JUNE 2018 FEATURE:

New technologies have enabled disruptions across industries and an inevitable outcome is the raising of the bar on customer expectations.

The eventual winners of the retail race will be enterprises with a customer-centric outlook. And one industry player in particular is taking this to heart.
Having grown an extensive export base over the years, Star International also has a strong retail presence consisting of 7 locations in Singapore, 8 outlets in Taiwan, and 2 in Malaysia.

According to Group General Manager, Ms Xu Xue Ting, Diversity, Design and People are three core principles that the company abides by in its quest to ‘’furnishing lives, one home at a time’’.

The forward-looking company is sparing no expense when it comes to investments that can add value to both its internal and external customers. This includes implementing the latest IT software that can help streamline work processes and boost productivity. Its newly implemented Collection, Delivery and Management System (CDMS) and Mobile Inventory System (MIS) are putting a smile on the faces of customers and employees.
Launched on 1 June 2018, the total investment for both software applications by Star International is close to $50K with government support via the Capability Development Grant from SPRING Singapore (now Enterprise Singapore).

With the introduction of the CDMS system, manual generating of delivery orders and invoices documents are now a thing of the past. As less data entry is required, human errors are also minimized.

Used by Star International’s Customer Service, Accounts and Operations departments, the CDMS has dispensed with the need to wait for drivers to return to office to verify any customer issue. A log file keeps track of all outgoing calls, SMSes, time of arrival and departure which facilitates checking. All delivery staff is also required to take a photo of the products they delivered for recording and for after-sales service purposes.

Pleased with the outcome of the new systems, Ms Xu says: “This is a case where useful technology is being put to good use. Workflows are simplified, laborious paperwork is eliminated and our staff is trained to perform higher value and more meaningful tasks.’’

The modern customer craves for a seamless purchasing experience and will move to a competitor if expectations are not met, as an insight from a recently commissioned SFIC 2021 roadmap has shown. With a wide array of purchasing options available both on and offline, retailers need to put in more effort to court consumer dollars.

Customers visiting Star International’s showrooms, also widely known as Star Living, now enjoy a better shopping experience as its sales executives are able to link to its MIP system via mobile phone. Literally putting product information at their fingertips, not only are Star International’s sales executives able to check inventory in real time; they can also show images of other recommended products to customers on the spot, should the desired items run out.

As with any new software development, preparation work can be a time-consuming process. In the case of Star International’s CDMS, the entire process from feasibility studies, customisation, implementation, testing and training had taken three months.

The digital journey for Star International has not been without any hiccups. The cloud-based solution has required a certain level of customisation before it becomes useful and there were also issues with SAP integration. However, once the kinks are ironed out, the benefits were immediately apparent.

Sold on the idea of innovation, Star International is always on the lookout for new digital tools to enhance its business. Not one to jump blindly into the technology bandwagon, the company is savvy enough to first assess its own needs. For example, Artificial Intelligence (AI) may be all the rage now but Star International recognises that a lot of data is needed in order to distil meaningful insights and hence, there is no rush to explore the technology just yet.