IT solutions and products are usually created at the desk and have to work in the market. So what could be more obvious than putting your own developments to the test in the store? That's what the team led by Aurel Bukmajer, Head of Specialised Retail at REWE digital, thought last year and took over Hans Rippers' store in Grevenbroich for a day. Now, a year later, it was time for a new visit and an extended practical test in the recently remodelled Am Rübenacker store.
And it began with a disruption. Thousands of Telekom lines were down nationwide in the morning. No problem, says Ingo Holder, Product Owner Market Communication in Bukmajer's team. After all, within a few minutes, all systems automatically dial into one of the two other networks that are available precisely for such cases. It's actually a relaxed situation - when you're sitting in the office. In the store, these minutes are different: The customer who wants to pay for her goods quickly by debit card at the pick-up service becomes impatient because the check changes from PIN to direct debit and a queue also forms at the checkout. "Ten seconds can be a long time when you're sitting at the checkout and the customer is standing in front of you," says Ingo Holder, who wanted to check out at that very moment. After all, the store employees don't know why the EC card payment isn't working as it always does, nor do they know that it only takes a few minutes for all the lines to reconnect and the systems to work again.
Eric Nagy, Product Owner Mobile Systems / Customer Self Service and Benedikt Kocks, Head of Regional Service SEH
"Up to now, such fault messages can only be called up on the back office PC. It would make much more sense if they were also displayed on the MDE devices so that employees in the store are informed more quickly," says Aurel Bukmajer. Together with his team, REWE digital is developing an app that can also be used to send these fault messages to the MDE devices. It is often small adjustments like these that help to make work in the store easier.
This time, the IT team focused on the self-checkout tills, which are available in the store that was completely remodelled in April. Product Owner Andreas Volp wanted to know how customers and store employees use the user interface, how they pay and whether there are any recurring questions. His conclusion: "We received a lot of positive feedback on the user interface and menu navigation. The employees in turn gave us helpful feedback on their menu navigation, which is not self-explanatory for everyone."
However, this must be the goal: "We also need these insights from the market in order to develop solutions that can be easily scaled up and are self-explanatory. It is becoming increasingly important that we are able to deploy new employees quickly in the field. That's why it's also important that we went to a different market this time, because different people work everywhere."
Hans Rippers and his daughter Eva Rippers are therefore always happy to make their stores available to REWE digital colleagues: "The exchange is important so that employees on both sides get a feel for the procedures and processes. Everyone takes away a lot of little things that make a big difference in the store as a whole," summarises Hans Rippers. And Eva Rippers adds: "It is important to design the applications in such a way that little needs to be explained. We have implemented many important topics and points together in recent years, but there is certainly still potential."
One thing is certain: There will be another market deployment next year. "We'll go where it hurts," says Aurel Bukmajer. The retailers can take him at his word.
This year, it wasn't just the employees who benefited from the Inpatient Retail department's efforts at the market. On the initiative of assistant Marinella Roßbach-Hönig, the team collected a total of 770 euros for the German Children's and Youth Hospice Association.
The employees used most of the money to pack bags of food that will benefit 18 affected families. The rest of the money, together with a donation of 500 euros from Hans Rippers and the contents of a donation box in the store, will go to the organisation.
For the second time, Aurel Bukmajer's over-the-counter retail team visited a Hans Rippers store. The businessman runs two REWE stores in Grevenbroich with his daughter Eva.
The Am Rübenacker location was completely remodelled in April and equipped with numerous modern features, including self-checkout tills and mobile scanning. Also at the start this time: the regional service staff.
Both German and English comments appear here.
There's really nothing more to add to this article. This is exactly how it should be! Through direct exchange, you understand and recognise problems and challenges that are not seen in theory. And the stereotypes of "those at head office" or "those in the markets" are put into perspective when you change your perspective. Every employee should actually spend a few days in the market once a year. And "central days" for store employees could also promote understanding of the decisions and actions taken there. Ultimately, everyone learns from everyone for the good of the company . . .
Unfortunately, the people who are working hard on the app project are not mentioned in the article. What a pity.
Great action