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Tag: survey

UK organisations “failing to innovate”

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Budget constraints and skills gaps are topping the list of challenges standing in the way of innovation for 71% of organisations across many business sectors in the UK and Ireland, despite almost three quarters (74%) saying that innovation is vital to their survival as a business, according to new research.

The research, commissioned by InterSystems, a leading provider of next-generation solutions for critical enterprise digital transformations, and conducted by data analyst Vitreous World, polled more than 300 business leaders across healthcare, financial services, fintech, supply chain, and education sectors in the UK and Ireland. Among the findings are stark differences between the attitudes towards and capabilities for innovation across sectors.

Skills gaps surfaced as a recurring challenge for organisations across all sectors. More than a third (34%) collectively cite a lack of skills to understand and analyse data as their biggest challenge when attempting to use data to drive innovation initiatives. When asked how innovation initiatives could be improved, almost half (47%) stated by getting access to real-time data, with this rising to 60% among fintechs. Forty-five percent of the total respondents think their innovation initiatives would be helped by using more or better data and insights.

Chris Norton, Managing Director, InterSystems, commented: “In today’s landscape of constant change and uncertainty, digital transformation strategies and traditional organisation practices will continue to be tested. To meet evolving customer demands, guard against market volatility, and navigate the impact of geopolitical events, digital investment is a necessity. However, just digitising what you have today is not enough. Organisations must focus on innovation and expand its impact to create new value.”

Other key findings include:

  • Almost a third of those surveyed (32%) cite technology constraints as a major barrier to innovation, while more than a quarter (26%) struggle to keep up with the latest innovation or technologies, which rises to 43% in education.
  • 31% of healthcare respondents view reluctance to change as one of the biggest barriers to innovation.
  • Just 11% of organisations have reached their current digital transformation goals, dropping to only 3% of those within education.
  • Complying with changing regulation and insufficient skills in-house were found to be the biggest difficulties organisations face with interoperability, with education respondents in particular struggling with regulation changes (57% vs an average of 49%). Meanwhile 41% of financial services respondents say that their current data platform does not facilitate interoperability with financial services standards.
  • An overwhelming 94% of supply chain respondents revealed they are willing to accept some degree of risk to reach their innovation goals, compared with 85% of overall respondents.
  • More than three-quarters of respondents (77%) are using data to enable and drive innovation across their organisation, however, often face challenges including data inconsistencies and unreliability, to delays in accessing the data.
  • Almost a third (32%) of those surveyed think innovation helps their organisation get a competitive advantage
  • 85% of organisations rely on third-parties to plan, collaborate, and deliver innovation strategies.

“Innovation is now key to long term business survival. Without innovation to differentiate organisations and create new customer experiences, then success is just about process efficiency, cost, and price. For all business sectors, scalable and sustainable innovation is underpinned by reliable digital infrastructure, analytics, arming staff with skills and ultimately with timely access and action to the right data,” added Norton.

CLICK HERE to download the full research report.

Survey reveals channels to online success

Posted on by David Priestman

Pitney Bowes Inc., a global shipping and mailing company that provides technology, logistics and financial services, has released new data from its BOXpoll survey revealing key insights for UK retailers selling to US consumers. The findings demonstrate the sustained effectiveness of Search (e.g. Google, Bing) and online marketplaces.

Almost one in three (30%) US online shoppers surveyed say they are most likely to discover UK brands through these two channels, while one in four (24%) discovers British brands through advertising on Facebook.

The BOXpoll survey questioned 400 US-located online shoppers who purchased from UK brands in the past six months. Almost half (48%) the shoppers aged 57 to 75 years – the ‘baby boomer’ generation – find UK brands through marketplaces such as eBay and Etsy.  More than one in four (27%) Generation Z buyers find UK brands through TikTok advertising, while Facebook advertising leads 26% of Baby Boomers and one in four (25%) millennials to discover a UK brand. One in three (34%) shoppers aged 41 to 56 (Generation X) say they discover British brands through YouTube advertising.

Influencers are more popular with millennials and Generation Z than any other age group. Almost one in five millennials is most likely to find UK brands through Instagram influencers (19%) or TikTok influencers (18%). Generation Z respondents are also responsive to influencers, with 12% discovering UK brands through Instagram influencers and 16% through TikTok influencers. Although these are the groups more driven than other age groups by influencers, Search remains their most common way of finding British brands, as cited by 30% of millennial respondents and 29% from Generation Z.

The latest survey follows BOXpoll data released in May which found one in four (25%) Generation Z shoppers and more than one in five (22%) millennials in the US buy from UK online retailers at least once a month, presenting an exciting new revenue stream for UK sellers.

Georges Berzgal, Senior Vice President International – Pitney Bowes Global Ecommerce, said: “The size of the US market and the appeal of British brands present a fantastic growth opportunity to UK retailers, but sellers must laser-focus their sales strategies and provide an outstanding cross-border delivery experience with fully-landed costs, real-time tracking and estimated delivery dates in order to succeed.”

Preferences by generation

Generation Z (born between 1997 and 2012)

Search is the most commonly stated channel for younger US consumers to discover UK brands, cited by 29%, followed closely by TikTok advertising (27%). 21% say they find brands through YouTube advertising, and the same percentage discover UK through personal recommendations. One in five (20%) US Generation Z shoppers is introduced to UK brands through online marketplaces. 16% find brands through TikTok influencers and the same number through YouTube and Facebook advertising.

Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996)

30% of US millennials in the poll find UK brands through Search, 29% through marketplaces and one in four (25%) is influenced by Facebook advertising. 21% cite YouTube advertising, and 19% find UK brands through Instagram influencers or TikTok advertising. 18% say their purchases are generated by TikTok influencers or Instagram advertising.

Generation X (born between 1965 and 1980)

YouTube advertising is the most popular channel in introducing Generation X buyers to UK brands, cited by more than one in three (34%). Search and Facebook advertising were cited by 30%, and 27% cited online marketplaces. One in five (20%) were influenced by Instagram adverts. 17% cited recommendations from other people, and 14% were driven by TikTok advertising. Influencers had less impact on this group, with 12% saying Instagram influencers drove their purchases, and 8% citing TikTok influencers.

Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964)

Almost one in two (48%) in the BOXpoll survey find British brands through online marketplaces. Nearly one in three (29%) find UK sellers through Search, and more than one in four (26%) through Facebook advertising. 15% discover them through recommendations from other people.

The data is announced following the recent launch of Designed Cross-Border services from Pitney Bowes, created to make ecommerce logistics easier for UK retailers and helping them to deliver a cross-border experience to the US and Canada, which replicates the best domestic experience.

 

Majority striving for Event-Driven Architecture

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Solace, a leader in powering real-time event-driven enterprises, has announced the results of an industry-first survey on event-driven architecture (EDA), shedding light on how organisations are striving to incorporate real-time data and event-driven architecture into their IT landscape.

Led by independent research firm Coleman Parkes, the global survey of 840 respondents, in roles ranging from C-Suite to IT architecture, discovered:

  • The majority of organisations, 85%, recognise the critical business value in adopting EDA
  • Adoption is still ‘early days’, as only 13% claim to have achieved full EDA maturity
  • The IT department is bought in, but more work needs to be done with business leadership

Gartner asserts “as the mastery of EDA is essential to digital business, and achieving this mastery is a multistep process, application leaders — still lacking a plan of action for strategic use of EDA — must begin now.” *

The findings show the majority of organisations surveyed clearly recognise the value of EDA and know what they want to achieve with it. The top priorities for EDA implementation were as follows:

  • Improving application responsiveness (46%)
  • Improving customer experiences (44%)
  • Responding to events and changes in real-time (43%)

Overall, 71% of businesses see the benefits of EDA outweighing the costs, or at least equalling them. This is partly driven by what businesses stand to lose by failure to invest in real-time data capabilities. With a lack of EDA, businesses are most concerned at the following outcomes:

  • Decision-making based on inconsistent & out of data information (46%)
  • Prevention of rapid response to threats and opportunities (45%)
  • Hindered ability to innovate (44%)

“The appetite for real-time data sharing as a means of coping with constantly changing landscapes is increasing. Businesses are under unprecedented pressure, with shifting customer demands pushing them into adapting and innovating,” said Mychelle Mollot, chief marketing officer, Solace. “For many, a business model underpinned by event-driven architecture has already proven its value, the benefits by far outweigh the costs, and they are on the way to implementing EDA across a variety of use cases.”

EDA maturity: early days to adoption

Despite high levels of enthusiasm for EDA, just 13% of global businesses surveyed claim to have made it to the ‘promised land’ of full EDA maturity. For those still on the journey, a number of obstacles lie in their way:

  • 75% of organisations cite lack of adequate technology as a key roadblock to EDA
  • 59% say they haven’t yet identified the right tools and vendors to meet their needs
  • A lack of education on the benefits (38%) or talent to execute implementation (37%) were also notable obstacles

Furthermore, for EDA to succeed, the survey found organisations need greater buy-in at the business leadership level. On the IT side, 61% already appreciate the value of real-time event-driven data distribution, pointing at an appetite for EDA. This number, however, drops off to just 35% when looking at business roles, where decision makers might have a harder time reconciling how the bottom line can benefit from EDA.

“Whatever their level of maturity, organisations know they must face some common challenges, which centre around education, skills, and efficiency,” added Mollot. “Crucially, IT already knows the possibilities of EDA: now is the time to prove the value to the bottom line and bring business leadership onboard.”

CLICK HERE to read Solace’s The Great EDA Migration report.

* Source: Gartner “Maturity Model for Event-Driven Architecture”, Yefim Natis, Massimo Pezzini, Keith Guttridge, Roy Schulte, 30th November 2020.

Dunkerque scores highly in port user survey

Posted on by Keith McKinley

AUTF, the French shippers’ trade association (representing importers and exporters from all over France), has revealed its satisfaction index of the shippers’ perception of maritime transport. The document is the result of a survey entrusted to Eurogroup Consulting and carried out among a panel of industrial shippers and distributors from the chemical, agrifood and distribution sectors.

For the second consecutive year, the Port of Dunkerque has been clearly congratulated:

Whilst 57% of the participants in the panel were “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with French port communities in general, the figure reached 88% where Dunkerque is concerned.

67% of the participants believe that the level of service quality in the Dunkerque port community is improving, while 33% consider it stable.

The panel ranked Dunkerque-Port at the top of the most commercially active ports for shippers.

The measures implemented in recent years such as reverse charge VAT, the H24 customs clearance services in advance of unloading, the opening of the Cargo Community System (CCS) and even “the pooling of Terminal Handling Charges (THC)” have been prime movers in the continuous improvement initiative for the handling of goods.

Similarly, during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Port of Dunkerque as a whole took every step required to ensure port operations continued as normal while preserving the health of employees present on the quays.

Maurice Georges, Chairman of the Executive Board of Dunkerque-Port, commented: “In this period marked by major economic uncertainty, the Port Community of Dunkerque is delighted by the results of the survey and would like to warmly thank the shippers for their renewed confidence.”

 

Descartes’ research highlights impact of delivery experience

Posted on by David Priestman

Descartes Systems Group, a global leader in uniting logistics-intensive businesses in commerce, has published the findings of its Consumer Online Delivery Research, which set out to assess consumers’ online purchasing experiences across Europe.

Undertaken by SAPIO Research during July 2021, the interviews with consumers across Europe highlighted that quality of the delivery service is undermining overall customer perception of both delivery companies and retailers – leading to lost sales. The research concludes that retailers need to take ownership of the end-to-end experience, in order to address consumer expectations regarding tracking and communication; safe delivery and ease of return; and, increasingly, environmental considerations.

Key findings include:

  • The quality of the experience has been far from perfect: just 16% of UK consumers are satisfied with the delivery service every time.
  • Over two thirds (68%) have had an issue with delivery in the last three months – and, as a result, 24% lost trust in a delivery company and 24% lost trust in the retailer.
  • Over a third (37%) of consumers also share their perception of both delivery company and retailer with friends and family – creating a ripple effect that rapidly undermines consumer perception.
  • 71% of European consumers consider the environment when making an online order.
  • Almost a third are interested in bulking all orders to one weekly delivery.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the proportion of purchases made online has grown from an average of 32% to 43% and is expected to remain at 41% for the foreseeable future. More than half (51%) of consumers have increased the number of purchases they make online, and 51% now make an online purchase at least once a fortnight – almost double the number (28%) pre-pandemic.

Despite these statistics, the research findings underline the fact that deliveries are failing to achieve complete customer satisfaction, with nearly nine in ten (87%) customers not always satisfied with the delivery services received. With satisfaction rates even lower for consumers who have reduced their online buying behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic, the implications of inadequate delivery experiences cannot be overlooked.

Timing is the biggest issue for home deliveries – with two in three (68%) UK consumers reporting a delivery problem in the last three months. Delivery problems radically affect customer perception – and not just of the delivery company. While almost a quarter (24%) lost trust in the delivery company, 24% also lost trust in the retailer and 23% did not buy from that retailer again.

Given that many consumers were a captive audience during COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, these delivery problems should raise serious alarm bells for retailers. With just 16% of UK consumers confirming they are totally satisfied with the delivery service, a company’s ability to meet its delivery promises will become increasingly important to reinforce the quality of customer experience and maximise the chances of customer retention.

Questions retailers should, therefore, be seriously considering, include:

  • How proactively is the retailer tracking delivery performance?
  • What is the strategy for managing spiralling delivery costs and optimising driver time?
  • What is the strategy for meeting customers’ environmental expectations? Can the delivery model support bulk orders and green scheduling? Are the right vehicles being automatically assigned to deliver in Clean Air Zones?

Pol Sweeney, VP Sales and Business Manager UK, Descartes, comments: “Consumers will not return to pre-pandemic shopping habits; having become used to the convenience of ecommerce, online purchasing will continue to dominate. Individuals have become far more confident and sophisticated online over the past 18 months and expectations have risen, leading retailers to enhance the online experience, but as this research reveals, the quality of the delivery service is undermining the overall customer perception and leading to lost sales.

“Retailers that take ownership of the entire end-to-end experience and truly optimise the delivery process have the opportunity to transform customer perceptions, drive additional sales and, critically, entice customers from poorer performing competitors.”

Survey: e-commerce consumers have high delivery expectations

Posted on by Keith McKinley

GreyOrange, a global software provider that leverages artificial intelligence, machine learning and smart robots to optimise fulfilment operations, has revealed the results of a new survey which shows that almost half (45%) of consumers across EMEA expect online orders to be delivered within two days.

The survey, which polled 1,500 consumers from the U.K. and Benelux, found that the pandemic has accelerated consumers’ demand for immediacy when it comes to delivery options, and that poor and slow delivery options are impacting their choice of retailer. Almost half (49%) of the respondents agree that shipping and delivery options are factors they consider when making a purchasing decision, with the 45% claiming they expect their order to arrive within two days.

More than half of the consumers (57%) stated that three late orders would be enough to put them off purchasing from the same retailer again. Yet, despite this 22% of consumers stated that up to three-quarters of their online orders were delivered late last year.

With four-in-five (79%) consumers shifting the majority of their shopping to online during the pandemic, and almost half (45%) claiming they expect to keep their shopping online post-pandemic, these findings emphasise the importance of fast and efficient fulfilment as retailers look to kickstart their post-pandemic survival.

Terrie O’Hanlon, Chief Marketing Officer GreyOrange, said: “These survey results emphasise the importance of fast and efficient fulfilment operations. Consumers are spoilt for choice when it comes to making a purchase, with an abundance of different retailers all able to deliver to them the same, or similar, products.

“This means offering a strong customer experience, which includes delivery options that meet the customer’s expectation, is an even more important factor for retailers to consider as they look to retain current customers and attract new ones.”

“Retailers need to have a resilient and agile fulfilment operation in place that enables them to pivot seamlessly between channels to meet consumer demand – whether that be in-store, online, or a mix with buy-online, pick-up in-store or at-curb or at-locker. Without this, the data suggests retailers will be simply be left behind,” O’Hanlon added.

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