Agenda

Welcome to  ISG's Virtual TechXchange: Retail/CPG - an immersive, two-day event that unearths what it takes to prepare your organization for a new era of commerce given the impact of COVID-19 and the promise of a vaccine. Through thought-provoking keynote presentations and interactive panel sessions, attendees will gain insight and a deep understanding of how to optimize your supply chain, monetize your assets, use data and analytics to capitalize on shifts in consumer behavior and implement workforce agility to unearth what it takes to turn today's disruption into an opportunity. ISG's Mike Witty will set the stage for the day, before taking a look at the direction these two industries are heading.

This last decade has been characterized by the introduction of 4G, social media and mobile services. These technologies have given rise to a new minimum in terms of customer experience. Customers expect ease of use, friendly and empathic staff, omnichannel services and competitive prices. In the years to come, customer experience will reach a whole new level. Naturally, technology (5G, quantum computing, robotics and AI) will play a key role in customer expectations, but it goes way beyond that. Invisible and automatic interfaces will become a necessity but the ultimate ease of use will no longer be enough to come out on top. Automation is but the first step. But what if customers start to have expectations that go beyond convenience? In addition, companies will have to play an active role in their customers’ life journey. As a company how can you help consumers’ dreams come true and eliminate the obstacles in their day-to-day lives? And finally, companies have the opportunity to tackle concrete world problems together with the customer. The world is facing unprecedented challenges: climate, healthcare, government budget deficits, mobility… How can a company involve its customers in the solution to these problems? The combination of automation, being a partner in consumers’ lives and solving actual social issues will be the guiding principles for the successful business of the next decade. For consumers, the combination of all these elements constitutes an offer they can’t refuse.

The pandemic is accelerating massive change in the CPG and Retail industry.  This transformation – at the nexus of tech-enabled disruption and social change – is accelerating the D2C agenda into a more streamlined, data driven, and direct with consumer way of doing business.

The team at Idea Couture - a leading strategic innovation, customer insights, and experience design partner at Cognizant Interactive - recently conducted a global Human-Futures scan unearthing 100+ signals of change to understand the impact of this disruptive shift on the direct to consumer (D2C) model for CPG brands and retailers. 

Maya Oczeretko, Human-Centric Design Lead, will share key insights to help CPG and retail brand leaders effectively capture the opportunity within this challenging time - to create intimate relationships with consumers while reasserting the strategic advantage of scale and distribution. With the crisis accelerating consumers’ demand for value and reliance on digital, now is the time to take advantage of this transformation.

As the coronavirus pandemic spreads across the globe, threatening both lives and livlihoods, Retail and CPG companies continue to play an important role: producing essential items we all rely on for our health and well-being. At ISG, we notice five trends that have emerged during the crisis that we anticipate will persist long after its over. From price unstable economic markets, redefinitions of purpose, evolving shifts in consumer expectations and shopping behaviors, to new delivery channels, your organisation has no choice but to adapt in order to ensure your survival. 

In this session, ISG’s Mike Witty will offer the following key takeaways:

•   Discover the steps you need to take in order to strengthen your position within the market
•   Understand how to build a resilient supply chain
•   How to establish a new level of productivity
•   Set trigger points that drive your organization to act at the right time. 

The right steps will ensure that your emerge stronger from the crisis and be well positioned to success in the next normal. 

UNTUCKit’s Chief Product & Supply Chain Officer, Bjorn Bengtsson joins ISG’s Mike Witty for a captivating conversation about the state of the retail market. With over 30 years in the industry, Bjorn shares his take on the state of the industry and his considerations for key areas of focus for any retailer in today’s climate. 

Key takeaways from this session include: 

• Redistribution of labor – from the shop floor to customer service 
• Last-mile delivery in the lead up to Christmas 
• Managing stock visibility throughout supply chain limitations
• How to build a digitally native eCommerce company 
• From COVID-19 to Xinjiang – navigating the next supply chain disruption
• Upstreaming your supply chain 
• The growing pressure to become a sustainable brand over the next 10 years 

You need the right supply chain capabilities to capitalize on new digital revenue opportunities, yet fewer than half of organizations designing digital supply chains are building such capabilities. They are instead focused on closing existing process gaps for short-term gain. What are the transformative capabilities essential for digital business success? How do you know what solutions will deliver the most value to your organization? How can you transform data into meaningful insights and potential new revenue streams?

These sessions provide demonstrations of innovative and cutting-edge technologies that are helping to shape the future of business.

Join us for a live discussion from Cognizant as they discuss: Resetting the Digital Agenda 
With the future unknown, it is imperative to evaluate your technology strategy. Learn how to stop putting it off and implement a strategy quickly.

2020 has changed shopping habits rapidly and fundamentally, leaving consumer packaged goods and retail industries to adapt and rise to meet the needs of consumers, who are not only altering what they’re buying, but also how they’re buying. A consumer-focused approach will remain crucial as this crisis continues and consumers make this online world the new normal. Learn how retail and CPG organizations should continue to be vigilant and align with the next generation of the shopping experience.

Change in the consumer goods industry is accelerating as online sales continue their rapid growth. With face-to-face consumer engagement becoming nearly non-existent , companies have had to increase the quantity and range of products available through digital technology to meet the growing expectations of what their consumers seek. This new normal creates possibilities for new and small retail entrants to compete against bigger retailers. How can you utilize digital technologies like VR (virtual reality) to give consumers the ability to virtual shop from the comfort of their homes? What actions should you focus on in order to ensure growth in the coming months? Are you taking advantage of the right CX platforms and analytics? And how do you ensure that you're adapting to the ever-changing expectations of your consumers?

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning sound great, but what's really needed most? Joe Wilson, Chief Technology Officer -- North America at Workday, argues that engagement is a requirement to bridge from outdated systems of record to aspirational systems of intelligence. By participating in this session, you'll "cross the chasm" between truths we accept within the consumer space and gain insight into what truly matters in the business domain.