BI has established itself as an essential tool for the success of e-commerce, as it provides valuable insights based on data. Revolutionizing e-commerce with predictions that can change the game in countless critical areas, the technology improves decision-making, operational efficiency and, above all, the customer experience.
Referred to as "business intelligence", the concept of BI brings together theories, methodologies and processes that, combined with technology, make it possible to collect and convert a significant amount of data into structured information, with the aim of benefiting the company and its decisions, putting it ahead of the competition.
Offering a broad view of the business and the market scenario, the data identifies trends and detects faults in order to apply preventive rather than corrective measures. Therefore, interpreting and analyzing the information mapped out through BI support allows measures to be taken in a timely manner.
Today, stock-outs, for example, are one of the biggest challenges for e-commerce, resulting in lost sales and, consequently, customer dissatisfaction. In this case, BI anticipates possible stock-outs by analyzing historical, seasonal trends and inventory data. Even the most advanced BI tools offer real-time visibility of stock, thus alerting managers to the need to restock before products run out.
The tool also facilitates the monitoring of operational KPIs for customer service and logistics, allowing detailed analysis of metrics such as response and delivery times, problem resolution rates, among others. This is crucial for maintaining efficiency and customer satisfaction, as it identifies areas for improvement and implements corrective actions quickly.
Product portfolio analysis, using the ABC classification, helps to map out which items are most important to the business. In other words, products on the A curve are the most valuable, contributing the most revenue, while products on the B and C curves have less impact. In this example, Business Intelligence offers insights into the sales performance, profit margin and stock turnover of each product, making portfolio management more strategic.
The tool even simplifies inventory management across multiple marketplace channels, as it integrates data from different platforms. The technology provides a unified view of the warehouse, which makes it possible to optimize the distribution of products according to demand and also identifies which products perform best on each channel.
According to the survey How Retailers Use Innovation to Gain an Edge, by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and the World Retail Congress (WRC), retail investment in technology is expected to increase by 20% in Latin America by 2027. After all, companies that keep up with behavioral changes and consumer preferences achieve a higher return on investment (ROI). Also according to the study, worldwide, the retailers that invest the most in innovation - an average of 13% - achieve an ROI of 21%, while those that invest the least - only 3% - have an ROI of 9%.
Continuous innovation is therefore essential for the increasingly evident dynamism of e-commerce. BI contributes directly to the customer conversion rate, promoting greater loyalty and satisfaction. No wonder it can determine the cards in the game, the tool polishes e-commerce strategies for solid business growth.
*Content signed by Alexandre Assis: Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Social Digital Commerce since 2022 and was elected the best technology professional by Abradi in 2021.. He has been managing IT teams and projects with a focus on technology and e-commerce for over 17 years. Contributing to the delivery of more than 150 e-commerce projects encompassing B2C, B2B, B2E, D2C, omnichannel and Dark Store models, the executive has solid knowledge of the entire e-commerce management process, LGPD, governance processes and compliance risk.
