From interface chaos to an orderly system landscape
The customer decides for himself how and where he buys or pays, where the product is delivered or where he returns it. “While the customer benefits from a smooth purchase across different sales channels, e-commerce with its complex processes poses great challenges for retailers. Comparable to an iceberg, most of which is below the surface of the water, the IT with its diverse backend processes remains hidden from the customer," explains Martin Öztürk, Sales Consultant at ROQQIO. A powerful API interface is a prerequisite for the customer to have a smooth shopping experience. APIs are not only used for the integration of systems, but also provide central functions for other systems such as online shops or apps. They enable a central view of data and the provision of functions - without having to reintroduce them for each device.
As the number of sales channels increases, retailers are bound to expand their shipping warehouse options. Several systems are often used, such as ERP and financial accounting, stock levels, payment methods, shipping and return options. The IT infrastructure is growing and the requirements are high: the best quality of service, constantly updated stock levels (to prevent overselling), the fast connection of new marketplaces, optimal customer communication, the selection of the most suitable shipping warehouse and the processing of orders in different data formats. “The iceberg is getting bigger and bigger under the water surface. A solution like the ROQQIO Commerce Cloud decouples the inventory systems from the online world, homogenizes all data formats and functions like a single integration. It doesn't matter which and how many online channels are used," says Martin Öztürk.
Large, established companies in particular carry a burdensome IT infrastructure on their shoulders compared to start-ups. The old IT with its many interfaces is complex, can no longer satisfactorily master both organizational and structural challenges and is slowing down fast-paced e-commerce. The ROQQIO Commerce Cloud allows e-commerce to act independently of the existing IT and thus simplifies the technical infrastructure according to the motto "Best of Breed" without having to replace it. In this way, all processes in different systems can be optimally and smoothly interlinked and mapped uniformly. All data, including all relevant transaction data, is synchronized and ERP, CRM, logistics or financial accounting systems are connected. Special third-party systems, for example for personalization, automatic text generation, PIM or logistics systems, are also easy to integrate.
With the ROQQIO solution as middleware, a previous interface chaos becomes an optimally organized system landscape. Merchants can once again keep up with the speed of ever-changing e-commerce, the business becomes scalable and the possibilities of an online pure player are open. Because every order, regardless of the touchpoint, is harmonized in terms of its data format and passed on to the downstream systems. All functions and information are provided centrally - for example, the same return options can be offered via the online shop, the app or the checkout. New channels, such as marketplaces, can also be connected quickly if required.
The ROQQIO Commerce Cloud also shows enormous potential in terms of logistics. The system uses a routing algorithm to select the optimal warehouse for each individual shipment. Selection is based on data such as the utilization of a warehouse, inventory, proximity to the end customer or the cheapest shipping option. If necessary, the order is split and several warehouses are used. "This not only brings a speed advantage - oversales and dissatisfied customers are also reduced to a minimum," says Martin Öztürk.
About ROQQIO
ROQQIO offers software solutions and concepts for the implementation of the customer journey in omnichannel retail. The portfolio includes systems for merchandise control, POS and the enterprise SaaS application ROQQIO Commerce Cloud. This manages different sales channels and controls complex backend processes, including order management, payment and logistics. The combination of these stationary and online technologies enables a seamless omnichannel experience. Processes such as Click & Collect or the exchange of goods bought online in the branch work smoothly. More than 1,500 companies already trust in the services and solutions of the commerce experts from ROQQIO.
