Driving Unified Commerce — with Drones
The quest to be a leader in unified commerce remains on top of retailers’ to-do lists. And those companies that tap the power of drones could be positioning themselves to become leaders in the game.
A process that breaks down operational silos, unified commerce requires retailers to transform their organization, business processes and technology to align with customer demands. The result: the ability to drive a top-notch, frictionless, non-frustrating and valuable customer experience.
To make this transition, brands need solutions that will help deliver personal experiences throughout the customer’s path-to-purchase, from product discovery and inventory management, all the way to delivery and post-purchase.
Drones are one disruptor designed to blaze this path. It’s true the technology is still in its infancy, and it has its share of challenges. In fact, two of the biggest ongoing debates include imperfect standards around integrating drones into airspace, as well as the lack of privacy guidelines — especially in regard to how a unit’s cameras are used.
While consortiums of businesses, government agencies and privacy groups continue to hash out standard protocols, innovative technology providers and retailers are tired of waiting. As a result, they are testing concepts to understand the value these devices can deliver in the quest for unified commerce. Potential opportunities include:
Inventory management
For unified commerce to succeed, shoppers and associates alike must have access to the status of available inventory, and even see where it resides within the enterprise. A new drone application from Microsoft’s partner Lakeba promises to streamline this task.
A store- or warehouse-level device can be programmed to scan product on shelves, while taking digital notes of real-time stock levels, even shelf or display locations. Details can be fed into a cloud-based data warehouse, and aligned reporting tools reveal real-time merchandise levels — insight that enables retailers to manage or tweak inventory on the fly (no pun intended).
Product exploration
It’s common for consumers visiting an e-commerce site to expect more product information than is available through a static image. Enter the value of drones. One evolving concept could enable online shoppers to connect with in-store associates at their preferred locations via live chat — and they will have access to in-store drones. Remotely controlling the drone’s camera functionality, the store associate can present “first-person views” of merchandise, and its attributes — factors that can help online shoppers make a more educated purchase decision.
Delivery
One of the biggest challenges for retailers to solve in the unified commerce puzzle is how to provide same-day (or sooner) deliveries — and which solutions will put merchandise into customers’ hands the fastest. This is fertile ground for drones. Unsurprisingly, Amazon was among the first to launch drone deliveries with its PrimeAir pilot in England right before the 2016 holiday season. However, other competitors, such as 7-Eleven, are trying their hand at the service as well.
While there will be more projects, retailers that combine a formula of speed and accuracy, while upholding privacy and merchandise integrity, will be the winners in the drone race and overall unified commerce game.
Deena Amato-McCoy
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