An Innovative Multi-Channel Platform for Digital Applications in the Retail Sector

零售业每年为英国经济贡献超过3000亿英镑，雇佣的员工约占英国所有行业和服务业总就业人数的10%。数字创新正在对实体零售环境产生重大影响。随着智能手机和平板电脑的出现，科技正在加速改变我们的购物方式。在线和移动渠道将是未来增长的关键，越来越多的零售商现在引入数字应用程序来接触他们的客户。尽管如此，多渠道的整合仍然是一个问题（IMRG 2012）。目前的技术系统仍然是零售商实现多渠道愿景的最大障碍，因此，对大多数零售商来说，2013年多渠道系统更换仍然是一个关键的投资重点。基于零售行业的现有关系，梅森数字有限公司希望开发一个创新的多渠道平台，可以以比目前更快、更经济的方式运行和连接店内、移动和社交应用程序。该团队将开发一个高度可配置的软件平台，在该平台上将现有客户的技术与许多多渠道应用程序联系起来。除此之外，还将开发一系列原型应用程序，以便在最终用户中试用该平台。这些应用程序，包括店内互动平板电脑和数字更衣室助手，将会开箱即用，但高度可配置，以最少的努力创建定制应用程序。这将是中小型零售商的战略需求，他们最需要这些新的数字系统，由于缺乏基础设施和实施成本，这些零售商目前无法达到这一细分市场。如果成功，该原型平台连同若干示范应用程序将于项目结束后6个月内投入市场，以激发市场兴趣。

The retail sector contributes over £300 billion per year to the UK economy and employsapproximately 10% of the total number of people employed in all industries and services inthe UK. Digital innovation is having a significant impact on the physical retail environment.Technology is driving change in our shopping styles even faster with smartphones and tablets.Online and mobile channels will be key to future growth, with more and more retailers nowintroducing digital applications to reach out to their customers.Despite this, the integration of multiple channels remains an issue (IMRG 2012). Currenttechnology systems remain the biggest barrier for retailers to achieve their multichannelvision and therefore multichannel system replacement is still a key investment priority for themajority of retailers in 2013.Building on existing relationships within the retail sector, Mason Digital Limited look todevelop an innovative multi-channel platform that can run & connect in-store, mobile & socialapplications in a far more speedy & cost effective manner than currently possible. The teamwill develop a highly configurable software platform on which to link existing clients’technologies with a number of multi-channel applications. In addition to this, a range ofprototype applications will be developed in order to trial the platform with end users. Theseapplications, including in-store interactive tablets & digital changing room assistants, will runout of the box but be highly configurable to create bespoke applications with the minimum ofeffort.This will be a strategic requirement of the small to mid sized retailers who have most need forthese new digital systems, these are currently out or reach for this segment due to their lack ofinfrastructure and the cost of implementation. If successful, the prototype platform with anumber of demonstration applications will be used to stimulate market interest with marketentry 6 months from project end.