| | December 20168Consultants ReviewIN MY OPINIONRenu currently works with Cap Gemini and leads delivery for large portfolio. Prior to this, she has worked for Citi for nearly 2 years in Global Technology strategy function to provide delivery governance for global outsourced portfolios. upply Chain management has come a long way since 1990s and digital technologies transforming its evolution. This is the single-largest trigger for the consumer interaction through the mobile device.This article touches upon the evolution of supply chain configurations based the impact of business and technology trends on supply chain management and on the way customers transaction is influencing the backend buying process.Non-Linear Journey of Customer in Buying ProcessThe consumers have evolved from transacting in a single channel to a multi-channel environment. This evolution to omni-channel retailing has facilitated cross-channeling, flexible customer journeys and brand reinforcement. The customer in digital age follows a non-linear journey and for a single transaction navigates across various store forms (Physical out-of-store, Digital Out of Store), (At Home, On-the go, Digital In-Store), (Own device, In-store devices, Physical In-store). Take an example where a customer looks at a product in a physical catalog / printed ad, Scans the QR code to get further details on product and options, checks online social media feedback on the go, goes to physical store and talks to a purchase consultant and checks demo of the products, leverages web analytics data and recommends options/accessories suitable. Now the in-store assistant uses a kiosk to check availability of recommended accessories in the store or at other stores, in case the product is not available in-house. The customer then uses his/her own tablet device, barcode scanner and payment wallet to place the order. He also has the choice to en-cash his/her coupons. Finally the item is picked up the same day from another store and delivered to the door. Suppose, one of the accessories does not perform as intended the malfunctioning item is collected from home. Customer gives feedback about this on customer service portal. Loyalty points are also credited. One can see that the customer has navigated across multiple channels for one single transaction.Some of the emerging trends in business and technology that will influence the next cycle of change in supply chain management are:Business Trends ­ Blurring of boundaries between industries ­ Telecom, Financial Services, Retail, Contiguous By Renu Rajani, VP, Capgemini IndiaDIGITAL TECHNOLOGIESSHAPING THE FUTURE OF SUPPLY CHAINSS
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