We sat down with Mr. Panicos Pavlides, General Manager of Electroline (ALPAN Group) to discuss how Digital Transformation is impacting his business especially in the wake of the pandemic.
As one of the leading retailers of household electronics in Cyprus, how important is technology and digital transformation to your business?
Panicos Pavlides:
Digital transformation is one of the key pillars of our success at Electronline. Technology enables us to respond quickly to the marketplace by constantly optimizing our pricing, product offerings and replenishment processes so that our customers always find the best brands in stock on our shelves and experience superior customer service.
How has digital transformation helped you optimize your internal operations especially through the pandemic?
Panicos Pavlides:
At Electroline, we felt the importance of giving back to our community during the pandemic. Most people's routines were drastically changed and so were their needs; the supply chain was also drastically affected due to global demands and the strain on logistical operations. This meant that our planning had to be top notch and our logistical operations had to accommodate the dramatic shift in market demand. Technology allowed Electroline to maintain our tradition of great products, value and customer service during the pandemic both in our shops and through our e-commerce store. We were able to adapt quickly while knowing we were making sound business decisions based on hard data.
How have you seen your customer requirements changing over the past few years and how do you see them evolving over the next few years?
Panicos Pavlides:
Customer loyalty has taken on a new meaning in the last decade; price is still important in our industry, but it is no longer everything. Customer loyalty is driven by an educated customer service, a relevant selection of quality merchandise, and reliable customer service. Customers want more information, they want clear comparisons, and they have a much better understanding of value. At Electroline, we pride ourselves on having professional and knowledgeable staff who can advise and support our customers from the second they walk into the store and throughout the lifecycle of the products they buy from us.
How does digital transformation help you differentiate your service offering to your customers?
Panicos Pavlides:
Digital transformation is important to every aspect of our customer experience. It helps us make informed decisions about what products to buy and in what quantities to stock on our shelves, it helps us get the best quality brands and products, and it helps us with loyalty plans designed to provide the best value to our customers when they need it most. We have also greatly expanded our online product offering and find that many customers prefer to shop with us online because they have complete confidence in our delivery and maintenance teams.
Microsoft has substantially expanded the scope of its Cloud and Power Platform especially in relation with Dynamics ERP; How important is it to have the right digital transformation partner, and why did you choose Xenatus?
Panicos Pavlides:
Our relationship with Xenatus has truly been a pillar to the success of our digital transformation. The professionalism, expertise and integrity of the Xenatus team is of the highest calibre. It's great to have a partner like Xenatus who can bring us all the relevant technological advancements from a global leader like Microsoft and deliver solutions that are localized and optimized for our business.