CASE STUDY integrates a streamlined one-click multi-brand checkout experience that simplifies shopping like never before.
The UAE was chosen as the pilot market for Blue AI due to its advanced digital infrastructure, high levels of technology adoption, and scale of Al-Futtaim’ s customer base. As a mature market, UAE provides ideal conditions to launch and refine innovation. Blue AI will roll out to Egypt and Saudi Arabia later this year.
IT architecture and applications
Al-Futtaim’ s consumer business leverages a suite of IT applications to manage end-to-end operations, from customer-facing digital channels to back-end logistics, fulfilment, and inventory.
On the front end, Al-Futtaim utilises modern digital commerce platforms and mobile applications tailored for brands such as Marks & Spencer and IKEA, enabling customers to browse, order, and track products seamlessly. These platforms are integrated with digital payment gateways and customer engagement tools powered by AI for personalised recommendations and targeted promotions.
At the core of its operations lies SAP S / 4HANA, which acts as the backbone ERP system, managing finance, procurement, supply chain, and inventory across retail stores and distribution centres. For customer relationship management, Al-Futtaim employs SAP CRM / CDP, Emarsys, Bloomreach and others, for enabling a unified view of customer interactions across touchpoints and facilitating personalised marketing, loyalty management, and service excellence.
For order fulfilment and warehousing, Al-Futtaim uses advanced warehouse management systems, integrated with ERP to optimise inventory levels, track stock movements in real time, and enhance delivery timelines. IT Service Management platforms like Symphony Summit are used internally to ensure smooth technological operations and service continuity.
AI and Generative AI have increasingly been integrated into various parts of the consumer ecosystem. AI models uplift existing capabilities in key areas like demand forecasting, pricing optimisation, and intelligent routing of customer service queries.
Generative AI, through initiatives like Blue AI, is being piloted to enhance customer service via conversational assistants, support content creation for marketing, and streamline internal operations like product cataloguing.
Enabling business processes
“ We live in a world which is increasingly very data driven and AI has accelerated the need to be data driven. At Al-Futtaim our vision has been to be a data driven intelligent organisation,” says Himanshu Shrivastava, Chief Technology and Data Officer, Al-Futtaim.
Data is generated across all business processes, from front-office interactions to back-office operations. Front-office processes, such as customer registrations, online purchases, and in-store transactions, generate valuable customer data.
Middle-office activities, including order fulfilment, marketing campaigns, and customer support interactions, produce transactional and engagement data.
Meanwhile, back-office functions, such as inventory management, supply chain operations, and financial transactions, generate valuable operational and financial data.
Key processes like customer onboarding, order processing, inventory replenishment, marketing campaign execution, and customer service resolution rely on this data to function efficiently.
AI is increasingly integrated into these processes to enhance decision-making and service delivery. For instance, AI-driven analytics personalise marketing campaigns and predict customer behaviour, leading to more targeted and effective outreach.
In supply chain management, AI optimises inventory levels and forecasts demand, ensuring smoother operations and reduced waste. Customer service benefits from AI-powered chatbots that handle initial queries, improving response times and efficiency. Additionally, AI algorithms analyse customer feedback to refine service offerings and product development.
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