Structured Process Analysis

A structured business process is a collection of processes that are standardized, repeatable, and well-defined intended to accomplish a certain business objective. These procedures are crucial for preserving operations' uniformity, effectiveness, and quality and usually follow a set order. For this analysis, we’ll be focusing on the sales process of DSW. The process covers all customer interactions from entrance to transaction completion, including product assistance, payment processing, applying discounts, welcoming customers, offering loyalty programs, and handling returns. Objectives include meeting sales targets, maintaining brand standards, and ensuring a smooth and satisfying shopping experience.

 

Sales Process Steps at DSW:  

The DSW App is used to check size and stock availability when assisting customers. 

Customers get promotions via email; cashiers can scan the barcode sent in their email in store.  

Sustainable paper bags are provided to customers when checking out. 

With well-trained workers and defined stages, DSW's sales process is efficient and customer focused.  While the VIP reward program improves retention, the POS system guarantees quick and precise transactions.  There are issues, too, such occasional lags or outages in the POS system, which cause checkout delays and upset customers.  Often times, discounts must be manually adjusted by workers due to misunderstandings caused by discrepancies between in-store and online promotions.  Additionally, the inventory system occasionally displays products as "in stock" incorrectly, which interferes with shopping. Limited access to detailed customer history hinders personalized service. Key supporting systems include the POS for transactions, CRM for customer data, and inventory management for stock tracking.

PC Register used to process transactions, handle product scanning, applying promotions, issuing receipts& track customer data (DSW VIP rewards account).

Payment terminal used to process payments, returns, donations, and offer loyalty program. 

Marketing guide sheet cashier's use to be informed of and scan active promotions.  

The information system (IS) supporting the sales process at DSW consists of five key components which are:

Hardware: DSW uses point of sale (POS) terminals, barcode scanners, receipt printers, and mobile devices to make transactions and help customers. The POS terminals are placed at each checkout counter and are combined with CRM and inventory tools. 

Software: The primary software includes POS applications, CRM platforms for managing customer interactions and loyalty rewards, and inventory tracking systems. These software systems help employees quickly process payments, apply discounts, and check stock availability. 

Data: The IS collects and stores customer data (loyalty program points, purchase history), product data (pricing, inventory levels), and transaction data (time of sale, payment type). This data helps with personalized marketing, inventory restocking, and business analytics. 

Procedures: Employees follow structured procedures when using the system, like scanning items, applying promotions, verifying stock levels, completing transactions, and enrolling customers in the VIP rewards program. Procedures also include how to manually adjust promotions or handle POS outages. 

People: Sales associates, managers, and IT support all interact with the IS. Associates use the system directly during customer transactions, while IT staff handle technical support and system maintenance. 
 

Information silos exist when data is isolated in separate systems, making it difficult to share or access across departments. At DSW, silos may appear between the POS, inventory, and CRM systems. For example, customer service may not be able to access full inventory updates, or marketing may lack detailed in store purchasing behavior. The current IS partially addresses the silo problem. The integration between the POS and CRM system allows customer data and loyalty points to be updated in real time. However, issues remain, usually when online and in store promotions don't sync, or when inventory data is outdated. 

CRM, ERP, and EAI are all systems that help manage and integrate different business processes within and across organizations. CRM, or Customer Relationship Management, is used to manage customer data, track interactions, and personalize the customer experience. At DSW, this system supports the VIP rewards program and purchase history. ERP, or Enterprise Resource Planning, involves functions like inventory, finance, HR, and sales into one system, with major vendors including SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, and Infor. It is unclear whether DSW uses a full ERP from one of these vendors, but doing so could help improve integration between their in store and online systems, especially where promo or inventory data currently causes issues. EAI, or Enterprise Application Integration, connects separate systems so that data can flow between them. DSW shows to use some integration between its POS, CRM, and inventory systems. Additionally, an inter enterprise IS connects multiple organizations, allowing data to be shared between companies, for example, with suppliers and providers. These systems are important for efficient supply chain management. While DSW likely works with suppliers through shared platforms, there is no clear evidence that they use a fully integrated inter enterprise IS. Implementing system like those could improve inventory accuracy, shipping coordination, and overall communication, resulting in making the customer experience and operational efficiency better as a whole.

Hardware is the physical stuff that helps computers work, like screens, keyboards, phones, and machines that run programs. At DSW, they use different hardware to help with things like sales and marketing. For sales, they use cash registers with barcode scanners and card readers so customers can pay quickly. They also use computers and servers to keep track of sales and inventory across all of their stores. For marketing, especially on Instagram, DSW uses smartphones, tablets, and computers to take pictures, make videos, and post content. They also use Wi-Fi routers to stay connected to the internet.

 

At roughly 500 locations, DSW has introduced Imbox Protection machines that enable customers to protect their newly purchased footwear in just 60 seconds. The kiosk is an innovation to traditional retail hardware deployment.

 

Overall, this hardware works well, but it could be even better if they used more portable tools like iPads for checkout or better computers for editing photos and videos.

 

    
 
DSW probably uses strong processors like Intel Core i7 or AMD Ryzen in their store and office computers. Their phones and tablets likely run on chips like Apple’s A-series or Snapdragon, which help apps run fast. Their servers, which are used to manage large amounts of information, might use Intel Xeon processors. For storing files, they most likely use solid state drives otherwise known as SSD’s, which are fast and reliable. These can hold between 256GB and 1TB of data. For really big stuff like customer info and Instagram stats, they use cloud storage from services like Amazon Web Services or Microsoft Azure, which can hold a lot more data and keep it safe online.

       

 

Software is a collection of programs or instructions that teach a computer how to perform. System software, which comprises operating systems and controls hardware, and application software, which enables users to carry out certain activities, are its two primary types. 

Windows for corporate offices and Windows POS (Point of Sale) systems for retail establishments are probably the operating systems in use at DSW. Because Linux-based systems are stable and customizable, its distribution centers may employ them for logistics and warehouse automation.

 

At DSW, application software consists of a combination of vertical or specially designed programs for retail operations and horizontal software, which is utilized in many other sectors. For instance:

 

• Horizontal applications: Zoom, Slack, and Microsoft Office Suite for general corporate productivity and communication. 

 

• Vertical applications: Oracle Retail and other retail management systems that assist in supply chain, pricing, and inventory management. 

 

• Customized applications: These are specifically designed to track awards, deliver targeted incentives, and interact with in-store experiences, including DSW's mobile app and customer loyalty platform, which are either built internally or through a vendor.   

   

Given that they assist DSW in tracking consumer behavior, managing hundreds of SKUs, and running a loyalty program with millions of members, these systems seem to be working well. Omnichannel shopping is also supported by the integration of in-store and internet technology. 

 

At DSW, a combination of both traditional software installed directly on devices and internet-based programs are used to help their sales. While there is no official statement confirming the use of open source software, it is likely that some open-source tools are part of the setup, especially in areas like analytics, development, or warehouse systems, where these types of programs are often chosen for their flexibility and reliability. In store operations they mostly rely on software that runs directly on devices like checkout terminals. These systems are closely tied to hardware such as barcode scanners and receipt printers, which need to work smoothly even if the internet connection stops working. This ensures fast service during customer transactions. At the same time, DSW also makes use of web-based tools. These are important for things like online shopping, managing the VIP rewards program, and giving staff access to scheduling or inventory systems. Web-based platforms are especially useful because they can be accessed from different locations and help link the in-store and online parts of the business. For instance, DSW’s mobile app and website are good examples of browser-based platforms that connect with their back end systems. These tools allow shoppers to see offers tailored to them, check their loyalty points, and view product availability.