As retail switches from mass generalisation to hyper personalisation, telecommunications giant Vodacom is seeking partners across the retail ecosystem – from customers to other players in the digitalisation space – to co-create differentiated experiences for customers.

With the digital revolution shifting the business approach to a more flexible customer-centric model, as customer experiences through technology and digitalisation are evolving and altering customer loyalty, retailers are increasingly ‘at the mercy’ of the consumer experience that has hyper- personalisation at its core.

“By implementing multidimensional digital solutions, we can ensure that technology plugs existing gaps and succeeds in playing a critical role in the growth of retail and logistics enterprises,” says Vodacom large enterprise managing executive officer Nkululeko Magadla.

His comments follow a retail and logistics vertical industry engagement that touched on the fundamentals of securing the future success of businesses through multidimensional, innovative solutions.

“Consistent with our Vison 2020, digitalisation is at the core of our stated intent of enabling a connected society. It provides opportunities to drive positive social change in areas such as education, healthcare, financial services, retail and agriculture,” he says.

The topics also focused on the digital world of logistics and explored issues around communication optimisation, securing and tracking assets and how digital solutions can assist in managing and developing a business’ workforce.

“Digital transformation is not just about technology – it is about business revolution. Strategy and culture are important, as they will drive the ability for businesses to embrace this technology and help optimise business processes – this is all vital. Businesses that do not drive this change will get driven by this change and ultimately be disrupted,” Mint Management Technologies sales executive Pani Harito says.

IoT.nxt chief sales officer Andre Strauss adds that a new era of business has come and working in isolation will just not “cut it anymore”.