A few nights ago, insomnia decided to visit me in the wee hours of the morning, surfing the net kept me busy and I stumbled on a very old article announcing Rosalind Brewer as the new COO of Starbucks and it held my interest for some reason.
Ms Rosalind had left her position as the CEO of Sam’s Club where her growth strategy included a focus on technology and innovation, and brand expansion. In very simple terms she drove large strides in e-commerce and helped to create a better shopper experience with technology.
Now her success with introducing technology for shoppers experience got my attention or more like got me thinking. During her time as CEO of Sam’s Club, she introduced the “curbside pickup service and e-commerce efforts, including introducing a process that allows customers to scan items with their phones in order to speed up checkout,” according to the guys at Fortune.
While they remained a physical giant store, Brewer’s team incorporated the digital way of enhancing its customer’s experience while shopping with the club.
I recently had the opportunity to do a company visit to Jebel Ali Port operated by DP world in Dubai, ranked the 9th largest container port worldwide. With its capacity (throughput of 21,000 containers per day and 102 cranes in operation) and number of daily transactions you can imagine the chaos if not properly managed but then they made the right move (but hey its Dubai we are talking about here, nothing less expected ). Smart technology and innovation to the rescue. Its operations are being automated at every level. Case in point, Container trucks are in and out to drop a container in 30 minutes or less!
I could not but think, why can’t we have similar experiences? Since the awakening of the social/digital age, brands in the African market have paid attention and done the needful with incorporating everything social/digital as part of its strategy. But somehow we seem to be stuck with defining digital as activating social media conversations and engaging customers with influencer marketing. Ladies and Gentlemen, that ship has long ago sailed.
I believe we are long overdue for the next phase. Quite honestly we are more than ready for this. Yes, we have a number of other complimentary infrastructure that are lacking and should be fixed before we discuss this. But who says we cant work with what we have? If we keep waiting to get it all right, we would be left way behind.
The mobile and Internet usage statistics show the African eco system’s readiness to take up what I would define as enhancing the customers purchasing experience with technology or simply enhancing processes with smart technology.
We have begun the journey somewhat. E-commerce has taken the lead in the revolution of what or where we need to be and its successes in key African markets do not need to be re-told. I have personally contributed to the statistics of shoppers of groceries (plus other non perishable items) on e-commerce platform (roll your eyes all you want, If I don’t add to the statistics who would?).
But we are yet far from the promise land.
It starts with things as simple as not having to fill a book register when I visit any office, can you take my fingerprints instead?
Garth Andrus, (principal @ Deloitte Consulting LLP) seems to have read my mind and captured my thoughts.
Shahar Markovitch and Paul Willmott of McKinsey put together a piece 4 years ago that somewhat captures my thoughts.
We have done the good work of “doing Digital” but we need to become “Being digital”.
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