We are leveraging AI in customer service, demand forecasting, and personalised marketing: Anil Menon, CIO, LuLu Group India Pvt. Ltd.
Anil Menon, CIO, LuLu Group India Pvt. Ltd., highlights the transformative digital initiatives in his organisation. He speaks about cloud adoption strategies, the power of AI to improve services, upcoming tech initiatives, and the group’s vision for the changing manufacturing and retail sectors. Discover with us in this exclusive conversation how the Lulu Group is reshaping retail via innovation, empowering employees, and delivering seamless omnichannel experiences.
Can you share some of the recent important digital or technology initiatives that your company has undertaken and their impact?
We have embraced a culture of innovation, fostering employee ideas and interactions through an internal platform. Recent digital initiatives include a few applications to boost our omnichannel journey, which not only streamlines customer interactions but also empowers employees with real-time data to enhance service delivery.
Our recent digital initiatives revolve around enhancing customer experiences and operational efficiency. We’ve implemented advanced analytics to personalise customer interactions, leading to a double-digit increase in customer satisfaction and a rise in online and offline sales.
Cloud adoption has become a cornerstone of modern IT infrastructure. How has your firm approached cloud adoption to improve agility, scalability, and cost efficiency?
Cloud adoption is pivotal to our IT strategy. We have migrated a few key systems to the cloud, enabling rapid scalability and cost optimization. This move has increased our overall IT agility by 30% and reduced infrastructure costs by 25%.
Our cloud adoption strategy emphasises training and upskilling our workforce. We’ve implemented a cloud centre, ensuring that our teams have the skills to leverage cloud technologies effectively. This not only improves agility but also empowers our employees, fostering a culture of continuous learning.
AI has the potential to transform various industries. How is your company exploring the use of AI to enhance its services, streamline processes, or drive innovation?
AI is a game-changer for us. We are leveraging AI in our customer service portfolio, demand forecasting, and personalised marketing. This has resulted in a continuous improvement in response times and a considerable reduction in marketing spend, while increasing conversion rates by double digits.
AI is utilised to augment human capabilities, particularly in customer service. Different channels handle routine queries, allowing our customer service agents to focus on more complex and emotionally nuanced interactions. This enhances job satisfaction and ensures a more empathetic customer experience.
In the next six months to one year, what are some of the new digital or technology initiatives planned?
Adding to the current ecosystem, as a group, we plan to focus on AI, IoT implementation for real-time inventory tracking, and predictive maintenance. Additionally, we are working on the enhancement of our current applications, both internal and customer-facing, to embrace the new age of technologies to enhance in-store navigation and increase sustainability.
In the coming months, we’re launching an internal innovation challenge to encourage cross-functional collaboration. This initiative aims to tap into the diverse expertise within our organisation, fostering a culture where every employee feels empowered to contribute to technological advancements.
How do you see the future of the manufacturing and retail sectors unfolding, and how do you envision the group positioning itself in this evolving landscape?
The future of retail involves seamless omnichannel experiences. We’re investing in AI and robotics for warehouse automation, ensuring quicker order fulfilment. Our vision is to position the group as a leader in frictionless retail, combining online convenience with the tactile experience of physical stores.
As the retail sector evolves, we foresee a shift towards human-centric experiences. The group is positioning itself as a leader by investing in employee training programmes, ensuring they are equipped with the skills needed for the future. Our goal is not just to adopt technology but to create an inclusive and innovative workplace where human potential is maximised.
