Retailers urged to integrate customer data as 84% of execs struggle with data silos

Disparate data could be causing retailers to miss crucial commercial opportunities as 84% of execs confess that they have felt the effects of “data silos”.  This is causing them to miss out on crucial data from the delivery process which often sits across different systems and multiple businesses. 

In a new report, nShift, the global leader in experience and delivery management (DMXM) is encouraging retailers to make the most of data generated during the delivery and post-purchase experience. 

Retailers have increasingly used large data collections to help improve their sales and operations.  A new report by nShift, “Creating a data-driven delivery experience” argues that too often, retailers are missing crucial insights from the delivery and post-purchase process.  Typically, such data sits in silos across the organization – or with external carrier companies - making it difficult to use effectively.   

Sean Sherwin-Smith, post-purchase product director at nShift said: “The delivery process is a fantastic example of where retailers sit upon a wealth of untapped data.  Information from the delivery and post-purchase process can shine a real light on how retailers and warehouses can improve efficiency, revamp the customer experience and turn one-off purchases into lifelong customer relationships. 

“The problem is that retailers tend to view the fulfillment process and the customer experience as two separate things.  As a result, data sits in disjointed systems and is rarely compiled and analyzed.  Only by bringing deliveries and experience management together can retailers tap into crucial insights and create data-driven growth strategies.” 

The new nShift report explores how leveraging data from the delivery and post-purchase experience can help retailers: 

1. Optimize and reduce carrier costs - the greater access a retailer or warehouse has to carrier costs and performance data, the more easily they can select the most cost-effective last-mile delivery option for each shipment 
   
2. Improve conversions at checkout – by ensuring that a shopper sees the delivery option they want at the top of the list of choices 
3. Create better customer communications – retailers can then create relevant communications to match how often, according to data, people are checking updates and weave in product plugs or brand messages as appropriate 
4. Increase customer loyalty by keeping their delivery promise – comparing performance data across carrier companies enables retailers to drive up standards and negotiate better results 
5. Retain more revenue by reducing volumes – by paying close attention to what issues are causing people to send products back and addressing such issues with product and marketing teams 
6. Influence consumer behavior – to encourage more shoppers into physical stores or to alter their returns habits  

nShift’s DMXM suits of solutions bring together core components of delivery management (such as label printing and carrier booking) with cutting-edge consumer applications.  Because delivery management, order tracking, checkout and returns all sit on one platform, it’s easy to join up the relevant data.  A range of easy-to-use dashboards makes insights clear, digestible, sharable and actionable. 

Read the full report: “Creating a data-driven delivery experience: how delivery and experience management (DMXM) unlocks business-changing insights for online retailers”

nShift. Worry less. Ship smarter. www.nshift.com 

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