SAP is to deepen its partnership with GK Software SE targeting the Retail industry. SAP and GK Software have already worked together on nearly 100 joint projects including Hornbach, Telekom Shop and Smyths Toys. The SAP press release falls short of detailing the exact nature of how the relationship will evolve. It states: “It will be strengthened with a renewed focus on trends and innovations in cloud technologies, experience management, artificial intelligence and mobile applications within the retail sector.”
GK Software already offers several products to Retail business, they include:
- SAP Store solutions by GK: Developed by GK and based on SAP NetWaver SAP also sells these solutions direct.
- Cloud4retail : A fully managed POS in the cloud, either SAP HANA or Microsoft Cloud.
- GK Omni-Channel Personalization: Leverages AI delivers integrated customer experience across multiple channels and from marketing through to pricing to point of sale.
GK Software is also launching a new Retail excellence centre to address the requirements of retail organisations from small to large. This will include experts from both GK Software and SAP to help prospects and customer leverage modern technology.
GK CEO Rainer Gläss commented: “The strategic partnership with SAP has enabled us to bring our solutions into a complete offering for the retail industry. With a dedicated focus on expanding our cloud capability offerings as well as the retail excellence center, we will proactively anticipate new trends and develop industry-oriented solutions together.”
One area where GK Software may enhance its offerings is through integration with Qualtrics, delivering its CX capabilities to retail.
Enterprise Times: What does this mean
The market for Retail technology it seems is hotting up despite the doom and gloom about bricks and mortar retailing. The reason? Only through the adoption of technology and new business models are retailers likely to survive in the future. If retail organisations do not adopt omnichannel technology, they will need to have a compelling service offering or alternative business model to avoid disruption by competitors and new entrants to their market.
According to a recent report by PWC the market is not shrinking, but growth is slow. Organisations need to look at three key areas of focus:
- Investment in technology.
- Ruthless efficiency across your operating model.
- A fresh look at your corporate structure, ensuring the company is omnichannel prepared.
SAP and GK Software are not the only ones to identify this. Fortude recently announced Fashion Retail-in-a-box which delivers a complete and rapidly deployed solution for fashion houses. Using Infor CloudSuite Fashion and other applications it covers supplychain, manufacturing, distribution, and omnichannel including eCommerce and in store.
This extended partnership gives retailers a comprehensive option to consider, but it isn’t the only one available.
