
Oliver Guy
Senior Director, Industry Solutions at Software AG
With significant experience in Digital Transformation and technology strategy, Oliver advises organizations seeking to compete more effectively. Working with the biggest names in retail and consumer goods across the globe for 25 years, he has provided deep experience in supply chain, omni-channel strategy, operations and optimization. This enables a broad and creative perspective on how data drives value through optimization and transformation. Prior to Software AG, Oliver held senior consulting and advisory positions in Europe and Asia.
Recent posts
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News
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IoT
Thoughts on Sainsbury’s ‘Just Walk Out’ London store
When Amazon announced cashier-free stores in 2016, I marveled at its Just Walk Out technology with IoT-enabled sensors. I also fully expected that Amazon would eventually offer the technology as a white-labeled service to other retailers. At the same time, I was also very conscious that what Amazon had really done was to blend existing technologies together – why had no one else done… -
News
Three ways technology can help reduce food waste
Solving world hunger won’t happen overnight, and it won’t happen without equal parts compassion, creativity and innovation. One place to start is by reducing the daily mountains of food waste around the world – which can use a helping hand from some clever technology solutions. World hunger continues to loom, intensified by lengthy and unexpected droughts, a pandemic and unmitigated… -
IoT
Can technology prevent the ‘bullwhip effect’?
The notable shortage during the Covid-19 pandemic was toilet paper. Why? The sudden spike in demand could not be quickly met by suppliers. The cause was associated with a phenomenon known as the “bullwhip effect,” where demand signals from a store’s shelves are too far disconnected from suppliers. During 2020 lockdowns and other restrictions, domestic demand for toilet paper soared,… -
IoT
Can technology transform the store?
Visionaries in the retail industry predict that the Internet of Things (IoT) will dramatically change the in-store experience. Gartner’s 2021 Retail Technology Hypecycle illustrates how IoT-based store monitoring helps retailers to understand the operating pulse of a store in real time. It is a complex undertaking, however. Monitoring, analyzing and displaying store activity - with real-time dashboards, signals and alerts from IoT… -
Business Transformation
Visibility is key to Tesco’s success
The retail industry is under enormous competitive pressure; Margins are down, and consumer appetite for digital and contactless ways of shopping has radically increased. So, when market conditions change, retailers like multinational grocery retailer Tesco must change with them. Jason Dietz, Head of Process Architecture and Capability for Tesco Global, said: “Our competition can change their business overnight. It was important… -
IoT
Lessons from Walmart on IoT data
Imagine you are a large retailer with over 10,000 stores in dozens of countries and multiple ecommerce sites. You have Internet of Things (IoT) devices monitoring thousands of sensors on freezers, coolers, refrigerated trucks that provide temperature information on the food being stored or shipped. And the devices come from different vendors or original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and many of them need… -
News
Wine-fueled thoughts on reinventing the store
Visiting sunnier climes while travel restrictions are in place might be difficult but some of the UK’s most respected retailers managed a tour of Spain recently. “How?” I hear you ask. They joined Software AG and The Drink Talking for an online wine-tasting adventure, learning about some of the 74 wine regions of Spain but also taking a little time out to discuss the… -
Integration & APIs
A (Suez) crisis of supply chain visibility
As if retailers didn’t have enough to worry about with Covid-19 impacting the supply chain, there is now a serious disruption to shipping that looks set to make life much more difficult. On the 23rd of March, the Ever Given – one of the largest container ships in the world (1300 feet long and 656 feet wide) - ran aground in the… -
IoT
Re-inventing the store
As retailers rush to compete in the online sales and delivery game, the solution could be right under their noses – their stores could be turned into fulfillment centers. The number of empty stores in malls and shopping streets has dramatically increased over the past year – and looks set to continue this year. Online shopping and Covid-19 have certainly accelerated the…