5 questions to...
Fabio De Angelis
Interview with the Consumer & Industrial Goods Executive Director of Engineering.
With over 25 years of consulting experience, Fabio De Angelis has been responsible for the business development of the Consumer & Industrial Goods markets at the ENG Group since 2024.
Fabio holds a degree in Economics and Commerce from the University of Rome Sapienza and has accumulated more than 25 years of experience at Accenture, focusing on Financial Services, Telco & Media, Fashion, and Industrials.
He has held progressively senior leadership roles, ultimately becoming Managing Director responsible for Strategy & Consulting across Italy, Poland, Central Europe, and Greece, within the Marketing Sales and Services function.
Fabio has also served as Partner - Advisory Practice Lead at iConsulting, a company specializing in the data industry.
1. IN RECENT YEARS, THE RETAIL SECTOR HAS UNDERGONE A PROFOUND TRANSFORMATION, DRIVEN BY TECHNOLOGICAL EVOLUTION AND CHANGING CONSUMER HABITS. WHAT ARE THE KEY ELEMENTS OF THIS NEW DIGITAL LANDSCAPE?
The new digital landscape is defined by several key elements: first and foremost, the omnichannel strategy is essential for offering a seamless and fluid experience between the physical and digital worlds, allowing consumers to interact with brands through multiple touchpoints.
Secondly, e-commerce and social commerce have revolutionized purchasing behaviors, making online shopping an integral part of our everyday buying experience. Immersive experiences, enabled by technologies such as Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality, are also transforming how consumers engage with products, offering more realistic and engaging experiences.
Another important aspect concerns sustainability and traceability, which are increasingly important to consumers and represent a key driver of competitiveness for companies.
Accurately forecasting demand, personalizing the shopping experience, and optimizing the supply chain are all critical aspects to manage effectively in order to stay competitive in a constantly evolving market. In this context, technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Advanced Analytics, Blockchain, as well as Cloud computing and composable platforms, act as key enablers.
2. WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT CHALLENGES A RETAIL COMPANY MUST FACE WHEN IMPLEMENTING A SOLID OMNICHANNEL STRATEGY?
Adopting an omnichannel strategy in Retail first and foremost requires integration across channels: it is essential to ensure that the various touchpoints such as physical stores, e-commerce, social media, and marketplaces are fully synchronized and integrated, in order to deliver a consistent customer experience.
Moreover, data management and personalization call for advanced Artificial Intelligence and Analytics tools, which are key to collecting and analyzing information from various sources and offering tailored experiences.
Logistics and the Supply Chain must also be highly flexible, with optimized inventory management and delivery options such as click & collect and same-day delivery to meet the growing demand for online shopping.
Another critical factor is staff training: employees must be equipped to leverage new technologies and deliver valuable service to consumers.
Finally, cybersecurity and privacy management are essential to ensure customer data is protected and to comply with regulations on the protection of personal information.
3. CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE IS NOW A KEY ELEMENT OF DIFFERENTIATION. HOW CAN DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS ENHANCE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A PERSONALIZATION STRATEGY?
The strategic use of data first enables a unified view of the customer: by collecting data from e-commerce, physical stores, social media, and CRM systems, companies can build a detailed consumer profile. It also enables advanced customer segmentation and the creation of highly personalized communications. Thanks to AI and machine learning, it's possible to divide customers into increasingly specific clusters based on preferences, purchase behaviors, and interactions across various touchpoints, allowing brands to deliver highly targeted content and offers.
In addition, by personalizing every touchpoint, companies can strengthen customer loyalty more effectively, developing tailored loyalty programs that reward individual preferences.
Data analysis also allows for the optimization of the customer journey: identifying strengths and pain points in the purchasing path helps improve the overall experience, reduce cart abandonment, and increase conversion rates.
It’s important to highlight that all of this significantly contributes to customer satisfaction, making brand interactions smoother, more relevant, and more fulfilling.
The smart use of data also allows companies to be more responsive and competitive in a constantly evolving market.
Overall, leveraging data to personalize communication, interactions, and product suggestions strongly boosts customer satisfaction, making them feel engaged, valued, and truly at the center of the experience.
4. WHAT CONCRETE ADVANTAGES DO CLOUD COMPUTING, PREDICTIVE SYSTEMS BASED ON ADVANCED ANALYTICS AND AI, AS WELL AS BLOCKCHAIN, OFFER IN PRODUCT TRACEABILITY, WHICH IS AN INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT ISSUE FOR CONSUMERS?
Digital transformation in Retail relies on innovative technologies that ensure greater efficiency, security, and transparency across the entire supply chain. Among these, cloud computing, predictive analytics, Generative AI, and blockchain offer significant benefits:
Cloud computing: Allows companies to manage large amounts of data in real-time, improving scalability and system integration across production, logistics, and sales.
Predictive analytics: Enable companies to forecast demand, optimize inventory management, and anticipate potential disruptions in logistics, thereby improving operational efficiency.
Generative AI: Helps, for example, in developing models and algorithms to optimize logistics and enhance purchasing processes.
Blockchain: Ensures complete product traceability, providing consumers with transparent information about the origin, authenticity, and sustainability of the items they purchase.
These technologies, when integrated into a digital ecosystem, allow retailers to address new market challenges, offering consumers safer, more sustainable, and accessible products.
5. THERE HAS BEEN MUCH TALK IN RECENT YEARS ABOUT RESILIENT SUPPLY CHAINS. WAS THE RETAIL SECTOR A PIONEER? WHAT LESSONS CAN WE LEARN FROM IT AND APPLY TO OTHER MARKETS?
When we talk about a resilient supply chain, we refer to a supply chain that can adapt and recover from disruptions caused by various factors (natural disasters, economic changes, geopolitical issues, or other unforeseen events). The goal is to ensure business continuity and operations while minimizing impacts and maintaining efficiency and cost control.
The Retail sector (also driven by the pandemic) serves as a clear example of a resilient supply chain, from which we can draw some best practices:
Firstly, it is essential to diversify sourcing for critical components and regions to reduce risks associated with dependency on a single supplier and to maintain strategic stock levels in warehouses, anticipating and mitigating supply disruptions. Another aspect not to be overlooked in this scenario is the importance of developing trusting and collaborative relationships with suppliers, working together to reduce the risk of supply chain interruptions.
Additionally, it is crucial to have an agile supply chain, capable of adjusting production, logistics, and transportation plans to changing market conditions, adverse environmental conditions, and so on.
However, none of this can be achieved without strategic digitalization and enabling technologies (AI, IoT, Blockchain), which support end-to-end processes and monitor the value chain, anticipating and minimizing risks.
Strategic digitalization and innovative technologies are necessary to optimize the value chain by anticipating and minimizing risks.
Fabio De Angelis
Consumer & Industrial Goods Executive Director of Engineering.
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