099: How To Use Retail Technology Effectively

Retail technology often goes hand in hand with transformation as an enabler and an essential element to making the change happen. But it’s easy to get absorbed by the “cool” opportunities from fancy retail tech gadgets and gizmos. So, in this podcast episode, Oliver Banks talks to retail tech enthusiast, Michael Grange, to explore the risk of implementing tech for tech’s sake.

Listen to this episode to discover:

• If “tech for tech’s sake” is real.
• Examples of effective technology use.
• How a cross-functional group could unlock effective innovation in your organisation.

 

 

Introducing Michael Grange

Michael Grange is a technology director experienced in retail, ecommerce, supply chain and logistics. Michael’s career is rooted in technology and has seen him developing products for global markets, managing business transformation and directing the digitisation of businesses. He’s worked with companies of all sizes – from start-ups to massive retail juggernauts, or Tesco more specifically, leading teams across the UK, EMEA, US and India.

An advocate of Lean and Agile practices with a passion for delivering great customer experiences, Michael helps businesses become value-driven and customer-centric.

As the founder and CEO of Parker Veese, Michael mentors and coaches start-up businesses. Plus, he offers Virtual CIO services to businesses looking to scale up. In the UK, he’s affiliated with the University of Cambridge Judge Business School, and in the US through the Center for Advancing Innovation.

Michael brings together his broad sector experience and (self proclaimed slightly geeky) technology background to help others. He has a particular focus on simplifying technology and business process leadership. Michael is a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute.

Find out more about Parker Veese.

Follow Michael on Twitter (@mdgrange).

Examples as discussed on the podcast

IKEA Place AR app for furniture placement

Tilly’s augmented reality window

An alternate reality: a concept video of what Google Glass or AR glasses could do in retail

In a store setting – here is one interpretation of how Google Glass or similar AR glasses could play out.

Or in a distribution or warehouse setting.

Facial recognition in retail

Robots on the shop floor

Here, a robotic cleaner frees up people to do other more complex tasks than driving the cleaning machine around the store.

Meanwhile, Walmart have also partnered with Bossa Nova to bring robotic shelf scanners to identify stock gaps and availability problems.

And finally, here’s Pepper the robot in a retail setting – helping serve customers.

Listen to other podcast episodes

If you enjoyed this episode, now listen to these podcast episodes of the Retail Transformation Show:

Episode 92: Automating Your Warehouse with Mark Messina and Simon Houghton of Geek+

Or perhaps, listen to episode 64: How IOT Will Change Retail with Joe Jensen of Intel.

Finally, you might enjoy episode 72: Being Digital vs. Doing Digital with Lee Woodard.