Rexel - Using digitized front and back offices to generate data

Digitization efforts often rely on the front-office, with features that are essential to improving the customer experience. The quality of this customer experience is also closely related to operations performed before and after points of contact.

Traditionally, most of these processes —product selection, promotion management, marketing and merchandising, logistics— were mainly focused on volumes and products transiting through warehouses and branches. In the future, these processes will be customer-centric and consistently designed for digital integration, which requires rich and continuously updated information.

Furthermore, the digitization of the back-office completes the digitization of the front office, and ensures that data is decompartmentalized and enriched. The idea is to assemble the intelligence generated by the data, and to make it available to all. Employee training is a key part of this transformation strategy.

Rexel already has access toa large pool of data generated by transactional flows, CRM systems, logistical data, or visitors' navigation on webshops. Such data enables Rexel to fine-tune its understanding of customers' behavior and expectations. They are more and more often enhanced by external data on markets, competitors, etc.

Placing data at the core of self-service business intelligence
Self-service business intelligence is an analytical approach designed to help employees access and use company data, even without prior experience in statistical analysis, business intelligence, or data processing. A platform of this type was rolled out in nearly all of the Group's divisions, thus enhancing user's skills. Numerous decisions are now based on it, such as the creation of a new distribution center, the relocation of a branch, inventory modifications, etc.