Modern Application Framework for the Retail Enterprise

Windows 8 Solution Guidance

Modern Application Framework for the Retail Enterprise

Published: January 13, 2014

Written by: Vic Miles

Microsoft Retail Solutions

Kevin Raines

Microsoft Consulting Services

Dave Morehouse

Microsoft Consulting Services

More information For more information about the Microsoft approach to modern application development in retail and other industries, please refer http://www.microsoft.com/enus/microsoftservices/modern_applications.aspx . If you have any questions or comments, or would like a Microsoft representative to talk with you about your business needs, contact us today at http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftservices/contact.aspx

© 2014 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. This white paper is for informational purposes only and is provided “as-is.” MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY. Information and views expressed in this document, including URL and other Internet Web site references, may change without notice. You bear the risk of using it. Some examples depicted herein are provided for illustration purposes only and are fictitious. No real association or connection is intended or should be inferred. This white paper does not provide you with any legal rights to any intellectual property in and to any Microsoft product. You may copy and use this document for your internal, reference purposes.

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Contents 1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................1 1.1 Purpose .................................................................................................................1 1.2 Audience................................................................................................................1 1.3 Value proposition ..................................................................................................1 2 Framework Fundamentals ..............................................................................................3 2.1 Modern app pillars ................................................................................................3 2.2 Attributes of the modern app framework ............................................................3 2.3 Managing the fundamental connections ..............................................................5 3 Understanding Users in Context .....................................................................................7 3.1 Retail user types and functional needs .................................................................7 3.2 Integrated workflow scenario ...............................................................................8 4 Implementation Reference .......................................................................................... 13 4.1 Model implementations ..................................................................................... 13 4.2. Reference application ....................................................................................... 14 5 Implementation Considerations .................................................................................. 15 5.1 App development essentials .............................................................................. 15 5.2 Developing for multiple devices & platforms .................................................... 15 6 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 16

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1 Introduction Microsoft has developed an initial framework and reference model for using touch-first, modern applications—or “modern apps”—to interface effectively with existing and new operational systems. This framework consists of a highly intuitive combination of modern devices, apps, and cloud-based services that can help modernize and transform in-store retail operations. We present here the principles and best practices of this framework, and provide examples that illustrate how enterprise retailers today can apply it to their environments to enhance in-store workflow, improve service efficiency and costeffectiveness, and deliver a highly differentiated, exceptional customer experience.

1.1 Purpose This document is intended as guidance to retail enterprises on the effective implementation of modern devices, running modern applications, to improve overall store operations.

1.2 Audience The primary audiences for this document are business decision makers in the retail industry as well as IT professionals who plan, design, and implement retail branch IT infrastructures. This guide may also be effective for professionals in the following roles: 

Business operations managers who define workflows for maximum efficiency



Technical decision makers who determine the appropriate technology for their businesses



IT architects who define strategies to provide appropriate service levels to meet the business needs of their organizations



Consultants and partners who recommend or implement mobile application best practices to achieve an effective sales enablement processes

1.3 Value proposition The value of delivering solutions using this framework may differ for business decisions makers (BDMs) and technical decision makers (TDMs). For the BDM, this framework offers: 

Increased speed and fluidity of in-store business processes.



The option of using existing Microsoft Office productivity programs.



A unified communications implementation that includes the capability for voice, video, instant messaging, and alerts. 1



Offline viewing and management of frequently used files.



The ability to leverage existing Web assets and wrap them in a modern app experience.

The TDM, on the other hand, will find the value of this framework in: 

Device security and centralized management.



Identity-sharing across all apps using Active Directory.



A managed application environment that supports workflow and reduces training needs.



The way it leverages and extends existing Web assets.

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2 Framework Fundamentals Modern applications, which are also referred to as native applications, have many advantages; some of which are listed above. There are also some differences that can be seen as limitations by traditional application designers. The Microsoft Windows 8 platform addresses many of the differences and enables the creation of a seamless workflow that provides a more intuitive interaction among common workflow tasks. We refer to the collection of best practices as the Retail Modern App Framework. You will see that the framework can be applied to any work environment where a defined set of capabilities needs to be delivered to users without requiring extensive training on the use of the system or a rigid workflow for achieving the tasks.

2.1 Modern app pillars There are three, fundamental pillars for modern app design: 

Users: Modern apps are designed to be customized for specific users and require a means of identifying each user to effectively present appropriate content for the next step in a workflow.



Devices: Modern apps are designed for specific device types that are used on a daily basis by the intended user roles.



User scenarios: Modern retail store apps are designed to facilitate a specifically defined workflow. This includes store management scenarios.

These three pillars are core to the value proposition for any organization considering investment in devices running modern apps, as they are required to deliver increased worker productivity, time to value, and business transformation. Modern apps are targeted solutions that drive specific business metrics. Accordingly, they are not well suited for one-size-fits-all paradigms or the so-called “super user.” See section 3.2 for an example scenario of a modern app.

2.2 Attributes of the modern app framework The key attributes of the modern app framework include: 

App consolidation: Apps are grouped into a single launching point to decrease complexity and increase productivity.



Asset consolidation: Workflow combines all available assets whether they are on the Web, in another app, or other content.



Managed navigation: Apps provide clear navigation along the workflow and back to the main menu.

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

Context linking: Apps should support deep-linking to all required areas of the app. 

For example, selecting an item should link to the item in a product catalog app. Users should not have to manually move from an exception report or task to the catalog app.



Further, apps should be treated as single-source services—the catalog app should not be duplicated to provide product-lookup functionality to a different part of the workflow.



Predictive intelligence: Apps should provide workflow recommendations based on various internal and external data sources to improve effectiveness.

It’s important to call out that a modern app may be singular in nature, or may be a consolidation that connects disparate apps to enhance worker productivity across multiple areas. The interaction between applications is critical to managing the retail workflow. The concept of best path navigation through a particular workflow is what allows simplified, purpose-built apps to act as services to each other, which permits more complex workflows. Best path navigation allows a process to begin from the moment the need to perform a task in that process arises. For example, when you click on a phone number on a Web page the system doesn't display a prompt instructing you to open the communications app (such as Microsoft Lync); rather, it makes a programmatic call to it and passes the phone number to dial. True efficiency is gained by reducing the friction between processes. While the retail inventory management process can be kept very distinct from the product marketing process that a sales associate performs, the customer should be able to easily request information from the associate that requires knowledge and access to inventory management data. Typical questions may include: 

"When will you get more of those red blouses?"



"I need 10 of these items, do you have them in stock?"



"This product is broken, how can I exchange it for another?”

Achieving this level of connection between modern applications improves efficiency and empowers employees. Microsoft’s modern app framework enables enterprises to deliver workflow-specific apps that can leverage other apps to support end-to-end workflow. Developing solutions in this way requires some forethought but does not constrain the system, the developer, or the user. In fact, the connected nature of the modern app framework requires very little

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from the user in order to provide the application the necessary context to interpret the action the user intends to complete.

2.3 Managing the fundamental connections There are three types of connection points that a modern app needs to be able to represent, integrate, and manage: 

Identity: Whether that of customers or employees. For example, knowing an employee’s identity, job role, and location is necessary to provide intelligent recommendations for stocking shelves or offering customers discount and offer recommendations.



Content: Examples include item number, customer number, and employee number. As long as content (such as product, advertisement, instruction documentation) is codified with appropriate metadata, including unique identifiers, the system can then target recommendations to the employee or customer.



Context: The application needs to react appropriately to the intent of the user’s actions. For example, if a store associate is talking to a known customer, the app can further refine the recommendations it provides to the associate and increase the probability of making the sale.

Seamless, consistent, and efficient management of these three connection points, separately and in combination as business needs dictate, is the primary objective of the modern app framework. The key benefits to retail businesses are: 

Single interface for all tasks associated in a workflow



Reduced need for training due to familiar, intuitive, and context-sensitive interface



Controlled set of tasks in the app workflow



Identity and role recognized from a single login throughout the workflow



Reduction in app support and management requirements

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

Centralized cloud content management

How this plays out in real-world application design is ultimately a function of understanding where the boundaries and areas of overlap are between user types (or personas) and use cases (or scenarios).

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3 Understanding Users in Context Microsoft has identified several common scenarios (or use cases) that benefit from enterprise devices deployed as functional enablers to existing workflows. Through interviews and analysis of several global retail brands we have identified three distinct personas (personas, user types, and roles are terms that we use for present purposes more or less interchangeably) and a basic set of functional capabilities broadly applicable to every retailer, regardless of size or industry segment. For example, the responsibilities of a sales associate and a store manager have a number of things in common—they both need to communicate with other employees and may both need insight into customer information, current promotions, and product details. Yet the sales associate may not need to depend on significant business analytics capabilities to get her job done, whereas the store manager will need some level of data insight in order to better move product and control inventory (among other things).

3.1 Retail user types and functional needs In retail, there are three essential user types that benefit from the efficient workflows of touch-first experiences: sales associates, department or category managers, and store managers.

User Type

Functional Needs

Sales associates

Enriched brand, product, and customer information (derived from CRM and ERP systems)

Department/category managers

Productivity and business insights (based on unified communications, collaboration, and analytics systems)

Store managers

Productivity, employee and customer engagement, and business insights (based on CRM, ERP, UC, collaboration, and business analytics systems)

The essential value of modern applications in the retail environment is to help increase the efficiency of these user types while also bringing together all multi-channel assets to enable a consistently high level of service in line with the retail brand promise. This can be customized in different ways and to different degrees, depending on business needs. For example, let’s consider a marketing department that delivers a promotional campaign across various channels including online, print media, and relevant social channels. When the modern shopper visits the physical store, she expects to find consistent and cohesive messaging related to the campaign. An associate who is informed and connected to the

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latest brand messaging can enrich the experience by extending the message into product features, availability, and unique value propositions. Furthermore, when the information is presented in an identical form to the promotional campaign so that the associate and the shopper can refer to the information together, the likelihood that the shopper will purchase is increased.

Modern retailers are beginning to measure promotional effectiveness by matching advertising consumption information for both shoppers and associates, and combining that with purchase statistics to better determine how effective campaigns are. When an associate is able to add value to the shopper’s decision-making process by highlighting relevant promotions, the shopper is likely to move forward with the purchase rather than continuing research through other channels that may include competitive offerings or online retailers. The result: the promotion performs better.

3.2 Integrated workflow scenario To more fully appreciate what the modern app framework can mean as a practical matter for retailers, let’s take a look at a representative narrative for a sales associate’s workflow that involves accomplishing a set of interrelated tasks dependent on different backend capabilities—in this case specifically, enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM), and unified communications (UC). The overall context is an assisted sales scenario in which a customer (Dianna) at a retail electronics store engages with a sales associate (Chase) regarding a laptop she has in mind to purchase; it breaks down into 13 basic steps, as described in the table below.

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Step

Narrative

Devices & Services

1

Initiate sales interaction

On the store floor, Dianna makes her way to the computers section and begins looking at the models on display. Sales associate Chase greets her and asks her if she needs any help. Dianna accepts his help and promptly brandishes her smartphone, showing him the laptop specs she emailed herself earlier.

 Customer smartphone with or without a retail Businessto-Customer (B2C) app (for example, B2C interaction may include a wish list instead of email)

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Summon profile information

Seeing that Dianna’s email bears Contoso Electronics branding, Chase then thinks to ask her if she’s a rewards member. Dianna tells him she is indeed a member, so Chase requests her phone number so he can look up her data on his tablet, review her purchase history, and see if there are any offers she qualifies for.

 Tablet with custom sales assist app

Review profile information

Reviewing her data in his tablet app, Chase sees that she’s been a member for 3 years, has never bought a computer at Contoso before, and has accumulated 220 rewards points. A special discount offer is flagged for new computer customers that includes extra rewards points that can be immediately applied to accessories along with a computer purchase.


Chase shows Dianna her current rewards status and the new computer purchase offer details on his screen, and asks her if she would like some additional product suggestions, including useful accessories that would go along with the laptop of her choice. Given the discount deal for which she is eligible, Dianna expresses interest in one of the more expensive models.


3

4

Review crosssell and up-sell opportunity

 Integrated customer information from CRM backend services

 Integrated customer information from CRM backend services

 Integrated customer information from CRM backend services  Integrated product and promotional information from ERP backend services

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5

6

7

8

9

Step

Narrative

Devices & Services

Look for technical guidance

Dianna asks for details on the security features of the PC, in particular about the version of the TPM chip because she’s interested in using it as her work machine. Chase searches through the product info available in his tablet app and also searches on the Web. After a few minutes of searching while Dianna waits, Chase is unable to find a clear answer.


Contact tech support

Chase decides he needs to bring in live tech support and reaches out to his colleague, Rodney, who works for Contoso’s on-site customer service support team. Using the communications function built into the sales app, Chase calls up Rodney, who happens to be on the road between customer jobs.


Chase introduces Rodney to Dianna via the tablet app and explains the problem. Dianna listens in and helps clarify her needs as Rodney and Chase chat. Rodney explains what he knows of the laptop’s security architecture and its TPM chip, which satisfies Dianna.


Convinced that this is the laptop for her, Dianna asks about accessories and any other items she needs to get, which Chase looks up on his tablet, and then checks shelf quantities and warehouse inventory to be sure everything is available. It seems that everything is in stock but the PC itself, which is on 3week back-order.


Dianna is disappointed, and is about to give up for the day. But Chase tells that there’s a chance that reported numbers aren’t 100% accurate, and that the model she wants may be in transition and so not yet fully accounted for in the system. Again using his tablet, Chase rings up the backroom and reaches inventory associate Marci.


Get tech guidance

Check stock

Call warehouse

 Integrated product and promotional information from ERP backend services

 Smartphone with UC app  Same UC services integrated in sales assist app

 Smartphone with UC app  Same UC services integrated in sales assist app

 Integrated product and inventory control information derived from ERP backend services

 PC with UC app  Same UC services integrated in sales assist app

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10

Step

Narrative

Devices & Services

Send image and message

Marci looks the item up on her specialized ERP app, and sees that several units may have arrived this morning in a combined shipment. Marci then tracks down the merchandise in the cluttered backroom, confirms SKU number and configuration, snapping a photo with her smartphone app and sending it directly to Chase and instant messages, “Is this the one?”

Tablet with custom sales assist app PC with UC app Same UC services integrated in sales assist app PC with ERP app Smartphone with UC app Same UC services integrated in sales assist app

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12

13

Retrieve item

Purchase on floor

Sign and complete transaction

Reviewing the info captured in Marci’s photo—part number, hardware configuration, etc.—Chase determines it’s the right one and asks Marci to have it brought out to the customer at the computing info station. All the items are retrieved for Dianna, Chase asks Dianna if she’d like to pay on the spot or take her items up to the front.

Tablet with custom sales assist app

Wishing to avoid any checkout lines, Dianna opts to pay directly on the floor and presents her Contoso credit card. Chase summons the payment app (sideby-side with the assisted sales app he had been using until now), scans the selected items using his tablet, tells Dianna the total, and then swipes her card on the tablet’s card-processing attachment.

Tablet with custom sales assist app and payment management app

Chase then hands the tablet to Dianna and asks her to sign in the box using the stylus. Dianna checks the option for sending a receipt in e-mail and signs in the signature box. Before she leaves with her purchase, Chase tells her the rewards points she has earned, asks her to respond to a short survey she’ll be receiving soon in an e-mail, and thanks her for her business.

Tablet with custom sales assist app and payment management app

Smartphone with UC app Same UC services integrated in sales assist app

Scanner and card swipe device integration

Integrated customer information and contact management built on CRM backend services

Diana leaves impressed with their customer service and is likely to return to Contoso for her next purchase.

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When considering the modern approach to delivering an intuitive workflow, keep in mind the different components and apps need to be connected in a way that allows the user (such as Chase the sales associate in our scenario above), to remain continuously productive without having to spend up to 15% of their time navigating in order to complete the workflow, particularly in the context of face-to-face customer interactions, where being efficient allows more time for quality customer service. The diagram below shows how two of the personas described in the preceding scenario—the retail employees Chase and Marci—interact through their devices and connect to an array of systems to meet the customer Dianna’s needs on-the-spot (the image corresponds to step 10 above).

Within the paradigm of modern apps that act as distinct services, we can see the value of a connected workflow across related tasks or job functions.

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4 Implementation Reference 4.1 Model implementations Although line-of-business (LOB) applications have evolved considerably over time, the successful implementations share a common ability to support all levels of users, from novice to expert. In this section, we juxtapose legacy, contemporary, and emerging user interface paradigms to show the value of implementing modern apps that seamlessly connect to the various LOB assets of a retail IT environment.

4.1.1 Legacy Centralized computing user interfaces, such as the IBM Customer Information Control System (CICS), were most effective after the implementation of key-ahead functionality and the jump feature that allowed a user to review product information and then jump to a related screen while maintaining the context of the item in question. Expert users quickly became proficient in connecting various screens in an organic workflow. IT developers began to enable increasing efficiency by allowing an array of seemingly hidden fast-paths through the systems. Over time, users became proficient at using hidden features to improve their efficiency. As a result, many early implementations of client/server systems failed because they did not offer the same efficiency for both novice and expert users.

4.1.2 Contemporary Contemporary Web applications achieve equal levels of connecting disparate backend systems by using the mouse-over feature that allows novice users to discover capabilities efficiently. Web applications make extensive use of preserving context in a Web session. That session provides fault-tolerance through the use of browser cookies and user state to enable the user to move from task to task without losing the context information used in previous tasks. Although this persistent context is desirable, it requires considerable development effort and tends to make the system rigid. It also presents security challenges as the Web session can be shared with any action that occurs within the browser.

4.1.3 Emerging Modern applications that connect to a cloud environment have no ability to maintain context or user state, but they do provide vast scale and access to rich information on demand. The tradeoff for massive scale is that IT developers must deal with a stateless environment with distinct services combined in relatively lightweight apps. This new app environment provides numerous business benefits including speed of deployment, ease of use for beginners, and reduced complexity. The drawback to this approach is that

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these apps require all new connections to enterprise systems and as such have been largely limited to the use of companion apps connected to robust enterprise systems. Microsoft’s extensive investment in research and development of enterprise IT solutions has directly influenced the modern app development model, in particular in the extent to which modern apps can connect and integrate with enterprise systems. As a result, many of the leading independent software vendors (ISVs) are making use of Microsoft technologies to broaden the capability of their core enterprise systems with a touch-first experience that remains connected to the enterprise.

4.2. Reference application Working with one of our partners, Microsoft has defined and developed a reference application that employs the attributes of the modern app framework. This app, called the Retail Dashboard Demo, available in the Windows Store, serves both as a functional demonstration of the modern app framework and as an accelerator for creating additional applications. This application is available to Microsoft enterprise customers by contacting your enterprise account executive, who can be reached by contacting Microsoft Services through our Web site (http://www.microsoft.com/enus/microsoftservices/contact.aspx). The following table provides a view of the technical placement of capabilities within the modern app framework. It illustrates how modern apps built on Windows 8.1 and connected to a hybrid cloud environment use the various layers of a cloud-based architecture to surface a complete experience to the end user. Note that this high level view is intended to help you better visualize and consider the individual components that can be used to architect the ideal solution for your business. It specifically calls out the layers in which the framework-specific attributes mentioned above (Section 2.2) are delivered.

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5 Implementation Considerations The process of thinking through modern application design and development has evolved. Enterprises are less likely to invest in end-to-end platforms to improve existing systems; instead, retail enterprises need to think about how to implement the modern app framework within the context of their existing environments. Modern apps are able to connect to existing systems both on premises and in the cloud.

5.1 App development essentials There are many factors to consider when embarking on a mobile app development project. To anchor your thinking at the outset, it is worth returning to the three pillars of modern app design we posited at the beginning of this paper: 

Users: Understanding end user job functions, locations, and needs is critical



Devices: Different roles within the organization require different devices. In some cases a user may benefit from a tablet where other roles require a phone or a traditional desktop PC



User scenarios: The application user experience should be designed based on end user needs and designed and optimized for the specific devices they use. This is necessary to maximize productivity and, ultimately, improve the bottom line.

5.2 Developing for multiple devices & platforms An additional consideration is the need to develop applications across multiple form factors and device types. For example, if you’re building apps for both tablet and handheld phone form factors, you should think through the appropriate cross-platform development strategy early on. Adopting a cloud-based, service-oriented backend to support various enterprise devices, as well as customer connections, is highly recommended. This approach ensures a consistent view of critical data elements such as inventory, customer status, prices and promotions across apps, devices, and roles. Microsoft’s published guidance on effective strategies for code reuse aids developers in building apps with increasing degrees of commonality between form factors. Although today we think of these form factors based on their operating system, the industry is moving towards convergence of the core cross-platform system capabilities such that the main difference to consider is the user interface and the native capabilities of the hardware platform.

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6 Conclusion Microsoft’s unique approach to modern applications reduces the complexity required to meet the needs of diverse roles within a retail store. To meet these diverse needs, different application development models can be used. It may be advantageous to define a multi-function device running a modern app that ties together related apps into a single dashboard, thereby enabling the interconnected workflows necessary for a particular role. While different users may have different entry points to enterprise information, they rely on many of the same CRM, productivity, and ERP platform technologies to carry out their duties. This approach further allows the potential for certain scenarios or combinations of scenarios to be quite suitable to a custom solution delivered as a highly integrated app that delivers a smooth workflow across CRM, ERP, communications, and other platform capabilities. The essential advantage is that the modern app framework is a flexible model that delivers connected experiences across the key vertices of identity, content, and context management in ways that retailers today can customize and extend to fit their business needs as they evolve. As such, we recommend that you consider this framework to meet the needs of your evolving business now and in the foreseeable future and that you use this guidance carefully as you modernize your application, device, and service capabilities for maximum productivity and profit.

For further information For more information about the Microsoft approach to modern application development in retail and other industries, please refer to the Microsoft Services website (http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftservices/modern_applications.aspx). If you have any questions or comments, or would like a Microsoft representative to talk with you about your business needs, contact us today (http://www.microsoft.com/enus/microsoftservices/contact.aspx).

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