There is no doubt that the digital (r)evolution has changed the way of consuming and producing, from the home to the most muscular sectors of the economy. Work environments bear little resemblance to those of a few decades ago, and the digital development of the industry is one of the challenges that the pandemic has accelerated. This will be the evolution in each of the environments.
1. The transformation of consumers
How have consumption habits changed? The digital transformation of physical spaces in the sector retail allows you to maximize each visit and improve the user experience. The analysis of behavior and consumption indicators increase the efficiency of the different processes, to meet the needs of the business and environmental responsibility.
Phygital experience
The increase in online shopping and the changes in the way of moving and consuming in physical stores pose the challenge of merging the physical and digital space. To do this, it is necessary to increase knowledge about customers and the way they carry out the sales process. The objective is to improve their experience, so that the number of visits and loyalty grows and, at the same time, the efficiency and sustainability of the business is increased.
The retail sector could achieve its objectives to attract the consumer offline and on-line, improve the shopping experience and make the most of the sales space through six steps.
Keys to digital transformation
for the retail sector
Communication optimization The weather and the profile of the customer who comes to the point of sale influence the content presented in the physical spaces.
Relocation of exhibitors Analyzing the degree of attraction of the different areas of the store makes it possible to take advantage of the areas of greatest impact and eliminate shadow areas.
Pricing automation Price consistency increases consumer confidence: real-time and remote automation of digital labels streamlines the process and reduces errors.
Product traceability Managing inventory and product rotation is more efficient thanks to real-time control of the product from the factory to the store.
Creation of environments Digitized music and ‘visual merchandising’ make it possible to personalize the spaces, in line with the brand image and purchasing behaviour.
energy optimization The remote monitoring and management of the facilities ensures an improvement in energy efficiency to reduce spending and environmental impact.
2. New work environments
The labor and structural changes in recent years have led many companies to bet on hybrid work — face-to-face and telematic — and others have safely strengthened the digital experience in the professional environment. The flexibility enabled by the latest technologies heightens levels of collaboration, engagement and innovation, both inside and outside the office.
Internet of things and digital workspace
One of the main business challenges is to create an efficient work environment, where employees can have digital tools based on technological progress such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI), to work with different devices and operating systems in a hybrid environment. Added to the improvement in your user experience is the business objective of guaranteeing cybersecurity and boosting productivity, through simple management.
According to a study by the McKinsey Global Institute, the implementation of the digital workspace (digital workplace) increases the productivity of employees who feel connected by 25%, and improves the commitment of workers towards your company. In addition, the unified management of all the elements that surround the employee is guaranteed, with proactive and self-management service models. All this allows greater efficiency, with the design of a road map leading to the digitalization of the workplace.
7% of SMEs and 18% of large Spanish companies incorporate AI into their operational processes. The big Data, IoT and Blockchain technology are increasingly present in companies of any size. Thanks to collaborative work technologies and the design of work spaces aimed at improving communication and integration with teleworking, efficiency in the work environment can be improved.
3. Next industrial revolution
Industry 4.0 represents the leap in the production process, through new technologies and tools such as data analysis and interpretation, interconnectivity, digitization and supply chain monitoring. The industrial present and future goes through the smart factory, in which the automated and interconnected process allows the application of the industrial internet of things (IIoT) and new connectivity standards, cloud, edge computing, digital twins, big dataIoT or Blockchain.
Technological solutions from start to finish (end to end) in the factory involve the entire value chain, from the sensory (intelligent sensors involved in manufacturing) and the worker himself, to industrial digitization platforms —such as Manufacturing Execution System (MES) / Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM), SCADA, APS/SCM— and solutions such as robotization of facilities, maintenance predictive or virtual and augmented reality. The objective is to achieve an improvement in the overall efficiency of the equipment, through connectivity, process control and advanced analytics.
According to the study Smart Industry 4.0 As of 2021, 80% of companies consider that the pandemic has contributed to accelerating their digital transformation. For Telefónica Tech, the development of the factory smart involves four keys.
the smart factory
Flexible manufacturing and planning for unstable demand New customer consumption models and changes in demand lead to the need for a smart factory, capable of adapting to mass production or customized products. This makes it possible to make supply chains more flexible, to make them more efficient and intelligent, and to develop prototypes that speed up the launch of new products.
Improvement in quality processes Both sensor-based automation (‘sensory’) and metrology allow the analysis of information related to the factory, through ‘big data’ and AI technologies. In this way, the quality of both the materials and the final products manufactured can be controlled and possible errors or results of insufficient quality detected well in advance.
production efficiency The factory becomes an information system in itself, which allows improvements in its maintenance, reduces ‘scrap’ (waste or industrial waste) and avoids stoppages in the production line. Early detection of the degradation of certain assets and breakdowns allows prioritizing and optimizing predictive maintenance.
industrial digitization The objective is to achieve a ‘wireless’ factory, in which the assets and resources in motion are connected and the obtaining of data to make decisions is facilitated. This digitization allows an improvement in the monitoring, management and planning of production processes, while reducing costs and increasing productivity.
It seems clear that, in a hyperconnected scenario like the current one, companies need integrated technological solutions. Telefónica Tech is committed to the digital revolution through personalized cybersecurity services, cloud, artificial intelligence, big Data, IoT and Blockchain.
