GDPR - Den digitala marknadsföringens motståndare? : En kvalitativ studie som undersöker hur företag som arbetar med digital marknadsföring påverkas av GDPR-lagen

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is the name of the new data protection regulation applicable to all member of EU, which will enure May 25th 2018. The law means that companies need to review their personal data usage in order to adapt to the requirements set by GDPR. Organizations working with digital marketing have long used individuals' personal data to adapt advertising to the customers of the company. Therefore, the purpose of the study is to explain how companies involved in digital marketing are affected by the enuring of the new data protection regulation. The essay was based on information on the strategy for digital marketing, personal information and CRM systems in different formats. The survey has also been based on a change table that describes some of the requirements that comes with GDPR. The starting point of the study is a qualitative approach, where the method of data collection consisted of semistructured interviews. The interviews have been conducted with five respondents who in one way or another have insight into the forthcoming law.  This survey has answered the research question "How are companies involved in digital marketing affected by the GDPR-law? ”. All respondents had a serious approach to the law, where the conclusion showed that companies working with digital marketing in one way or another would be affected by GDPR. This depends on their way of working. The impact of the GDPR also provided positive aspects regarding the creation of long-term relationships between companies and their customers.

Reducing retail supply chain costs of product returns using digital product fitting

Purpose - This paper investigate how fit uncertainty impacts product return costs in online retailing and how digital product fitting, a pre-sales fitting practice, can reduce fit uncertainty. Design/methodology/approach - The paper analyzes the current performance of a retailer's e-commerce and return operations by estimating costs generated by product returns, including product handling costs, tied-up capital, inventory holding costs, transportation costs, and order-picking costs. The estimated costs were built on 2,229 return transactions from a Scandinavian fashion footwear retailer. A digital product fitting technology was tested with the retailer's products and resulted in estimations on how such technology could affect product returns. Findings - The cost of a return is approximately 17% of the prime cost. The major cost elements are product handling costs and transportation costs, which together amount to 72% of the total costs. If well calibrated, the fitting technology can cut fit-related return costs by up to 80%. The findings show how customers reacted to the fitting technology: it was unable to verify fit every time, but it serves as a useful and effective support tool for customers when placing orders. Research limitations/implications - Virtual fit verification using digital product fitting is key to retailers to reduce fit-related returns. Digital product fitting using three-dimensional scanning is more appropriate for some products, but it is unsuitable for products that are difficult to measure and scan. Originality/value - The paper contributes an empirical estimate of retail supply chain costs associated with fit uncertainty, as well as theoretical understanding of the role of pre-sales fit verification in avoiding product returns.Peer reviewe

Digital varuutprovning - Effektivare processer i detaljhandelns f\uf6rs\uf6rjningskedjor

Digitaliseringen möter samhället och handeln med full kraft. Förutom utmaningar skapas även möjligheter för fysisk handel att utveckla nya digitala lösningar för verksamheten. Ett område på framfart är effektivare varuutprovning vilket möjliggör effektivare processer i hela detaljhandels försörjningskedjor. Syftet med projektet är att förstå hur matchning av digitala kund- och varumodeller kan användas för att förbättra effektiviteten i detaljhandelns försörjningskedjor. Denna rapport lägger fram matchningen av digitala modeller som en operativ process som används av försörjningskedjorna. Digitala varumodeller är digitala beskrivningar av tillgängliga produkter på marknaden och de innehåller information om varans egenskaper, till exempel en film på Netflix. Digitala kundmodeller är digitala beskrivningar av kunder och innehåller kundegenskaper och preferenser. Forskningsprojektet kan sägas behandla varurekommendationer baserade på matchning av digitala produkt- och kundmodeller. Projektet definierar en operativ process för att matcha digitala modeller av varor och kunder, identifierar potentiella utfall genom införande av processen i detaljhandelns försörjningskedjor och utvärderar mekanismer som driver utfallen. Matchningstekniken gör det möjligt för den operativa processen att utnyttja det befintliga sortimentet i redan tillverkat varuutbud för att förbättra effektiviteten i detaljhandelns försörjningskedjor.Resultatet är att matchning av digitala modeller förbättrar prestandan i detaljhandelns försörjningskedjor, särskilt genom förbättrad tillgänglighet gentemot konsument och förbättrad produktivitet i fabrik. Det överordnade resultatet är ekonomisk hållbarhet för aktörer inom detaljhandeln, en sektor som annars lider av hög risk för inkurans. Designvetenskaplig forskning används för att konceptualisera matchning av digitala modeller och två typer av fallstudier används för att empiriskt utvärdera utfallen och mekanismer som driver dem

Digital Product Fitting in Retail Supply Chains: Maturity Levels and Potential Outcomes

Purpose – In retail, product fitting is a critical operational practice. For many products, the operational outcome of the retail supply chain is determined by the customer physically fitting products. Digital product fitting is an emerging operational practice in retail that uses digital models of products and customers to match product supply to customer requirements. In this paper, we explore potential supply chain outcomes of digitalizing the operational practice of product fitting. The purpose is to explore and propose the potential of the practice to improve responsiveness to customer requirements and the utilization of existing variety in mass-produced products.Design/methodology/approach – A maturity model of product fitting is developed to specify three levels of digitalization and potential outcomes for each level. Potential outcomes are developed based on empirical data from a case survey of three technology-developing companies, 13 retail cases and a review of academic literature. Findings – With increasing maturity of digital product fitting, the practice can be used for more purposes. Besides matching product supply to customer demand, the practice can improve material flow, customer relationship management, assortment planning, and product development. The practice of digital product fitting is most relevant for products where the final product configuration is difficult to make to order, product and customer attributes are easily measurable, and tacit knowledge of customers and products can be formalized using digital modeling. Research limitations/implications – Potential outcomes are conceptualized and proposed. Further research is needed to observe actual outcomes and understand the mechanisms for both proposed and surprising outcomes in specific contexts.Practical implications – The maturity model helps companies assess how their operations can benefit from digital product fitting and the efforts required to achieve beneficial outcomes.Original/value – This paper is a first attempt to describe the potential outcomes of introducing digital product fitting in retail supply chains

Retail supply chain effects of digital product fitting on product returns

One factor that affects product returns is fit uncertainty – when customers have difficulties evaluating the fit of a product pre-purchase. This paper determines the proportion of returns arising from fit uncertainty when end-customers order fashion shoes online and assesses the supply chain effects of fit-related returns and how digital product fitting technology can mitigate fit-related returns