Technology Record - Issue 22: Autumn 2021

185 “Data must be at the core of everything retailers do” monotonous tasks – such as manually counting inventory or typing in data – detracts from this,” says Minbiole. “For example, Walmart Canada has invested in SES-imagotag’s Microsoft Azure- based VUSION Retail IoT Cloud platform to automate pricing and promotion management and introduce digital shelves at 328 stores. Prices and promotions are now updated automatically in store and online, which ensures customers see accurate and consistent pricing information. It also liberates employees from a cumbersome low-value task, allowing them to focus on cus- tomer service and merchandising, both of which are more satisfying and fulfilling.” Faced by mandated store closures, strict health and safety restrictions, unpredictable shifts in customer demand and major disruptions to supply chains, retailers were forced to rapidly rethink their operational strategies to enable employees to remain productive and continue serving customers when the pandemic hit. Many turned to Microsoft Teams. US-based office products and services pro- vider Office Depot quickly deployed Teams and Microsoft 365 at the onset of the pandemic to enable teams to conceptualise, plan and exe- cute a move from in-store shopping to kerbside pickup services in just 48 hours. It has since continued to use functionalities such as chat, video calls, Teams live meetings and Teams live events to improve communication and collab- oration between nearly 20,000 associates at its 1,200 stores, as well as to conduct virtual store walk-throughs and facilitate employee training. Now that employees can work effectively and deliver consistently high levels of customer service, Office Depot’s customer satisfaction ratings have increased. Microsoft has recently developed Teams capabilities that are specifically designed to make frontline workers more efficient and pro- ductive. One is Task publishing, which enables R E TA I L & C PG