Microsoft last week was downgraded by UBS as field checks showed slower growth for cloud software providers, including Microsoft’s Azure unit. The downgrade comes as the cloud computing providers reported robust gains in the third quarter but warned of decelerating growth amid macro pressures. Have you seen retailers become more cautious with their cloud investments?

More than three decades after the software’s arrival in the late eighties, surveys show CRM (customer relationship management) remains a frustration to many users.  What do you see as the weak points and strong points of CRM systems?

Fewer than four in 10 marketing leaders are extremely or very confident in their data, analytics and insights systems, according to a new study. The report outlines the data capabilities that remain “out of reach” for marketers. What’s causing the lag between data gathering and generating actionable insights?

A new survey of chief data or analytics officers finds that only 26.5 percent believe they have created a data-driven organization.  NewVantage Partners’ “Data and AI Leadership Executive Survey” also found less than half replying that they were competing on data and analytics. What advice do you have for retailers and brands looking to become data-driven organizations?

Walgreens announced that it completed moving 122 enterprise resource planning (ERP) apps to the cloud in May. Has moving enterprise resource planning to the cloud become a business necessity for retailers and consumer-direct brands?

Given the recent past, “digital first” has become an edict. It’s how the customer thinks and, subsequently, it must also be how we think. How has the definition of being digital first morphed in recent years?

Real-time marketing, analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) are just some of the technologies that marketers think will have an impact on marketing strategy in 2021, according to a recent survey. Which emerging technology do you think will have the most impact on overall marketing strategy in the year ahead?

While price transparency was tough for retailers pre-pandemic, the challenge has only intensified as personal financial strain and economic uncertainties place even greater emphasis on price during purchasing journeys. Will the COVID-19-driven shift to online shopping accelerate the adoption of dynamic pricing and use of price optimization tools?

Retail transaction solutions adhere to the rules of accounting. The unintended consequences of this often inhibit retailers from supporting their omnichannel shoppers. Do you agree that accounting conventions have created a transactional mess that gets in the way of making the best decisions to serve omnichannel customers?

A characteristic of companies achieving the most value from investments in artificial intelligence are executives able to articulate the role of AI in their business. How would you prioritize developing an artificial intelligence strategy amid competing priorities in the current retailing environment?

Cloud spending has accelerated during the pandemic. Online collaboration and remote working tools, e-commerce, remote learning and content streaming hit new records during lockdowns. Has cloud migration become a necessity for retailers due to COVID-19?

A lot of old-school thinking still pervades retail management when it comes to IT as the “build versus buy” argument continues inside many retail HQs.  Where do you land on the debate over whether retailers should develop their own software applications or use commercially available solutions?

Retail staffing has become its own version of a “Tale of Two Cities” in the age of COVID-19. Essential retailers are hiring like crazy, even as non-essential retailers are firing and furloughing thousands. What do you see as the biggest challenges facing retail human resources departments at this time?

Many surveys and much of the available research shows about a 50/50 split between companies that understand how to apply artificial intelligence technology to their businesses versus those that do not. Is it a good time for retailers to explore the use of artificial intelligence technology, given the current state of massive change?

While artificial intelligence is a hot topic right now, primarily because we now have the data and the computing power available to use it efficiently. But there’s also a lot of misinformation around the technology that must be addressed. How is AI functionally changing retail operations today?

At the NRF Big Show, the CIOs of Lowe’s and Target talked up the benefits of bringing software development in-house to move quicker and be more responsive to meeting customers’ needs. Has the internal development of software become more important with digital’s increasing prevalence across retail and the fast-changing technological landscape?

A majority of executives whose companies have adopted AI report that it has provided an uptick in revenue in the business areas where it is used, and 44 percent say AI has reduced costs, according to a new report. Do you think retailers overall are doing enough to ensure their investments in AI will pay off?

Retail’s traditional core metrics aren’t channel-agnostic and fail to account for the significantly more choices consumers have in a digitally-enabled economy, Deloitte relates in its “The Future Of Retail Metrics” study. How should retail’s traditional metrics be modernized?

Most retailers still use Excel for data analysis. Many tried business intelligence software that promised to doing something more valuable than what is possible with a spreadsheet — make better decisions. Are retailers making improvements in their approaches to data analysis or are they still stuck using spreadsheets to manage their businesses?

The NPS is a metric used by management to determine customer satisfaction or lack thereof with a company at a given point in time. But unlike traditional consumer surveys, the NPS process is intended to correlate to business growth. Are retailers using the Net Promoter Score metric properly or misusing it?

Fine-tuning data science solutions to optimize results has been the easy part. Taking advantage of the new insights is the more complicated task, said IT execs at the 2019 Retail Innovation Conference. How can retailers reduce the learning curve around machine learning or AI tools for marketing, merchandising and other departments?

RSR’s first-ever benchmark on the state of cloud computing in retail finds that the top expected benefits from the cloud for retailers are improving speed and agility while maintaining manageable costs. Have expectations around what cloud operating platforms can deliver for retailers changed over the years?

In February, Levi’s hired its first chief artificial intelligence officer, ahead of an expected IPO. Do you see the business need for a chief artificial intelligence officer at the c-level for retailers and consumer brands?

There’s a sea change underway in how retailers are thinking about technology solutions. Many executives are no longer interested in major system replacements. Instead, they’re looking at smaller point solutions to drive change. How can retailers develop technology strategies that keep pace with the rapid rate of industry change?

Technology has gone from cost to enabler in retail, putting it at the heart of the customer experience. Yet business leaders’ understanding of tech has not really increased. Has expertise in technology become a core competency that a CEO can no longer delegate to others?

According to a survey conducted by Incisiv in collaboration with Microsoft for JDA Software, retail executives are hoping the cloud and artificial intelligence can guide the merging of online and offline experiences. Do you see AI and the cloud solving many of retail’s challenges around inventory visibility, unified commerce and underutilization of data?

A strong case for customer lifetime value was made by Peter Fader, professor of marketing at The Wharton School, and Neil Hoyne, head of customer analytics for Google, during the recent Sourcing Journal Summit. What are the pros and cons of a customer lifetime value-centric approach for retailers and brands?

The Hershey Company is rolling out a tractor trailer to bring its insights directly to retail locations. Will Hershey’s roving insights trailer result in more effective category management execution at the retailers it visits?

Pop-Up Shops, a startup describing itself as Match.com for “spaces and brands,” is looking to connect entrepreneurs looking for a short-term lease with property managers seeking to fill vacant storefronts. Do you see a tool such as PopUp Shops being beneficial for both landlords and prospective popup tenants?

Are too many meetings, too much paperwork and too much manual data entry driving you crazy? You’re not alone. Where do you see the biggest pain points in the promotions process?

Blockchain, the underlying ledger technology behind bitcoin, landed on numerous prediction lists as one of retail’s transformative technologies for 2018. While many focused on blockchain’s potential use in the supply chain, a newer focus is on marketing. Where do you see the largest potential for the use of blockchain technology in the retail eco-system?

Credit authorization is the oldest example of indispensable real-time processing in retail. But in the new world of unified commerce, most aspects of running the business now require real-time processing. What’s the best option for small to medium-sized retailers to get up-to-speed with real-time information processing?

Meijer has become the latest company to lay off information technology (IT) staff as those functions are farmed out to a third-party technology vendor with expertise in cloud computing. Considering the advances being made in cloud computing, does it make sense for Meijer and other retailers to outsource as many IT functions as possible?

Business is booming for companies that provide data, merchandising, tech and other support. Yet some retailers say that some are at risk of blowing it by reinforcing a few bad habits. What mistakes do solution providers make when pitching and partnering with retailers?

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has become the backbone of so many business-critical tools that it’s almost impossible to imagine the internet without it. So when AWS experiences a cloud outage like the one that occurred yesterday, the repercussions can be highly disruptive. Should an AWS outage like the one that happened yesterday give pause to retailers considering cloud migrations?

Amazon.com was the boogeyman at the National Grocers Association’s Annual Conference last week in Las Vegas. The Seattle-based retailer was the focus of several panels and sessions, booths and networking conversations. How can independent grocery retailers most effectively deploy technology to compete with internet food retailers, including Amazon?

Blockchain, the underlying ledger technology for bitcoin, is being hyped as the way retailers can finally bring holistic visibility and control over their entire supply chains. Does blockchain or similar cryptocurrencies offer the potential to transform supply chain management for retailers?

Tech marketers targeting small businesses should focus on their owners as 83 percent of these companies lack an IT staff and 72 percent of owners say they’re typically responsible for making tech buying decisions, according to a recent report. What common mistakes do retailers make when it comes to tech purchases?

When CART (Center for Advancing Retail & Technology) recently hosted the Retail Innovation Pitch Event, we gained some insight into how retailers make decisions when assessing new, innovative solutions. How should retailers structure their decision making to stay on the leading edge of innovation vs. the bleeding edge?

For some brands, gamification has emerged as a productive tactic in an era when keeping customers engaged has become increasingly difficult. Though the approach has been in practice for years, the new wave of brand-based gaming builds on learnings from previous campaigns. What tips would you have for those attempting gamification for the first time?

Retailers consistently rank analytics as a strategic priority because they know that data management is the core foundation of getting things right. Likewise, they know that uncovering and acting on data-driven consumer insights is essential to creating differentiation in the marketplace. What factors are keeping retailers from more fully adopting analytics and becoming data-driven organizations?

Traditionally, retailers have based their core metrics on a legacy of “stores selling things.” Yet over a very short period of time, the definition of “sale” has become very muddy and confused. Where are traditional retail metrics falling short in the age of omnichannel retailing?

While ship from store is often touted as a primary way retailers can support e-commerce fulfillment, drop shipments from suppliers directly to customers are gaining more attention. Do you see drop shipments evolving into a core e-commerce fulfillment tool for retailers?

Hopes are high in the c-suites of Microsoft and LinkedIn following the announcement the tech giant has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the social media network for $26.2 billion. Do you see LinkedIn as a good fit for Microsoft and vice versa?

A phrase heard lately from tech vendors has been: “Any way they want it.” Is today’s rapidly shifting environment compelling technology vendors to become more flexible when formulating solutions with retailers than in the past? Do you think a strong point of view is more or less important for tech vendors looking to serve their retail clients?

If the volume of articles published recently are a reliable indicator, one might soon conclude that “retail success” today is based strictly on Big Data-based, omnichannel shopping experiences. Noticeably absent is mention of the role of that committee chairperson, formerly known as a buyer. Was the “merchant prince” figuratively beheaded by the “tech revolution”?

Despite the reported benefits of moving company core systems to the cloud, RSR’s Paula Rosenblum, in speaking with clients, was “surprised by the resistance to many of these applications … and the fundamental suspicion of cloud-based applications.” Which retailer concerns about transitioning to cloud environments do you see as most warranted?

Google Glass is back and it’s ready to work. The second generation of the wearable device is being rolled out to a select number of certified “Glass for Work” partners, according to 9to5Google. Do you see specific uses for wearable devices such as Glass in the retail supply chain and/or store environments?

Hackers have found lower-tech ways to fly under retailers’ radar by way of misdirection and even physical store break-ins. This was one of the takeaways from a presentation given by a cybersecurity expert at FMI Connect. How can retailers better defend against data breaches that originate with the human error of associates or with the theft of physical products?

Only six percent of marketers say they have attained a single view of customers to support their cross-channel marketing goals, according to a study from Signal, the marketing technology vendor. Is collecting and matching siloed and fragmented engagement data to create a single view of the consumer a tangible goal?