SAP America

About a year ago, I wrote a TechBytes column about a concept app called “Snap", which SAP had developed to provide consumers with interactive instructions for assembling products at home. After some fine-tuning, SAP is now officially launching a DIY home assembly app called “Bilt” for Android and iOS tablet devices.   

Walldorf, Germany -- Nearly one-third of consumers say "shared values" as a reason they are loyal to a brand. According to an SAP survey of 3,000 American consumers age 18 and older, while email was cited as the most popular way to communicate with companies, almost half of customers (48%) said they had problems with delayed or no responses to email More than half of those surveyed (54%) would like, or may like, an offer of help before they have to ask for it.

Milpitas, Calif. –- SGI, a provider of data analytics solutions and an SAP global technology partner, has introduced SGI UV for SAP HANA.  It is a purpose-built, in-memory computing appliance for growing environments running the SAP HANA platform.   

Oklahoma City, Okla. –- With plans to open 28 stores by the end of 2014, 30 or more new stores during 2015 and 50-plus stores every year thereafter, the 300-plus-unit convenience and fuel chain Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores needs a robust platform. As Love’s executives explained during a session at the recent SAP Retail Forum in New York, the retailer is turning to SAP to provide that platform.  

New York –- Brooks Brothers is currently one-third of the way through an IT transformation based on SAP technology. In a presentation and also in an exclusive one-on-one interview with Chain Store Age at the recent SAP Retail Forum in New York, Sahal S. Laher, executive VP/global CIO of Brooks Brothers, explained how the retailer is becoming a more customer-focused organization.  

New York -- Last week, SAP hosted its annual Retail Forum in the palatial confines of the Waldorf Astoria in Manhattan. Within the elegant surroundings a lot of very practical and down-to-earth information about the latest retail IT trends was dispersed. Here are three tech trends retailers should pay extra close attention to.   Predictive Analytics  

With a name like Loop Integration it was only logical that Amaze and contiigo would choose Chicago as the location for their new joint venture focused on users of SAP’s hybris e-commerce solution.

Walldorf, Germany – Retailers should consider waiting until August to launch back-to-school promotions and focus them heavily on online shoppers. According to new data from SAP, consumer sentiment toward back-to-school advertising doesn’t become positive till the end of July.

Brampton, Ontario -- Loblaw Cos. on Thursday announced a series of management changes, including the appointment of Galen Weston, executive chairman, as president, effective immediately. He succeeds Vicente Trius, president since August 2011, who is leaving the company, effective immediately,  for family reasons to return to Brazil.

Loblaw’s board of directors has named executive chairman Galen G. Weston as president, effective immediately. Thomas O'Neill, lead independent director, confirmed the appointment as part of a series of management changes at the company.

As executive chairman, Weston is responsible for setting the strategic direction of the company and leading the board. In assuming the role of president, Weston will also be responsible for the execution of the company's strategy, leadership of the management team and its overall business performance.