants, on average retail industry IT spending increased to 2.1 percent of total sales?an early sign that IT investments are taking greater priority in retail organizations.

IBM Business Consulting Services today released the 2003 Retail CIO Outlook, a report based on its survey of leading retail IT executives in Europe, North America, and Asia/Pacific.  Conducted in association with Executive Technology magazine, this year's report provides helpful benchmarking guidance for progressive retailers around the globe.

The report's co-authors, Troy Pike and Gina Paglucia Morrison of the IBM Institute for Business Value, observe that the retail industry continues to face formidable challenges, causing companies to be generally cautious about spending in the current year.  For example, more than one-third of retailers state that both their operating and capital IT expenses would remain flat in the current year.

Nonetheless, the few several years will be more promising as the majority of retailers attempt to tackle a host of recurring business problems through the careful and creative deployment of IT solutions:

• Turning data into useful information for executives -- 72 percent of surveyed retailers state that their number-one corporate priority is to improve executive reporting and analysis of customer and product data.
• Lack of systems integration - Between 59 to 61 percent of retailers acknowledge problems stemming from "disconnects" between and among business process and systems.
• Outdated point-of-sale (POS) systems -- 58 percent of retailers expressed concern about aging POS technology.
• Inefficient inventory and merchandise management techniques -- 48 percent of retailers believe that merchandising and/or inventory controls provide the greatest opportunity to reduce costs.

"Retailers understand that wisely deployed technology solutions can have a transformational impact on their businesses -but they plan to take thoughtful, measured steps in effecting such change within their organisations," says Mr. Pike, retail industry leader at the IBM Institute for Business Value. "For example, while major developments such as radio frequency identification (RFID) are recognised as a promising way to streamline supply chains, many retailers are still 'window shopping' to determine exactly how and when RFID should be implemented for optimal business benefit."

Indeed, 35 percent to 55 percent of retailers surveyed have no plans to deploy RFID capabilities this year, and very few have deployed such capabilities widely.  But that will likely change within the next 3-5 years, according to IBM.

The 2003 Retail CIO Outlook also indicates a keen interest in outsourcing strategies that can help reduce costs and increase responsiveness to ever-changing market demands.  Just under 40 percent of retailers who outsource today, or plan to outsource in the next one-to-two years, indicate that outsourcing of store infrastructure IT systems is of primary interest.  Within the next 3-5 years, 55 percent of retailers indicate a desire to outsource their network management functions.  For more than one-third of such respondents, reduction of operating costs is the primary business driver for the growing interest in outsourcing.  Survey results suggest that the percent of retailers' IT budget spent on outsourcing will grow from 13 percent to 19 percent in the next 3-5 years, a nearly 50 percent increase over last year.

IBM concludes that, despite a dismal economic climate and geopolitical uncertainties, retailers continue to hold steady their IT spending and are actively deploying precious resources to not only drive business and shareholder value, but to enhance the overall customer experience.

More information is available at http://www.ibm.com/bcs/retail .

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