Plan and prepare for Microsoft Cloud for Retail in 2024 release wave 1

Important

The 2024 release wave 1 plan covers all new functionalities planned to be delivered to market from April 2024 to September 2024. In this article, you'll find the product overview and what's new and planned for Microsoft Cloud for Retail.

Overview

In the 2024 release wave 1, Microsoft Cloud for Retail is set to introduce additional capabilities while placing a significant emphasis on enhancing existing in-market solutions. The investments will focus on the following solutions:

• Store Operations Assist: Efforts will be directed towards fostering synergy and integration with Modern Work frontline worker applications. This includes addressing customer feedback and incorporating requested features to optimize the overall user experience.

• AI store assistant: The focus here is to empower retail store employees to get answers to their questions from retailer's knowledge base and automate task creation for fellow colleagues. Store employees can use Q&A using unstructured data such as documents and automatically create tasks using voice or text inputs.

• Smart store analytics: The objective is to integrate Smart Store Analytics with Microsoft Fabric, elevating data analysis capabilities. The aim is to empower users to navigate complex data, interpret patterns, and derive valuable insights, thereby enhancing the analytical capabilities of the solution.

• AI shopping assistant: Investments will be made to advance personalization features for consumers. This entails refining and expanding the capabilities of the AI shopping assistant to provide an even more tailored and personalized experience for users.

• Retail data solutions in Microsoft Fabric: The focus here is on expanding and improving retail-specific connectors, AI, and machine learning functionalities. Additionally, investments will be directed towards incorporating generative AI models, providing flexibility in retail data model deployments, and seamlessly adopting new features introduced in Microsoft Fabric.

Through these strategic investments, Microsoft Cloud for Retail aims to deliver new capabilities but also substantial improvements to existing solutions, ensuring a comprehensive and enhanced experience for its users.

Updates to Microsoft Cloud for Retail 2024 release wave 1

Investment areas

Copilot template for personalized shopping
We’re investing in consumer commerce by enhancing the shopper experience using a copilot template for personalized shopping. This includes more input coming from a retail enterprise, more sophisticated workflows, and an improved scope of the AI model. It can complete the whole transaction without ever leaving the chat experience. The copilot template for personalized shopping learns about who the shopper is from their order history and learns about the items through product reviews. Its recommendations adjust based on which products are in stock.

Retail data solutions in Microsoft Fabric
Retail data solutions strategically modernizes the data landscape for retailers using Microsoft Fabric. By offering faster time-to-market and actionable insights, we empower retailers to make informed decisions. Our accelerated approach facilitates data acquisition, organization, and analysis, enabling retailers to harness valuable insights from large volumes of data. Additionally, retailers can seamlessly leverage copilot and natural language experiences within Retail data solutions.

We will be introducing several key features within retail data solutions:

• Use case templates - We will be creating templates for commonly used retail scenarios, such as inventory optimization, customer segmentation, sentiment analysis etc. These templates encompass end-to-end capabilities, including standardized schema design, AI/ML models, and sample PowerBI reports. They are easy to set up for retailers and they can be fully changed and enhanced according to retailers' preferences.

• Collaboration with partners - Simultaneously, we will be actively engaging with Independent Software Vendors and System Integrator to enable scenarios using solutions from these partners. This collaborative ecosystem will enhance and build upon the foundational capabilities of Retail Data Solutions.

The goal of this initiative is to enable retailers to improve their processes, manage their data effectively, and use insights that can inform their decisions.

Retail workforce management
Retail workforce management enables retailers to improve their bottom line by driving the efficiency of store operations. The solution provides store associates access to data and insights regarding their workflow. The solution gives store associates the tools and insights they need to engage with customers more effectively, offer personalized assistance, and provide a seamless shopping experience. It also offers store associates a self-service tool to maintain productivity during their shifts. Additionally, this solution gives district and store managers the tools to manage store operations effectively.

Shopper and operational analytics
Shopper analytics and operational analytics are two essential components that contribute to the success of the retail business. By collecting and analyzing data, retailers can gain valuable insights into consumer behavior and optimize internal processes to achieve their goals.

Shopper analytics involves the collection and analysis of data related to consumer behavior, preferences, and purchasing patterns. By studying customer purchase history, demographics, and other relevant data, retailers can understand their target audience better. These insights help in tailoring marketing strategies, improving sales techniques, and enhancing the overall customer experience. By leveraging shopper analytics, retailers can make data-driven decisions to drive customer satisfaction and increase revenue.

Operational analytics, however, focuses on analyzing data to optimize internal business processes. This includes areas such as supply chain management, inventory management, logistics, and more. By collecting and analyzing operational data, retailers can identify bottlenecks, streamline processes, reduce costs, and improve efficiency. Operational analytics empowers retailers to make informed decisions, enhance productivity, and maximize profitability.

Both shopper and operational analytics are crucial for retailers as they provide a comprehensive understanding of consumer behavior and enable efficient internal operations. By leveraging these analytics capabilities, retailers can align their strategies, reduce costs, increase profits, and deliver superior retail experience to their customers.

Store Operations Assist
Retail workforce management enables retailers to improve their bottom line by driving efficiency in managing store operations. As store employees juggle between store tasks, store administration and addressing customer needs, it’s important that they have a single pane view into what they’re supposed to do. As part of this release wave, we continue to strengthen our Teams and Store Operations Assist journey, allowing store managers and associates to collaborate on tasks and manage store operations from Teams. Additionally, Store Operations Assist will also allow store managers to plan shift-based tasks and offer support for employees to move between stores.

Use retail data solutions
The retail data solutions initiative stands as a crucial strategic undertaking for us. Our primary goal is to empower retailers in acquiring, organizing, and analyzing retail data, providing them with the ability to extract valuable insights. As part of this initiative, we are committed to significant investments in developing connectors for various line of business applications, such as Blue Yonder Supply Chain Planning, Adobe Commerce, and external/partner data sources.

In addition to connector development, we are implementing features like IDM Refresh and introducing case-based IDM installation capabilities. Simultaneously, our focus is on identifying and collaborating with independent software vendors and system integrator partners. This collaborative ecosystem will actively contribute to enhancing capabilities built on the foundation of retail data solutions.

To learn more about the entire set of capabilities being delivered during this release wave, check out the release plan for Microsoft Cloud for Retail below:

Check out the release plan