In the latest issue of ER Magazine, Senior Editor, Ian Murphy, spoke with multiple Direct Response experts and asked them to look into their crystal balls and tell readers what they expect DR to look like three years from now and beyond.
As an expert within the order fulfillment realm, a2b Fulfillment President, Ayal Latz, provided his input on the following questions:
• What will DR fulfillment look like by 2020, and how does that differ from what we see today?
Customer expectations are driving big changes in the way businesses operate. Speed of fulfillment and delivery is of chief importance. Consumers want to receive their goods with more immediacy than ever. Also, providing the customer with a seamless omni-channel experience is important. Customers want to be able to order and converse (customer service) using multiple methodologies. Finally, there’s personalization. I believe this will be one of the biggest focuses over the next few years. It’s something we work hard on within our operation, but we’re getting more and more insight into the customer journey that will allow us to go above and beyond…
• If we ask the same questions of the decade that follows, what other changes do you see ahead?
Our world moves so fast that it’s hard to predict 4 years, much less a decade, but I think that innovation is going to influence a couple of areas significantly over the next 10-15 years – workforce automation and transportation. We’re seeing a lot of new trends in workforce automation, like the Internet of Things and drone delivery that I think will take time to develop and adopt but certainly will help control costs on the fulfillment end. Also, there’s transportation to consider. Uber is already introducing delivery options and testing in major markets. There’s also self-driving vehicles that are going to continue to evolve and move into the carrier realm.
To view the full story and read other opinions from Direct Response Experts on the future of DR download the Jan/Feb 2017 issue of ER Magazine and read the cover story titled “2020 Vision.”