Digitalisation is at the fore of many companies’ strategies – and VOX is no exception. As a forward-thinking strategic partner to world-leading brands in the management of their POP, we recognise the increasing need to integrate physical and digital supply chains. In turn, this brings our clients myriad benefits, not least the data and business efficiency advances that stem from the 4th industrial revolution.
Digitalising offline supply chains
There are notable challenges in digitalising a largely offline supply chain. However, once the component stages are analysed, VOX can identify real-world business opportunities and threats for our customers. And, the good news is there are all kinds of digital solutions that can be adopted, ranging from software (online POP catalogues) to hardware (cutting-edge tracking hardware) depending on the customer’s need and what they want to achieve.
Despite the various challenges posed by digital transformation, VOX understands that this is the future. Our ambition is to become the foremost global end-to-end POP procurement platform – and digitalisation for our clients and our business is integral to achieving this.
Working in partnership with our clients, we have identified the one area that offers the greatest opportunity in the digital transformation journey is trackability. Whether we’re working in FMCG or durables, from Turkey to the United States, with such complicated supply chains transporting large quantities of materials, the potential for waste and avoidable cost is huge. We know that many brands, which have built world-class supply chains for their own products, frequently lose control of where this valuable real estate ends up long before it reaches its deployment destination. Consequently, a surprisingly large proportion of POP spend not only has negative ROI, but these inefficient and unmonitored journeys also make companies’ sustainability goals impossible to achieve.
Sustainable technology
In addition to implementing technology to improve trackability – which will improve supply-chain resilience and aid sustainable end-of-life processes – VOX is also exploring the intersection between sustainability and digital transformation in other ways. At present, we are working with AB InBev and the University of Cambridge University on an initiative to evaluate available POP products, materials and solutions and their supply chains from a sustainability perspective, to ensure that their POP delivers value in the most optimal way possible by analysing what they require and when, to remove any superfluous materials or processes that is often synonymous with in-store point of purchase marketing. VOX is also working on a digital tool that will enable our clients to objectively understand the relative sustainability impacts of each of their most commonly used point of purchase materials. Consequently, this means they will be able to make more informed purchasing decisions that are right for both their bottom line and the planet.
Outside of sustainable technology, we are exploring a range of digital tools for customers, from augmented reality visualisation of in-store displays to a digital catalogue, which can be used to identify inefficiencies or opportunities to deliver cost savings.
The VOX approach is to partner with the customer to understand where digital transformation can add the most resilience and value across their POP supply chain and then develop and implement practical and innovative solutions to meet those goals. We always start with our clients’ requirements, because whatever the initiative, our role is to make their POP procurement less resource-intensive and more valuable.
The future is bright for the application of cutting-edge technologies that benefit all three point of purchase stakeholders: the brand, the retailer and the consumer. VOX is excited to continue innovating within our POP supply management speciality. We are committed to performing the R&D required, and to sharing any and all findings with our clients to ensure the successful introduction of the technologies that will enhance their POP supply chains for decades to come.