Crowd Sourcing Retail

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No, this is not about ecommerce. I know the title could be a bit misleading, hence I wanted to clarify upfront that I am not going to write about ecommerce.

How many times we return from shopping and realize that you forgot to buy something or realize that you have run out of that favorite shampoo which you did not put in your shopping list. Many a time, I wish the aisles in the store would magically rearrange and I could straight away find what I need without reaching out to a store assistant. These were the problems that I was trying to solve when I came about this flash on a digitally enhanced store assistant on my mobile device.

The concept is the user (someone like me) creates a shopping list in a retailer website, mobile site gets synchronized on the app (if not already entered using the app). When the user walks into the store, the ibeacon identifies the user and links the app to the store planogram. The Augmented reality enabled app then highlights the exact spots in the store where the products that the user is interested in by overlaying highlights using the store background. It also creates the shortest pathway to complete the shopping faster. Enroute the shopping path, there are opportunities for the retailer to highlight the most relevant offers that the user is most likely to be interested in, and highlighted products that the user typically buys but did not have on the list (as a reminder). The different product listing could be color coded differently, for example the items on the shopping list – red, promotions and offers – amber, and the reminder (personalized recommendations) in green, etc.

This augmented reality app digitally enhances the user’s physical shopping experience. Though there are already apps that use augmented reality to highlight offers and products, the concept of using augmented reality to personalize the shopping route and experience of the user is what I would like to propagate.

Evolution of Data Governance and forms of Government

Data governance akin to forms of governments

In the recent times, there has been a renewed focus on data governance that is because as people and organizations have come to realize that data is a strategic asset and it can be monetized. When an object is termed as an asset and there is monetary value associated with it, then it becomes worthy of protection. If it has to protected and used at the same time then it needs to have governance. I am beginning to appreciate formation of several forms of governments in this new light or realization.

Just like monarchy and dictatorship is passé so is data governance that is controlled by one data admin or an IT head in the organization. In most organization where the communist form of data governance thrived this is being replaced by the socialist or democratic movements in data governance. A few IT teams used to control data and its input, storage, distribution, etc. The flaws of this system were data was rationed and a select few decided who gets access to what and there were a lot of red tape and bureaucracy with this form of data governance.

The socialist form of data governance is what is prevalent in most organizations as per my opinion. The benevolent central organization have created efficient processes and rules to administer and distribute data to all parties as and when required. The drawbacks with this system is still that one rule fits all (what will the lactose intolerant do with all that milk). There is very little scope for flexibility and innovation.

Finally, many prudent organizations are maturing to democratic data governance. The people who use the data get to input and access the data as and when required and put it to use in such a way that they derive value as per the effort they put into it. In short it is data (input) of the people, by the people, for the people. Data is understood as the commodity of value and it is managed with care and governed by chosen representatives who are responsible and answerable to the creators of value from the data.

To quote Winston Churchill - “Many forms of Government have been tried, and will be tried in this world. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.”

To conclude though all forms of governance will have some flaw, it is very important that organizations resort to some form of data governance even though anarchy seems to be very appealing and easy.