Bunnings is planning to use a new enterprise data platform that offers a greater “level of insight” to improve its customer experience and make smarter business decisions.
The platform is part of Bunnings' strategy to continue to upgrade its core technology platforms.
Managing director Michael Schneider said the store is increasing the ways customer information is captured to personalise the shopping experience.
“Pleasingly, we're also bringing in a new enterprise data platform that will help us analyse data and provide a new level of insight,” he told Wesfarmers' 2021 Strategy Briefing Day.
“Our technology, digital and analytics teams, who've done such amazing work in a short period of time, [also] continue to grow.
“We're using this talent and technology to understand areas where we can improve customer experience, drive operational efficiencies across all channels as well as make smarter business decisions.”
Schneider added that the new platform was one of the ways Bunnings is “increasing the ways customer information is captured to personalise their experience”.
“Last strategy day, in June 2019, I spoke about the growing role of digital in improving customer experience and giving us a richer set of customer insights, and since then we've rapidly accelerated our digital agenda and capabilities.
“Capturing the data our customers share with us is helping us to gain a more complete picture of our customers preferences and this remains a priority.”
Schneider added that Bunnings launched a new retail website in Australia and New Zealand in April to improve the “look feel and navigation for customers”, with a new trade website planned for the next financial year.
In the interim, he said Bunnings is making improvements to its trade website "so it's fully transactable and integrated" with the stores PowerPass app.
Bunnings previously stated there’s an “enormous amount" of work still to do in digital as it continues through its re-platforming ambitions of its e-commerce sites.
Schneider also pointed to Bunnings leveraging technology to better serve trade customers through the expansion of its PowerPass app.
“The app itself will continue to evolve so it's even easier to use and provide those using that with a more personalized experience,” he said.
This will be in conjunction with improved in-store convenience for trade customers via better digital options and “driving the basics hard.”
“Behind the scenes, we're in the process of rolling out a new CRM platform through Salesforce, which will help provide our team with a deeper understanding of our customers, allowing for a stronger level of connection and engagement, including putting everything our sales teams need to know about our customer relationships on their mobile devices,” he said.
Schneider added Bunnings had increased the use of Zebra handheld units for staff and push Push-to-talk (PTT) communication devices and improved apps to assist staff like locate and order inventory.
“Our focus on an investment in data and digital is designed to better enable customer engagement and business efficiency through the development and expansion of our technology platforms,” he said.
“Our commercial strategy is all about accelerating growth in this part of our business, providing greater value service and convenience to builders, organizations and the trades which means we're working hard to earn the right to be chosen more often.”
