Let real-time customer data inform your entire value chain

December 3, 2019

By Timo Pyykönen, Manager, Solution Design

What would it mean for your business if every decision related to sales, production, and logistics planning was based on real-time customer behavior data? As we’ll see below, it could mean a lot.

Sub-optimal production and logistics chains have always caused major headaches that impact the bottom line – especially the food and chemical industries – where product life cycles are short, delivery times are urgent, and timely transportation is crucial. Now, however, it’s possible to optimize value chains with real-time customer data that captures when, where, and how much customers buy your products.

The Internet of Things (IoT), Data Analytics, and Artificial Intelligence are what makes the difference together with SAP S/4HANA enabled real time data. When companies connect these rapidly developing technologies in one system to let real-time customer behavior inform their value chains, decisions get smarter, faster.

Improved efficiency in all data-driven processes

Let’s take a look at how one company is using real-time consumer data to optimize its value chain.

Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company equipped thousands of its retail beverage coolers with sensors to capture data on power, light status, and temperature. In addition to providing always up to date diagnostics on cooler performance and maintenance needs, these IoT sensors enable the company to record actual consumer behavior – in the form of data on door openings – that are the starting point for valuable business insights.

By combining the IoT data with other point of sale information – and through advanced analytics powered by artificial intelligence – the company gains significant competitive advantages. Now, real-time information helps managers understand more precisely when and where consumers want which beverages, thus enabling more efficient logistics, sales, and production planning. The information helps technicians identify failing coolers more quickly and predict maintenance needs more reliably. And managers are even using the data to create new business opportunities.

Better data analytics creates new opportunities – and improved top and bottom lines

Armed with increasingly insightful data, marketers at Coca-Cola HBC are now able to customize promotional offers, including highly targeted near-me driven promotions, cross-selling opportunities, and new product trials.

Coca-Cola is at the forefront of game-changing digitalization, and the results are impressive. The company estimates that its data-driven efforts to optimize the value chain account for a sales increase of 10% and improved operational efficiency of 20%.

Atos Codex help large and small companies use data in transformative ways

SAP S/4HANA is the obvious answer to real time data challenge. Coordinating IoT sensors, data analytics and artificial intelligence is a complex task for companies. They need to have a solid grasp of multiple rapidly advancing technologies and negotiate a range of commercial contracts.

Atos Codex simplifies this task by delivering a comprehensive ecosystem of technologies, processes, and competences right out of the box. A connected asset ecosystem, Atos Codex is a complete portfolio for data-driven business transformation. With its proven methodologies, design labs, and open platform, it gets companies’ digital transformation up and running quickly and with minimal risk.

Your company does not have to produce beverages sold from connected coolers to gain the same competitive advantages. Similar solutions are transforming other industries, and both large and small companies are leading the way. Some connect coffee machines, others store shelves, or trucks.

No matter how your value chain works, we encourage you to learn more about the powerful advantages of connecting customer data to business analytics and artificial intelligence.