- See more at: http://blogtimenow.com/blogging/automatically-redirect-blogger-blog-another-blog-website/#sthash.CjzeOUZw.dpuf On-Demand eCommerce Blog | Dynamic Merchandising by OrderDynamics: 2014

Integrated Solutions For Retailers Builds On OrderDynamics Recent Forrester Report in New Omni-Channel Research Supplement

Integrated Solutions for Retailers recently called on Forrester Research Principal Analyst, Peter Sheldon, and Retail Systems Research Managing Partner, Nikki Baird, for insights into the race towards Omni-Channel retailing.  The report, Can You Meet Consumer Expectations at Any Cost? is featured in the April 2014 print edition and builds upon the findings from our recent Forrester report, The Retail Order Management Imperative.

While both Baird and Sheldon approach the race to Omni-Channel seamlessness from decidedly different viewpoints, they share similar underlying strategic intentions. Both agree that a retail order management system is an imperative. Addressing the orchestration of the complex fulfillment scenarios Peter Sheldon states:  "When we talk about all these Omni-Channel permutations, such as click-and-pick, order from store, e-commerce fulfillment from stores, and so on, order management is the foundational layer. It's the glue that holds online and offline together".

The report also delves into change management and the need for company-wide buy-in and the role C-Level executives are playing in bridging the gaps between channels -- consistent with trends identified in The Retail Order Management Imperative -- 39% of retailers have a dedicated executive leading its Omni-Channel implementation and initiatives.

Click here to access the full report and to learn more about the imperatives in the race to "any-channel" retail commerce.


OrderDynamics Featured in Recent eMarketer Omni-Channel Fulfillment Report

With unprecedented sales, news of flying drones, bad weather and the now infamous delivery debacle, the 2013 retail holiday season was a watershed moment for Omni-Channel retailing. A lot can be learned from last year’s holiday season and that precisely is the focus of a recently published report by eMarketer entitled DELIVERY AND PICKUP TRENDS: RETAILERS SEEK THE PATH TO FULFILLMENT. The report (available to eMarketer subscribers) explores the lessons learned from last year’s holiday season and how retailers are meeting the changing demands and expectations of consumers through an Omni-Channel strategy rooted in fulfillment efforts.

Takeaways from the 2013 Holiday Season 
According to comScore the November-to-December 2013 period broke ecommerce records with a staggering $46.5 billion in sales. While The United States Postal Service’s prediction of a 12% increase in shipping volumes last year fell short of the more than 19% reality, carriers cannot shoulder all the blame. As the report notes, both carriers and retailers were unprepared for the unprecedented surge in online sales, leading to overpromising and under-delivering on customer deliveries. Citing a study by StellaService and consulting firm Kurt Salmon, the report notes that retailers made several errors including failing to upgrade their shipping capabilities to accommodate last-minute orders. Going forward, for the 2014 holiday season the report mentions that some retailers will attempt to spread out sales to mitigate the amount of shopping on Cyber Monday. In addition, retailers such as Best Buy will continue to leverage their stores for fulfillment to meet fast delivery times.

The Gap in Omni-Channel Fulfillment Execution 
The report also notes that while retailers acknowledge the value of seamless fulfillment there is still a gap in execution -- a finding very much in line with our recent Forrester Research report, The Retail Order Management Imperative. Moreover, enabling cross-channel offerings and revamping supply chains requires a significant investment of time and resources. eMarketer broached the topic with key findings from The Retail Order Management Imperative, as well as in an interview with OrderDynamics President Michael Turcsanyi. Michael notes that the role of real-time inventory and the challenges of inventory accuracy within an Omni-Channel commerce strategy has led to many retailers to delay investments into Omni-Channel strategy. In addition, the report focuses on in-store fulfillment and the impact such programs can have on store revenue and even customer loyalty. In speaking of efficiencies and profitability gained from in-store fulfillment programs, Michael explains, "The big picture here for a retailer at scale is big money. There’s a lot of money at stake around improving profitability and driving new net revenue into their stores."

Click here to access the full report to learn more about how multi-channel retailers are rethinking the store for fulfillment.

OrderDynamics to Exhibit & Speak at eTail Canada 2014

The OrderDynamics team is abuzz with excitement for this year’s eTail Canada Conference.  In its fourth year, the ecommerce and Omni-Channel retail event will be held on May 5 - 7, 2014 in Toronto Canada.

Throughout the course of the conference attendees can look forward to gaining insight and sharing ideas related to every facet impacting their ecommerce and Omni-Channel business today.  Key themes of this year’s show include Omni-Channel optimization for seamless online usability, cross-channel fulfillment and capturing CRM data to build a holistic customer profile.

The event will commence with a day of retailer-only roundtable discussions and think tank sessions. OrderDynamics President Michael Turcsanyi is slated to join an impressive list of thought leaders on Day 1 for the roundtable discussions. Michael will lead the discussion on The Retail Order Management Imperative: Why OMS is Playing a Pivotal Role in Cross-Channel Revenue Growth.  To cap off the first day of the conference, OrderDynamics will be hosting a cocktail reception at Zazou Lounge for the day’s participants.

Here are the details surrounding the roundtable discussions:

The Retail Order Management Imperative: Why OMS is Playing A Pivotal Role in Cross-Channel Revenue Growth 
When: May 5, 2014
Time: 10:30am (First 5 Rotations)
Speaker: Michael Turcsanyi, President at OrderDynamics

The team at eTail have once again lined up a strong panel of leading retailers and top analysts.  Attendees can look forward to speakers from Walmart Canada, Roots Canada, Beyond the Rack, and Lowe’s Canada.  Peter Sheldon, Principal Analyst at Forrester Research will also be exploring the nature of Canadian online shoppers and debunking the myths that surround them in his speaking session “It’s Different Here….Oh Really?”.

To meet our team and learn more about why OrderDynamics is Canada's leading commerce platform and retail order management provider drop by booth #2. We look forward to meeting you at eTail Canada!

Full event details:

eTail Canada 2014
Venue: Hyatt Regency Toronto (370 King St. West)
When: May 5 - 7
City: Toronto, ON
Registration Info: Click Here to Register (promo code: ETCA14ODYNAMICS)
Conference Website: www.etailca.com
OrderDynamics Booth: 2


Michael Turcsanyi, President at OrderDynamics, discussing the exciting evolution in retail and commerce at last year's eTail Canada conference.

J.McLaughlin Selects OrderDynamics to Expand Omni-Channel Fulfillment Operations

OrderDynamics® Corporation, the leading provider of global order management and Omni-Channel solutions, today announced J.McLaughlin, a national retailer of apparel and accessories, has selected the OrderDynamics retail Order Management System to expand its Omni-Channel fulfillment strategy, streamline operations, and increase cross-channel revenue.

J.McLaughlin, a rapidly growing 78 store retailer in the United States, is migrating from its in-house developed system to the OrderDynamics retail Order Management System (OMS) to support their increasingly complex fulfillment needs through automated order routing of inventory across retail stores and warehouses. By intelligently managing existing inventory pools spread across various locations with flexible business rules that can be changed as their needs evolve, J.McLaughlin can rapidly improve shipping speeds while streamlining the entire lifecycle of web orders as their Omni-Channel operations continue to scale.

In addition, J.McLaughlin will further enhance its cross-channel shopping experience by optimizing in-store pickup of orders placed online. By putting the retail Order Management System at the center of their technology infrastructure, J.McLaughlin can seamlessly connect all retail systems including their commerce platform, ERP, and POS systems to provide customers with real-time inventory information and consolidated purchase history from web and retail stores. In-Store Pickup and full transparency of inventory reflects J.McLaughin’s desire to drive increased store traffic while leveraging the first-class customer service and available-to-sell inventory at each retail store.

“In order to operate a best of breed Omni-Channel shopping experience, we needed a sophisticated Order Management System that could connect our retail systems, order data, and entire inventory network,” said Charles Yoo, Vice President of IT and Operations at J.McLaughlin. “OrderDynamics proven ability to streamline in-store fulfillment at scale, route orders based on complex and evolving scenarios, and increase cross-channel revenue made them an ideal long term partner.”

“Omni-Channel retailing represents a unique opportunity for brick and mortar retailers to simultaneously improve customer service and overall profitability by strategically balancing existing inventory supply with growing consumer demand,” said Michael Turcsanyi, President at OrderDynamics. “J.McLaughlin is an example of a forward thinking retailer that is going beyond enabling Omni-Channel fulfillment by completely optimizing the way they serve their customer. Our technology will give J.McLaughlin the ongoing flexibility and agility to exceed consumer expectations while profitably executing these strategies.”

About J.McLaughlin
J.McLaughlin, founded in 1977 by brothers Kevin and Jay McLaughlin, is a premier luxury apparel and accessories company that has become an innovator in vertical brand development and management. Through sixty company-owned retail locations and a growing e-commerce market, J.McLaughlin supplies ladies and men’s accessories and apparel that support the lifestyles of the most desirable demographic audience. Throughout the company’s thirty-five year history, J.McLaughlin has been effective at following this loyal consumer base from settled urban areas to key suburban outposts and regional leisure locales. The J.McLaughlin brand is known for product integrity and authenticity and a style described as “tradition with a sense of humor” that combines the sophistication of Manhattan with the casual lifestyle of the Hamptons, Palm Beach, and Nantucket.

Notable.ca Young Entrepreneur: Michael Benadiba, CEO of OrderDynamics®


OrderDynamics Corporation CEO, Michael Benadiba was recently featured as the daily Notable.ca Young Entrepreneur. With over 1.5 million monthly visitors, Notable.ca connects young professional adults (YPs), forward-thinking visionaries and trend-setters, with noteworthy people, places, products, parties and events.

The interview takes a look at Michael’s career thus far as the CEO of OrderDynamics Corporation and President & CTO of MBC Managed IT Services. Michael’s involvement in the ecommerce industry spans well over a decade, from his first ecommerce website proposal straight out of high school to leading a rapidly growing enterprise.

Michael also reveals how his passion for problem solving and helping others led to establishing his own successful business MBC Managed IT Services and subsequently co-founding OrderDynamics.  On the subject of why the co-founders started OrderDynamics, Michael states: “We wanted to help retailers realize their online potential by developing intuitive software that solves real world challenges and removes barriers to success.”

In addition to discussing his flair for problem solving and love for digital commerce, Michael dishes on his favourite local haunt, interest in travelling and skydiving, and offers compelling advice to budding entrepreneurs and young professionals-alike.

Read the full length interview here

2014 Dx3 Canada Conference: Recap of the Show

Last week OrderDynamics exhibited at the 2014 Dx3 Canada conference in Toronto.  For a second consecutive year OrderDynamics was a Bronze-level sponsor at the digital marketing summit.  The conference provided a great opportunity to see first hand how new technologies are impacting the way Marketing, Operations and IT professionals are engaging digital audiences.
The OrderDynamics Team at Dx3 Canada 2014.
In speaking with many Canadian retailers and manufacturers during the two-day conference, it was clear both are prioritizing ecommerce and online growth more than ever.  However, both acknowledge there is much more work to be done in terms of streamlining fulfillment, order management systems in general, and more.  Additionally, many retailers mentioned similar challenges when addressing Omni-Channel commerce strategies including an uncertainty of the technology required to properly enable and optimize cross-channel initiatives, as well as the ability to manage (and sell) all inventory across an entire organization (retail stores, warehouses etc.).

These are just several examples of complexities retailers of all sizes face as they continue to adjust to evolving Omni-Channel expectations.  Our experience helping some of Canada’s leading retailers launch sophisticated Omni-Channel strategies helped provide guidance and baselines throughout these conversations for some retailers considering similar investments.

The Fastest Path to Omni-Channel Revenue and Profit
On day one of the conference, OrderDynamics President Michael Turcsanyi presented “The Fastest Path to Omni-Channel Revenue and Profit in 5 Steps”, a step by step guide for retailers to phase themselves into Omni-Channel retailing and transform their operations.  The presentation focused on growing trends within retail, organizational shifts required to meet evolving expectations, and the value of offering cross-channel initiatives.  The half-hour session was packed with quality statistics of the Canadian retail industry and featured several key takeaways including:
  • Create an Omni-Channel committee responsible for driving change
  • Split your Omni-Channel initiatives into actionable phases; and prioritize around your customers and their needs
  • Select a sales attribution model that promotes buy-in across departments and teams
  • Adjust organization P&L to incorporate Omni-Channel revenue, savings, and costs
  • Select a flexible technology platform that you can grow with
OrderDynamics President Michael Turcsanyi presenting at Dx3 Canada 2014.

Cutting Edge Digital Retail Solutions Entering Stores
Finally, one of the more engaging exhibits at the conference was the Retail Collective, an interactive and tech-driven digital shopping experience which featured virtual fitting rooms, web and mobile storefronts, interactive displays, in-store analytic platforms and more.  While the Retail Collective served as a practical example of ways digital solutions can be used within a retail store to drive enhanced engagement and improved customer experiences, it also stood as a reminder that retailers will need to thoroughly analyze whether innovative tools like these have a place in its stores.  Not all in-store retail experiences will benefit from such technologies, and yet, some might flourish.  Retailers will have to respect what their customers want in a shopping experience and temper sophisticated technology with what has helped make their stores successful in the past.

One of the interactive displays by Perch inside the Retail Collective.

While impressive, one concern shared among our team was the disconnect between some of these in-store technologies and the ecommerce platforms powering digital commerce storefronts.  In this live example, there appear to be an integration or strategy to connect each technology to further leverage and align functionalities.  That said, it’s not difficult to envision a time in the near distant future where all data and new touch points are completely integrated to provide an even more synchronized shopping experience for consumers.  As retail continues to reinvent itself, technologies and new concepts like these will most likely become the norm.  And as commerce platforms continue to shape how in-store retailing is handled (in-store fulfillment, cross-channel customer history, enterprise-wide inventory and more), it will be interesting to see how everything integrates over the coming years.

We’d like to thank Dx3 Canada for hosting a fantastic digital marketing conference and everyone who took the time to speak with us during the event.

The Retail Collective -- a glimpse into the near distant future of in-store shopping. 

In the meantime, we invite you to visit our website at www.orderdynamics.com to learn more about our ecommerce platform and retail order management system.

Sincerely,
The OrderDynamics Team
1 (866) 559-8123


OrderDynamics Set to Deliver Omni-Channel Presentation and Exhibit at Dx3 Canada 2014

On March 5 and 6, many of Canada’s leading brands and retailers will converge on the Metro Toronto Convention Centre for the third annual Dx3 Canada Conference. OrderDynamics is proud to be a bronze-level sponsor for a second consecutive year.

The two day, digital-focused conference, is expected to host more than 4,000 attendees and will feature over 50 renowned speakers. This year’s line-up of speakers includes leaders from Walmart Canada, Canadian Tire, LXR & Co. and OrderDynamics President Michael Turcsanyi.

Our panel session, "The Fastest Path to Omni-Channel Revenue and Profit in 5 Steps", will address how retailers can accelerate revenue and profitability with Omni-Channel strategies and technologies.

This presentation will focus on the following topics:
  1. Catalog and ecommerce merchandising best practices
  2. Centralizing enterprise-wide inventory in real-time
  3. Consolidating customer history to a single record for all online and in-store transactions
  4. Fulfillment from retail stores to enable ship-from-store, in-store pickup and return anywhere
  5. Intelligently automate Omni-Channel fulfillment for greater profitability

Full Presentation Details:
Date: March 5
Time: 4:15pm – 4:45pm
Speaker: Michael Turcsanyi, President OrderDynamics

Basic event registration is free and can be done here. The free registration also includes access to our Omni-Channel presentation detailed above.

OrderDynamics will also be exhibiting at this year’s Dx3 Canada. Join us at booth 608 to discover why global brands like Bouclair Home and Laura Canada are relying on OrderDynamics to launch their 2014 Omni-Channel strategy. Also, learn how leading Canadian retailers like Henry’s, The Shoe Company, JYSK, Eclipse Stores and more are leveraging our retail Order Management System to drive accelerated cross-channel revenue growth.

Click here to connect with OrderDynamics at the 2014 Dx3 Canada Conference.

Retail Cloud Software Company eCommera Secures $41 Million to Fuel Global Expansion

eCommera, a global software-as-a-service (SaaS) commerce and big data company that was formed to help retailers profit from the move to omni-channel, has announced a $41 million Series C funding round – one of the largest raises in its category.

Dawn Capital led the round together with investors ePlanet Capital, Frog Capital, Westcoast Capital, WPP and new partner Wti. The funding will be used to advance global growth of the next-of-breed Decision Intelligent Commerce solution built exclusively for retailers. This solution combines big data predictive analytics with online, mobile and operational software to allow retailers to sell everywhere, fulfil from anywhere and to do so profitably.

Founded in 2007, eCommera has grown rapidly and enters this round of funding as one of the fastest growing companies in its segment, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 46 percent over the past three years. This has been driven by strong customer demand with over 20 new retailers and brands added to its roster in 2013. Today the company’s cloud commerce, order management and big data platforms are a vital component in the success of over 70 leading retailers and global brands across 32 countries, powering mobile, online and in-store customer touch points and operations. Notable customers include Asda, House of Fraser, Neiman Marcus, Brooks Brothers, Lifetime Brands, Bouclair, and Clarins.

“We began by assembling a team who pioneered the retail, analytics and technology industries, including the former chief scientist at Amazon, and we have remained fervently focused on answering the omni-channel retailer’s most pressing needs: to reach more customers across the globe, to convert and serve them more profitably, and to offer a seamless experience from first touch to fulfilment,” said Andrew McGregor, CEO of eCommera. “We are supported by an investment group that understands the power of data in solving retail-specific complexities and see the significant global opportunity in new software and systems to command the next generation retail experiences and operations. We are already one of the largest cloud-software and service companies in the European market and this investment will enable us to accelerate our global growth, with specific focus on the North American market.”

“The fundamental changes happening in the $15 trillion global retail market are driving a shift in the way end-to-end retail operations are managed and run,” said Norman Fiore, General Manager at Dawn Capital. “eCommera has created a game-changing technology that specifically enables retailers to increase profitability and deliver compelling customer experiences at every touch-point in every channel. The eCommera team has continually demonstrated their ability to create technology solutions that retailers did not even know were possible, but are desperately in need of, and we are excited to be supporting them in their next phase of growth.”

eCommera has been recognized for its technology leadership and rapid business growth with inclusion in the Sunday Times Tech Track 100 for the past three years and the UK Government-backed Future Fifty programme. Just in 2013, eCommera’s retail clients experienced an average online traffic growth of 42 percent.

Further information about eCommera can be found at www.ecommera.com

Advisors for this round included William Blair & Company and White & Black.

About eCommera
eCommera is a cloud software business that combines big data analytics, commerce and order management platforms to deliver a next of breed Decision Intelligence solution designed exclusively for retail. This allows retailers across the globe to sell across any channel, fulfil from any store or warehouse and to do so profitably. The business works with over 70 retailers and global brands across 32 countries. In 2013 eCommera acquired OrderDynamics one of the leaders in Order Management software. Today eCommera has offices in Asia, Europe and North America.

Bouclair Home to Launch Omni-Channel Commerce Experience with OrderDynamics

OrderDynamics®, Canada’s leading on-demand commerce platform provider, today announced Bouclair Home, a national retailer of home decor products and houseware accessories, will launch its ecommerce website using the OrderDynamics commerce platform. With the launch of the Bouclair.com eCommerce site, the Canadian retailer will provide improved levels of customer service and accelerate cross-channel sales growth through a new seamless Omni-Channel commerce strategy.

Bouclair, who operates 113 stores across Canada, needed a robust commerce solution to support their vision of centering operations around their customers by unifying the shopping experience across digital and physical storefronts. Bouclair selected OrderDynamics based on their impressive experience launching Omni-Channel commerce solutions for national brick and mortar retailers, in addition to the cutting edge retail order management capabilities within their cloud-based commerce platform.  According to “The Retail Order Management Imperative”, a global Omni-Channel study by Forrester Consulting commissioned by OrderDynamics in November 2013, 82% of retailers stated a retail order management system would play an important role in the execution of their Omni-Channel strategy.(1)

Bouclair’s partnership with OrderDynamics provides them with a suite of Omni-Channel retail tools, which will allow them to leverage their retail stores to support critical Omni-Channel commerce functionalities including:
  • Buy online pickup in-store
  • Inventory visibility across all retail channels and systems
  • Return web purchases to any retail store
  • A single customer profile that combines online and in-store purchase history
  • Cross-channel loyalty payment options and more 
“I was impressed with OrderDynamics and their eCommerce solution. We have a big opportunity to generate incremental sales and I feel these guys can help us achieve our goal,” said Peter Goldberg, President and CEO at Bouclair.

In addition, Bouclair will be able to take advantage of the OrderDynamics retail store dashboards to support in-store pickup, leverage the integrated mobile commerce platform, and multi-language functionality to support French-Canadian customers. Upon its 2014 launch, the new Bouclair website will also include a custom blinds selector that will enable customers to customize the size of blinds.

“With 51% of retailers expected to roll out buy online pickup in-store fulfillment programs within the next two years (2) , we are excited to provide Bouclair a competitive advantage in 2014 by leveraging its national network of retail stores to offer an unmatched level of service to their customers,” said Michael Turcsanyi, President at OrderDynamics. “It’s inspiring to see Bouclair’s commitment to Omni-Channel commerce and we look forward to helping them deliver a world class cross-channel shopping experience.”

About Bouclair Home
Bouclair Home is a national retail chain that offers coordinated and contemporary fashion for the home.  Our designers travel the world searching out the latest trends in style, colours and design. Bouclair Home is a lifestyle brand which brings exclusive fashion to the mass consumer at a value price. Bouclair Home is focused on Home, Fashion and Value.


1, 2The Retail Order Management Imperative”, Forrester Consulting, commissioned by OrderDynamics, November 2013
  

OrderDynamics and Forrester Research to Host First State of Omni-Channel Retailing in Canada Event

JANUARY 14, 2014, TORONTO, ON – OrderDynamics™, Canada’s leading On-Demand eCommerce Platform and Retail Order Management System, in association with the Retail Council of Canada and Canada Post, today announced the first in a series of eCommerce and retail-focused evening events, entitled The State of Omni-Channel Retailing in Canada, to take place Tuesday, February 4 in Toronto. The event will feature a Keynote presentation from Forrester Research Principal Analyst Peter Sheldon.

In 2013, OrderDynamics commissioned a global study with Forrester Research which identified the top Omni-Channel challenges and priorities of 337 retailers, including many of Canada’s most prominent and innovative retailers. The report, The Retail Order Management Imperative, revealed the key role Order Management Systems play in enabling and accelerating cross-channel revenue growth. As part of The State of Omni-Channel Retailing in Canada evening event, OrderDynamics along with Forrester Research Principal Analyst, Peter Sheldon, will explore what it means to be a best-in-class Omni-Channel retailer, how retailers can meet customers Omni-Channel expectations, and why in investing in Omni-Channel technology and operations is an imperative, not an option.

During the presentation on this ground-breaking research and first-of-its-kind event, attendees can expect to learn:
  • Key Omni-Channel retail trends in 2014 
  • Which Canadian retailers are really catering to the needs of the Omni-Channel consumer
  • Top expectations and shopping trends of Canadian consumers
  • How technology will play a key role in delivering Omni-Channel excellence
  • Why the time is now to invest in an Omni-Channel strategy
“Omni-Channel retailing has paved the way for retailers to further connect with their customers while accelerating growth through cross-channel strategies and tactics, but has also created additional complexities and challenged traditional operations. We’re excited to share our experience and leverage the expertise of Forrester Research to help retailers in Canada create best-in-class Omni-Channel experiences,” said Michael Turcsanyi, President at OrderDynamics.

OrderDynamics invites retailers, merchants and strategists alike to attend this exciting event and gain great insight into essential information that affect the current and future retail landscape in Canada. All attendees will receive a complimentary copy of The Retail Order Management Imperative whitepaper, complimentary drinks and more.

Event Information:

The State of Omni-Channel Retailing in Canada
Date: Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Where: The Stirling Room - 16 Trinity St, Toronto
Time: 6:00-9pm
Cost: Free attendance for retailers and online merchants.

For more information and to register, visit www.orderdynamics.com/OmniSummit. Space is limited.