Supply chains quickly became one of the hottest topics during the Covid years as global lockdowns, interruptions, and outbreaks played havoc with manufacturers’ ability to get goods into consumers’ hands.
The retail industry is where the most dramatic effects of supply chain interruptions have played out in the public eye – but a wealth of innovation and technology have gone into crafting creative solutions.
Neil Gouveia, Sales Director: Africa at Zebra, points out that many of the changes we have seen in retail were already in the works well before Covid struck, but their implementation wasn’t necessarily top of the agenda.
“For years omni-channel has been a vision for retails, giving the customer the option to buy in-store, online or via click-and-collect. Covid accelerate the need to implement different models as customers became a lot more aware of different engagement models – and a lot more demanding. They expect everything to be available now at the touch of a button.”
As e-commerce took the world by storm, retailers quickly realised they need more than a shopfront to make it successful. And, post-Covid, they are using the technology lessons they learnt to drive customers back into their stores – and ensure they have a happy experience.
“Essentially, everything in the supply chain, from the manufacturer to the front-of-store has changed radically over the last couple of years,” Gouveia says. “So retailers are having to look carefully at how they design their stores and what they offer. Hyper-localisation has become important, with stock catering to an area and its specific requirements.
“The customer experience is more important than ever: retailers need to satisfy the customer in the moment, delivering services right at the edge. And the people working in the store need the tools to enable then to react very quickly to customer needs.”
The global trend is towards frictionless shopping, with technologies like self-checkout and RFID easing the customer experience.
The bottom line, he says, is that retailers and logistics companies are all looking for new ways of doing business in order to survive and thrive in the new environment.
“They all have to find new ways to thrive; to get people into their stores; and to increase the basket size. And the only way to do that is with technology and intelligent analytics. They need to pre-empt what the customer will buy, ensuring the right product is on the shelves when the customer wants it, and that the right person is being directed to the right task at the right time.”
Looking to the future, Gouveia believes we are only at the beginning of the technology innovation journey. “There are a lot of exciting things still to come,” he says. “Frictionless shopping will be more widely adopted. We hope that South Africa will start adopting things like self-checkout, and we are looking forward to innovations like robotics and drones for delivery.”
The Zebra advantage
Zebra has evolved over the years from a label and barcode printing company into asset identification, data capture and now insights through online analytics.
“Wherever you are on the supply chain, Zebra is there,” Gouveia says.
The Zebra solution portfolio spans speciality printing and supplies, barcode scanning, mobile computing and rugged tablets, RFID and realtime location systems (RTLS), intelligent workforce management and execution solutions, data services and prescriptive analytics, support managed and professional services, and intelligent automation systems.
Although best known for its work in the retail and warehousing and distribution industries, it is also a strong player in healthcare, manufacturing, transportation and logistics, energy and utilities, hospitality, and public sector.
“We have an end-to-end coverage model,” Gouveia explains.
Partnering with Rectron
Zebra products have been distributed by Rectron for the last four years.
“The decision to bring Rectron on board has proved to be an excellent one,” Gouveia says. “What is key for us is that the relationship is not about volume, but about value. Rectron is not simply a box-dropper; it is interested in building solutions and engaging with partners. It delivers the right enablement together with the right technology, solutions, and support – and they do it really well.”
Rectron also ensures that the right stock is on the shelves when it’s needed. “Through Covid, which was a challenge for everyone, Rectron has been particularly good at having the right product available and ensuring a good run-rate.
“On top of that, the distributor has a good customer database that it continually engages with. And there is a fantastic management team at the helm.”