And how automation solves them
Retailers must respond quickly to changes in customer preferences and market conditions. Yet many processes remain outdated, creating inefficiency and wasting time. McKinsey research shows that automating processes can increase productivity by 15–30 percent. Business automation in Retail therefore not only saves time but also improves overall business operations.
In this article, you’ll discover how business automation solves the three biggest time wasters in Retail.
What is automation?
The retail sector is changing rapidly. To remain competitive, companies must reorganize their processes. Business automation is the solution: it makes processes more efficient, reduces costs, and increases flexibility.
With the Mendix low-code platform, companies can strengthen their competitive position and respond more quickly to new opportunities. This is essential amid a shortage of skilled technical staff and rising customer expectations.
Benefits of automation
Benefit 1: Scalability and Flexibility
Automation helps your business improve processes. It reduces errors and lowers costs by streamlining routine tasks. This provides the scalability needed for growth without requiring additional staff. Modern technology also lets you respond faster to a dynamic market and new business strategies.
Benefit 2: Increased Efficiency
Modern technology frees up more time and budget for innovation and strategy. This way, you don’t waste time on tedious, labor-intensive tasks. This not only increases efficiency but also reduces costs, supporting overall business operations.
Benefit 3: Strengthened Competitive Position
By modernizing processes, companies can quickly adapt to market needs. Technology is essential for improving customer satisfaction through faster, more reliable service. This helps retailers stay ahead and increase their competitive advantage.
Optimization 1: Returns Management
Returns management is one of the most time-consuming processes in Retail. Manually checking returned products, updating inventory, and processing refunds takes time and is error-prone. This leads to delays and dissatisfied customers.
With a low-code system, returns can be processed automatically:
- Checks returned products
- Updates inventory immediately
- Processes refunds without manual intervention
Optimization 2: Order Processing
Manually entering orders, picking products, and scheduling shipments is time-consuming. But it can also lead to incorrect deliveries and delays, which harms customer satisfaction.
With low-code, order processing can be automated:
- Orders are entered automatically
- Products are picked more efficiently
- Shipping labels are generated immediately
Optimization 3: Recalls
When a product needs to be recalled, it requires swift and accurate action. Manually identifying affected products, communicating with customers, and processing returns takes time and can lead to errors. Delays can damage the brand’s reputation and safety.
With low-code automation, recalls can be managed more efficiently:
- Quickly identify affected products
- Automate communication with customers
- Process returns faster
“Automate returns, orders, and recalls with low-code to speed up processes, reduce errors, and keep customers satisfied.”
Solution: Low-code technology (AI) and custom software
Low-code and custom software make automation accessible. Low-code shortens development time, reduces costs, and enables software development without extensive programming knowledge. This lets you build applications faster and more affordably. In addition, non-technical employees can contribute, promoting collaboration within teams. This makes software development more accessible to everyone.
When off-the-shelf software isn’t enough, custom software comes into play. Low-code lets you quickly develop custom solutions that align seamlessly with your business processes. This lets you create software that closely matches your organization’s unique needs—without compromising flexibility or functionality.
Combining low-code and custom software offers many advantages. It improves efficiency, reduces costs, and better aligns with your business needs. It also supports your current processes. This solution is also scalable and grows with your business.
In addition, this technology integrates seamlessly with Artificial Intelligence (AI). Low-code makes it easy to integrate AI models—such as predictive algorithms or image recognition—into applications. Conversely, AI makes low-code applications smarter and more powerful, for example, by automatically generating insights or replacing manual tasks. In this way, both technologies reinforce each other in optimizing your business processes.
“The combination of low-code (AI) and custom software offers flexible and scalable solutions that grow with your business.”
Lidl case study: Eco-products App
One example of how low-code technology supports quality control is our collaboration with Lidl Sweden. Lidl needed a more efficient way to manage the quality of its organic products.
Together, we developed the Eco-products App using the low-code platform Mendix. This app helps you quickly and accurately verify whether products meet organic requirements. It eliminates manual checks, enabling Lidl to improve product and process quality.
Thanks to this automation, Lidl can:
- Respond more quickly to quality issues
- Conduct recalls more efficiently
- Gain better reporting and control
Conclusion
Retailers can no longer afford to fall behind due to outdated processes. Manually managing returns, order processing, and recalls is time-consuming and increases the risk of errors. Fortunately, automation—thanks to AI-powered low-code solutions—offers a powerful way to speed up and improve these processes. With custom software, retailers can fully meet customer needs.
The benefits of business automation in Retail are clear: faster processing, fewer errors, and more time for valuable customer interactions. Whether it’s returns management, order processing, or recalls, low-code technology boosts efficiency and improves customer satisfaction.
Would you also like to optimize your business processes and increase efficiency? Discover how automation can help your organization grow. Contact us for custom solutions that perfectly align with your business needs.
