Plan and prepare for Microsoft Cloud for Retail in 2024 release wave 2

Overview

In the 2024 wave 2 release, Microsoft Cloud for Retail will concentrate on developing new industry patterns that can be replicated, enhancing ISV engagement, and improving existing solutions in the market. This will be achieved by adding more features to the store operations application template, copilot template for store operations, copilot template for personalized shopping, and retail data solutions.

• Store operations application template will include additional better together features with applications that support partner extensibility.
• Copilot template for store operations will support multiple languages and provide conversation-based insights into various store KPIs.
• Copilot template for personalized shopping will allow extensibility through customer and partner-built plugins, manage crafted responses through personalized and detailed knowledge about the shopper, and generate responses considering knowledge from retailers SME on products, trends, product usage tips, etc.
• Retail data solutions will speed up the time to market through a ready-made industry template for high-value scenarios around inventory optimization, customer segmentation, demand forecasting, etc. Retail data solutions will also be enhanced with solutions from ISV and SI partners.

Updates to Microsoft Cloud for Retail release wave 2

Investment areas

Application and copilot template for store operations
Retail workforce management aims to provide a data-driven experience to retail employees and help increase store efficiency. The features under this workstream enable both store leaders and store associates to drive insights from store operations data, collaborate effectively on store tasks, and improve store compliance. The copilot template for store operations brings generative AI capabilities for retailers to improve productivity. For instance, retail data solutions-based analytics dashboard on Fabric will allow store leaders to get data-driven insights from store operations, and the links unfurling feature on Teams will help store employees collaborate better. This release wave will introduce capabilities that would bring data and insights into the flow of work and improve the efficiency of store operations. Copilot template for store operations also connects with retail data solutions to bring generative AI-based summarized insights for store managers and enables multilingual support for retailers across the world.

Copilot template for personalized shopping enhancements
Often, shoppers begin their shopping journey without a clear idea of what they're looking for. They may spend a lot of time browsing without finding the perfect item or feeling confident in their choices. However, the emergence of large language models is revolutionizing this experience. Shoppers can now engage with a copilot, acting as an expert shopping assistant, to help them discover and purchase exactly what they desire.

The copilot template for personalized shopping allows any retailer to effortlessly incorporate this interactive shopping experience into their website, mobile app, or in-store kiosk. This comprehensive solution can be implemented by retailers with minimal AI knowledge, serving as a foundation for a more customized solution. It integrates with existing product catalogs and vast media libraries and can be tailored to reflect each retailer's unique tone and brand values.

We are planning to enhance the copilot template for personalized shopping with the following enhancements in features:

• Expert knowledge integration: Utilizing in-house retail expertise for informative responses to shopper queries, enhancing customer engagement and trust.
• Dynamic shopping list generation: Enabling advanced product searches and list creation for a user-friendly shopping experience.
• Plugin integration with specific intents: Extending copilot capabilities with retailer-specific services for improved customer engagement and sales.
• Personalized prompts upon login: Offering customized suggestions based on shopper history and preferences.
• OrderCloud deployment offering: Embedding the copilot template as a default feature for a unified experience with low admin overhead.

Retail data solutions in Microsoft Fabric
Retail data solutions strategically modernize the data landscape for retailers using Microsoft Fabric. By offering faster time-to-market and actionable insights, we empower retailers to make informed decisions. Our accelerated approach facilitates data acquisition, organization, and analysis, enabling retailers to harness valuable insights from large volumes of data. Additionally, retailers can seamlessly leverage copilot and natural language experiences within retail data solutions.

We will be introducing several key features within retail data solutions:

• Use case templates: We will create templates for commonly used retail scenarios, such as inventory optimization, customer segmentation, and sentiment analysis. These templates encompass end-to-end capabilities, including standardized schema design, AI/ML models, and sample PowerBI reports. They are easy to set up for retailers and can be fully changed and enhanced according to retailers' preferences.

• Collaboration with partners: Simultaneously, we will be actively engaging with Independent Software Vendors and System Integrator to enable scenarios using solutions from these partners. This collaborative ecosystem will enhance and build upon the foundational capabilities of Retail Data Solutions.

The goal of this initiative is to enable retailers to improve their processes, manage their data effectively, and use insights that can inform their decisions.

To learn more about the entire set of capabilities being delivered during this release wave, check out the release plan for Microsoft Cloud for Retail below: