Technology Record - Issue 22: Autumn 2021

187 existing operational processes, introducing new services, and delivering seamless personalised customer and employee experiences across the end-to-end shopping journey. “The Microsoft Cloud for Retail is one of several new industry cloud offerings from Microsoft. It offers capabilities specific to retail, including new industry-specific integrations between Microsoft Cloud products and third-party systems,” says Minbiole. “Our independent software vendors are fine-tuning those digital capabilities by building their own software that connects to the Microsoft Cloud for Retail so retail organisations can store and access critical data using the latest in produc- tivity technology. Meanwhile, our systems inte- grator partners are creating customised solutions based on the Microsoft Cloud for Retail to meet each organisation’s very specific requirements.” Minbiole predicts that platforms such as Teams and Microsoft Cloud for Retail, as well as technologies like AI and machine learning, will provide an ideal foundation for retailers to continue innovating and exploring new ways to empower employees to become more productive and deliver enhanced customer experiences over the coming years. “We’re already seeing new ideas coming from all corners of the earth that have the potential to enhance both the employee and customer experience,” she says. Minbiole references Stockholm-based start-up Lifvs, which leverages AI technology to remotely R E TA I L & C PG “We’re already seeing new ideas coming from all corners of the earth that have the potential to enhance both the employee and customer experience”