German DIY and garden centre operator Hornbach is revamping its omnichannel ordering process, from item search to fulfilment, with solutions from Blue Yonder. The company is implementing the US software specialist’s Inventory and Commits Services. These are part of the Blue Yonder order management solution.
With this step, the DIY retailer is gearing up for the growing challenges of online business. Including Click & Collect, Hornbach currently generates
around 13 per cent of its sales via internet. While the company offers an average of 50,000 items in its stores, the online range comprises up to 290,000 SKUs.
Hornbach wishes to offer its customers a seamless shopping experience across all channels. The company was therefore looking for a solution to improve its order management. The retailer expects the decision in favour of Blue Yonder to result in greater availability of goods and advantages in order processing.
More agility thanks to microservices
The solution is based on microservices. This is a cloud-based software architecture in which the applications consist of many loosely coupled and independently deployable services. These can be adapted to changing requirements more easily. This allows the retailer to act faster and more flexibly.
Using machine learning and artificial intelligence, the software optimises the entire process chain from product search to order processing. Customers can choose from a wide range of options and receive extensive information when looking for an item. To optimise order processing, the solution considers all relevant parameters such as capacities, costs and delivery times.
Transparency on stock levels in real time
The software provides exact information on stock levels in real time across all channels. This allows customers to determine at any time if, where and when the desired item is or will be available. The solution ensures that products remain reserved in the shopping basket and will still be available at checkout. As a single source of truth, it helps retailers select the optimal type of delivery. The system supports all fulfilment options, such as ship to/from store or buy online pick up in-store.
