Getting Back to the Basics with Rod Sides, Global Leader of Deloitte Insights & Vice Chairman, US Retail and Distribution Leader

This episode features an interview with Rod Sides, Global Leader of Deloitte Insights & Vice Chairman, US Retail and Distribution Leader. For over 25 years, Rod has helped guide retailers as they navigate uncertainty, compete globally, and improve performance and profitability, creating efficient operations from top to bottom.

On this episode, Rod discusses the importance of getting back to the basics, why only 3 in 10 retail executives feel they have a handle on digital technology, and the rise of the data war.

3 Takeaways:

• Technology investments should focus on creating convenience for the consumer rather than being about the shiny new project. Driving top-line comes from having things like inventory integrity in place, not magic mirrors or AR.
• At the same time, embracing back-office technologies like bots frees up employees to focus on more significant tasks. It is a reinvestment in their capabilities to do higher-level work.
• From a customer-facing perspective, is it time to use a SaaS-type model to be able to chase Big Tech? This is a question many retail leaders will have to ask themselves as they continue to try and differentiate from the competition.

Key Quotes: 

• “We talk about how to win in retail. If you’re not going to win on price, then you better win on service.”
• “The new battleground is going to be around data and data efficiency and using that data at a micro level to be able to understand the trends and what we need to do around that. We’ve spent a lot of time fighting for customers. We’ve fought for real estate. To me, the war of the future in retail is the data war.”
• “It’s not about the shiny object and the new capability that everyone adopts. It’s about the utility of the technology to make it easier for the customer.”

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This podcast is presented by Dell Technologies and Intel. Together they help you realize digital transformation across retail by driving IT innovation to better engage with today’s connected consumer. Learn more at DellTechnologies.com/retail and Intel.com/retail.