In this heavily digitised world accelerated significantly by the Covid-19 pandemic, we’ve seen FMCG eCommerce businesses take great strides in the world of automation technology.
Automation is the practice of integrating software, tools, and processes to reduce the amount of human interaction needed to complete a specific task to streamline operations, reduce workloads, and minimise the risk of human error.
But what impact does automation truly have on productivity within the FMCG eCommerce sector, how does automating processes benefit FMCG eCommerce businesses, and what can you do to take advantage of the opportunities automation presents?
In this blog, you’ll find out as we’re exploring all things automation for FMCG eCommerce companies. Let’s get started.
How automation increases productivity in FMCG eCommerce businesses
According to a 2020 survey by McKinsey, 66% of the global companies surveyed have automated business processes in one or more functions. And in another 2020 survey by WorkMarket, employees estimate that automated processes might save them 240 hours per year.
So if you’re not already investing in automation technology, you’re already behind. But how exactly does automation increase productivity within the FMCG industry? Let’s explore this below.
Increases operational efficiency
As CEO of Tema, Haresh Sippy, once said, “Automation is cost-cutting by tightening the corners and not cutting them.”
Automation technology drives efficiencies in every area of FMCG eCommerce businesses, from marketing automation that streamlines customer acquisition processes to warehouse automation that speeds up order fulfilment functions.
Supports your eCommerce teams
Automation reduces the amount of monotonous work and repetitive tasks your staff needs to undertake such as double-checking data, answering customer support tickets, filling in CRM data, switching between platforms, or completing tasks twice because critical information is missing. By automating repetitive tasks, FMCG eCommerce teams have more time to focus on more complex, important tasks.
Automating tedious tasks makes employees feel more engaged as they focus on more interesting, satisfying, and enjoyable jobs, leading to a higher sense of satisfaction and achievement. Cutting out monotonous workloads leads to happier, more productive employees. In fact, 74% of employees said automation makes them more satisfied with their jobs.
Improves data accuracy
Incorporating data accuracy into a company’s workflow is crucial to maintaining customer satisfaction. Teams accidentally inputting outdated or inaccurate information on products can cause a decline in sales due.
If customers order something and it’s not as described in the product content or they avoid buying a product because the price is higher than usual, they can easily become frustrated and switch to a competitor.
Additionally, your teams will waste time issuing apologies and and fixing your customer’s problems – problems that could’ve been avoided by switching from manual to automated data reviews.
Automated tools that provide complete visibility into product lifecycle history can help you reduce the risk of manual data entry errors through automated checks and balances before these sites go live online.
Top 3 automation tools you can take advantage of today
While it’ll take time upfront to implement a new automated process or piece of software, once you successfully integrate it, the payoff will be felt in every corner of your business.
Automation tools help minimise the risk of errors, drastically reduce the time your team spends on manual tasks, and help reduce your time to market.
FMCG brands have a wealth of automation opportunities at their fingertips. But what are the most effective options out there? Below, we’re discussing our favourite automation tools to help FMCG eCommerce businesses increase efficiency, accelerate performance, and boost productivity.
Product Information Management (PIM)
How can your team find time to develop products, marketing plans, and retailer relationships if they’re constantly working on product data, correcting errors, and reviewing content across numerous eCommerce platforms?
Inputting product information manually is not only time-consuming. It’s repetitive, can be boring/draining, and takes your team’s attention away from more important business matters.
PIM software integrates with internal systems to provide FMCG eCommerce businesses with one centralised location to collate, organise, and improve product information as well as design product catalogues and integrate them with digital sales channels.
Application Programming Interfaces (API)
If you could save your team hours of time by connecting two pieces of software together, then it’s a commercial no-brainer. For example, you can connect your customer analytics platform with your email marketing software to automate personalised emails to new and existing customers.
Or, you could integrate your shipping and delivery system with eCommerce platforms so that stock levels are automatically updated. These kinds of connections are made possible with Application Programming Interfaces (API).
An API in layman’s terms is a type of technology that connects two pieces of software or digital platforms together, allowing them to share data, communicate with each other, and streamline processes.
Digital Asset Management (DAM)
Inaccurate data can wreak havoc on FMCG brands. Incorrect pricing, product descriptions, or imagery going live on eCommerce websites can harm your reputation and result in massive profit losses. That’s why data accuracy is so important.
With the risks of human error too great, many FMCG brands look to Digital Asset Management systems to help streamline their entire data input processes.
DAM systems help FMCG brands and retailers collect, manage, and share all product information and imagery from one platform.
In a single location, you can update assets to ensure consistency, change messaging, and get a more holistic view of all your FMCG eCommerce brand’s content and data. DAM software can also help you see the performance of specific brand assets.
Convert Group: The ultimate automation opportunity for FMCG brands
Convert Group offers all these 3 tools in an all-in-one dashboard that streamlines data sharing across FMCG brand and eCommerce retailer websites to give them a clear view of how their products are represented online.
From one dashboard, FMCG eCommerce brands can view all retailers at once, track product competition, assess and update product content, and spot product inconsistencies – improving brand-retailer collaboration and ensuring consistent messaging across all product lines.
Convert Group improves staff productivity by reducing the need for teams to trawl through countless retailer websites and individual product pages to assess product content. Our innovative platform also delivers data-based consumer insights that help inform your business decisions and improve product performance.
If you’re interested in developing a more data-driven FMCG eCommerce marketing strategy, get in touch with us today, and our friendly team will help you understand the benefits of Convert Group for your business.
