ASSIGNMENT - II

TECHNOLOGY PORTFOLIOS
RETAIL INDUSTRY

Submitted by
Group7
ABHISHEK PANDA 16020241003
MADHUVANTHI.S 16020241102
SATISH KUMAR 16020241123
RAVI RAJ LABH 16020241158
 Introduction
Information Technology Applications and Supply Chain Automation:
As supply chains have evolved, grown and optimized, so have Information
Technologies and Applications. It is especially significant to mention these two
developments in the same context as IT has essentially contributed to various
innovations in the supply chain context. The following description therefore shortly
identifies the main Information technologies and their characteristics developed for the
global supply chain business.

Generally, all three flows which have been named in foregone chapters, namely
materials, resources and information may be controlled, managed and therefore
improved more efficiently by using automated computer systems. The overall
development and implementation of a computer system may take some years and
typically has high investments attached to it. Nevertheless IT usage is able to effectively
increase productivity and efficiency in comparison to prior-IT business procedures.
Companies typically use Information systems to improve efficiency or flexibility.

Information systems which aim to increase efficiency, more precisely, EDI,

workflow automation systems and ERP typically improve the control of day-to-day
internal and external company processes. As further evaluated by the author, the above
mentioned systems register transactions, publish information about these, structure
workflows and enhance standardization.

Information systems which may lead to more flexibility include market

information systems and strategic decision support systems. Moreover these systems aim
to enhance the decision making process of companies). IT systems in a SCM context can
be further categorized based on two factors, more precisely overall reach and general
application. Below Figure visualizes the main classification of IT systems in SCM.
 Enterprise resource planning, materials requirements planning and manufacturing
resource planning are systems which may be installed inside organizations in order to
increase effectiveness of internal planning processes. Collaborative planning, forecasting
and replenishment is another planning system which, however, is inter organizational,
meaning systems from different companies may be connected.

New Trend & Technology

1. POINT OF SALE(POS) :-
A good POS will track all your sales so you can easily see how your business is going.
It replaces your cash register. 90% of the organised retail use POS.

DRIVERS:-
1. Simplify & improve inventory management.
2. Improve your customer service (serving time decreases).
3. Easily show where you are making money & where losing (product wise).
4. Save huge time by automated bookkeeping.

BOTTLENECK:-
1. Very expensive to implement POS System.
2. It’s most difficult & complicated technology.
2. CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT (CRM)
SOFTWARE:-
CRM software helps to improve your customer loyalty, also help you to get new
potential prospects & generate new business. CRM helps to build relationship with your
customer.

DRIVERS:-

1. Easily track your customers.

2. Improve your customer base.
BOTTLENECK:-

1. Lack of insight (If data is not up to date).

3. BAR CODE SCANNING & UPC CODES:-

Bar code scanning allows us to check products at the point of sale much faster and
more accurately then can be done on the keyboard. This will save your time.

If our merchandise has UPC codes, we can easily scan the tag without the need to
print our own barcode.
4. ELECTRONIC DATA INTERCHANGE (EDI):-
EDI technology allows you to send purchase orders (created in your POS software)
to your supplier electronically via phone line or internet. This save time as well as
reduces errors.

DRIVERS:-
1. POS will automatically generate purchase orders based upon our order levels & sales
history.
2. Send our orders to our supplier automatically.

5. STORE TRAFFIC COUNTER:-

This device helps to improve sales conversion ratio. If we want to increase sales
conversions then we need an accurate measure of our store traffic. Store traffic counters
also help better schedule our sales staff because it identify actual foot traffic in our store
during certain time periods. We can also determine if traffic goes up or down during
marketing promotions so you can figure out what works the best.
6. WEBSITES & SHOPPING CARTS:-
Website is a powerful tool to promote our business. With the help of our website
we have opportunity to tell our story, give people an idea of what we sell, and convince
them to stop by our store. E.g. Wal-Mart. we can utilize a website shopping cart so
customers can place orders and pay us right from the website.

7. AMAZON GO CONCEPT
Amazon unveiled a prototype convenience store called "Amazon Go," which uses
mobile e-commerce, machine learning and computer vision to allow customers to make
purchases without a cashier.

The 1,800 square foot concept store in Seattle uses the company's Just Walk Out
technology, which incorporates many of the same concepts found in self-driving cars.

Customers use the Amazon Go app to enter the store, and then pluck items off the
shelves. Anything a customer takes off a shelf is added to a virtual shopping cart. Items
returned to the shelves automatically are removed.

The store sells breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack items freshly made by on-site
chefs or provided by local kitchens and bakeries. It offers staples like bread, milk, cheeses
and sweets.

Both major brands and exclusive items are available, and customers in a rush can
pick up Amazon Meal Kits, which include all the ingredients to cook a meal for two in
half an hour.

Self-Driving Tech
The Amazon Go store uses a combination of computer vision, deep learning algorithms
and sensor fusion, which are some of the same technologies used in self-driving vehicles
8. RFID:-
When RFID is applied in a supply chain context, these technologies serve to
monitor the movement of goods and thereby enable an automated identification and
location detection of physical freight. Furthermore, RFID is often used in order to
improve real time communication as well as visibility when used in combination with a
developed supply network.

The underlying concept of RFID implies that items which a company desires to
track, get tags implemented which transmit radio frequency signals that can be detected
by RFID readers. These tags may be attached to individual objects, freight batches or
entire containers.

RFID has a significant importance in supply chain management as it can be

efficiently used for asset tracking and management whereby increased security of freight
may be guaranteed, stock management is improved and errors in product data handling
are generally reduced, the emergence of RFID in a supply chain context resulted from
the desire to maximize agility, react faster to product spread as well as demand volatility

9. Kiva robots (Amazon-Warehouse):-

In order to ensure more efficient warehouse operations, KIVA Robotics, a
company which develops automated material handling order fulfilment systems. Became
a subsidiary company of Amazon. As a consequence, the company officially changed its
name to Amazon Robotics LLC in 2015.
 The robot, which has been introduced to American warehouses first, often gets
referred to as the strongest and busiest employee of Amazon (Tam, 2014) as it is able to
perform various tasks, does not require breaks and as it is much faster and more efficient
than humans. The main task the robot performs is the identification of items which have
been ordered and the attached transport to assigned picking- employees.

When a consumer purchases an item on Amazon, a robot gets assigned

automatically by the system to identify the location of the product and to carry it to the
picker. To finalize the order, the picker then only has to select the item, register and scan
it and prepare it for the packing process.

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