Tasks where Robo Claw can be utilized in major retail companies and how to choose implementation candidates
We recommend evaluating target tasks from six perspectives: workload, frequency, standardization, number of exceptions, ability to connect to POS/EC/CRM, and whether writing is involved, and prioritizing routine tasks that span multiple systems and have a high inquiry response load.
When major retail companies select target tasks for Robo Claw implementation, please prioritize tasks that ① occur frequently, ② have standardized procedures, ③ cross information from multiple systems such as POS, EC, and CRM, ④ have a high inquiry or report handling load, and ⑤ can limit writing or assume approval. Tasks that meet these criteria are easier to verify for effectiveness in a Pilot.
Who This Is For
Who This Is For
This is intended for store operations managers, EC managers, DX managers, and others who are considering which tasks to start Robo Claw implementation with.
What You'll Decide
What You'll Decide in This Step
In this Discover STEP, we will identify candidate tasks for Robo Claw, prioritize them, and decide on the first task to undertake. Detailed design of requirements, permissions, and approvals will be handled in the next Refine STEP.
Fit Check
Suitable/Not Suitable Tasks
Suitable Tasks
- Tasks with high frequency and standardized procedures, such as summarizing daily store reports or organizing potential out-of-stock items.
- Tasks where human review and correction of initial judgments is easy, such as primary classification of customer inquiries or reasons for returns.
- Tasks that involve cross-checking information across multiple systems (POS, EC, CRM, product master, etc.).
- Tasks where price or inventory updates are involved but approval can be inserted before the update.
- Tasks where the input data format is relatively stable (POS data, order data, etc.).
Unsuitable tasks
- Tasks that occur very infrequently and for which automation benefits are difficult to anticipate
- Tasks such as in-store customer service that are inherently dependent on human handling.
- Tasks that require immediate reflection of price changes or customer communications without approval
- Tasks that include a large amount of confidential member and payment information and are disorganized
Industry Challenges
Challenges unique to large retail companies
Many companies face the following challenges when selecting target tasks.
Too many candidate tasks to narrow down
There are many candidates such as store daily reports, inventory checks, customer service, and EC operations, making it difficult to decide where to start.
Unable to formulate hypotheses of effectiveness
The actual workload and man-hours at stores and headquarters are not visualized, making it difficult to estimate the implementation effect in advance.
Uncertainty about POS, EC, and CRM connectivity
Whether the existing POS and EC platforms support API integration cannot be determined except by the IT department.
Confusion regarding tasks involving price and inventory updates
There is no criterion to determine whether it is acceptable to target tasks that involve writing, such as price revisions or inventory quantity updates.
Method
Implementation Steps
1. Identify candidate operations
We take stock of tasks related to stores, headquarters, and EC, such as summarizing store daily reports, organizing out-of-stock candidates, classifying customer inquiries, and creating EC product descriptions.
2. Check workload and frequency
We confirm the frequency of each task (always, daily, weekly, etc.) and the man-hours required to handle them.
3. Evaluate standardization and frequency of exceptions
We evaluate whether the procedures are standardized and the extent to which exceptions (such as complaints and diverse reasons for returns) occur.
4. Confirm POS, EC, and CRM connectivity
Confirm with the IT department the location of the data required for the target tasks and whether POS, EC platforms, and CRM can be integrated.
5. Check whether writing is allowed and whether human approval is required
We will organize whether it involves price and stock updates or sending to customers, and to what extent human approval needs to be retained.
6. Determine priorities
We will compile the evaluation results and decide on the first task to start.
Evaluation Table
Candidate Task Evaluation Sheet
The following is an example of an evaluation table. Please replace it with your company's candidate tasks. The tasks closer to ◎ have a higher priority for Discover.
| Candidate tasks | Frequency | Formality | Exception frequency | System connection | Post |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summary of store daily reports | Daily | Expensive | Low | Store reporting tool | None |
| Organizing potential out-of-stock items | Always | Moderate | Middle to high | POS / Inventory Management | None |
| Primary classification of customer inquiries | Always | Moderate | Expensive | EC／CRM | Internal only |
| Support for creating EC product descriptions | Weekly / As needed | Expensive | Moderate | Product Information Management | Based on approval |
Data & Systems
Data and Systems Used
In the Discover STEP, the status of the following data and systems is checked to evaluate candidate tasks.
Human-in-the-loop
Where Human Approval Is Required
At the Discover STEP stage, implementation is not performed, but during the evaluation of candidate tasks, the following judgments are organized based on the assumption that they will always be made by humans.
- Final decision on whether the target task can be selected as an automation candidate
- Decision on whether to include tasks involving price and inventory updates as candidates
- Judgment on whether to include operations that handle member information and personal information as candidates
Measurement
KPI Candidates
In the Discover STEP, the following are recorded as hypotheses for each candidate task and used as verification material in subsequent steps.
Current work effort
Estimation of the human workload currently required for the candidate task
Effect hypothesis
Hypothesis of the workload and time savings expected if automated
Implementation priority score
Priority calculated from factors such as frequency, regularity, and exception frequency
Pitfalls
Common Pitfalls
Select only tasks where the effects are easily visible
If you select only the prominent tasks without considering their frequency or the burden of handling exceptions, it becomes difficult to verify the effectiveness of the pilot.
Postpone checking the connection of POS, EC, and CRM
If you decide on candidate tasks first and then check connectivity, rework may occur in later steps.
Start multiple tasks simultaneously
If multiple tasks are carried out concurrently from the beginning, the authority design and pilot evaluation become complicated, and verification will take longer.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
How many tasks are appropriate to start with first?
In most cases, it is recommended to start with one task. Handling multiple tasks simultaneously complicates permission design and pilot evaluation.
Should tasks involving price and inventory updates be excluded from the candidates?
It is not always necessary to remove it. By automating the organization of candidates and drafting, and designing it so that updates are approved by humans, it can be treated as a candidate.
What should I do if I do not know whether POS, EC, or CRM can be connected?
Please collaborate with the information systems department to confirm the possibility of API or data integration with the target POS, EC platform, and CRM. Individual consultations are also possible.
Who should evaluate the candidate tasks?
We recommend that store operation managers, EC managers, and the information systems department work together. An evaluation considering both the actual operations and system constraints is necessary.
Continue
Next Step
Once the target operations are decided, the next step is to concretize the requirements, authorities, and approval design for those operations.
Shall we organize the selection of target operations together?
Based on the current workload, frequency, and POS/EC/CRM configuration, you can consult on the candidates and priorities for Robo Claw in the official LP.