Oracle CloudWorld 2023: Focus on data agility
Database, applications and cloud infrastructure provider brings international event tour to London to showcase latest industry-specific tech developments, Retail Technology reports
Many attending the Oracle CloudWorld Tour held last week in London had to keep reminding each other it was that 2019 was the last time the tech giant held a major event in the UK.
A lot has certainly changed since then. So, it came as no surprise that, from both tech development and industry-specific perspectives, cloud, digital and data topped the agenda.
Announcements included plans to launch a new European Sovereign Cloud service and AI-driven supply chain enhancements. Safra Catz, Oracle CEO, declared: “We’re back.”
Catz highlighted how Oracle clients were improving the customer experience, safety and reliability, tackling climate change, and improving their own business processes.
Capturing the entire customer journey
Nicole Clayton, Chief Digital Officer of Nespresso, described the ability to capture data on the entire customer journey as a “game changer” for the Nestlé-owned coffee retail brand.
She added: “Whether it’s in our boutiques, online or anywhere in the full Nespresso ecosystem, we have a vast and rich space within which to learn about our customers.”
Nespresso uses Oracle’s Exadata hardware and software platform to manage its customer database on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI). This helps make the data readily available.
“We have been focused on democratising data. Gone are the days of silos. Your analytics and data science teams aren’t the only recipients anymore,” she explained.
“So, we’ve had to look at how to unlock the true value of data across the full organisation, and to leverage it to build better customer experiences.”
Understanding customer behaviour
“When you think about coffee and taste, you have to have enough data to support the experience we offer online,” said Clayton in highlighting the use of behavioural analytics.
In describing work to build recommendation engines, Clayton said: “They really help our customers understand their own sensorial profiles and use them to make better informed choices and decisions at Nespresso.”
The digital chief was also keen to stress how vital data now is in Nespresso’s supply chain. “We’ll continue to thrive through innovation,” she said. “That extends to innovation in the cup, right through to our boutiques as a gallery of taste.
“Then they are the real artisans of our brand - the coffee farmers. So, from farm to cup, all of our triple A initiatives gives our customers visibility and traceability using blockchain.”
Keeping pace with retail requirements
The new OCI advancements have been designed to increase interoperability and hybrid cloud management. This is consistent with what Oracle said it is hearing from clients and analysts.
Abiy Yeshitla, Oracle Vice President of independent software vendor (ISV) technology and cloud in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), told Retail Technology: “Our Cloud EVP, Clay Magouyrk’s message further reaffirmed the strength of OCI, from sovereignty, security, and performance perspectives.”
He said this would help Oracle’s retail clients who are challenged with managing, storing, and analysing data, consolidating customer data for real-time insights and decision-making.
“Retailers demand resilient scalable database technology to consistently process transactions,” added Yeshitla. “For example, Oracle offers an autonomous database for transaction processing to give retailers more visibility over performance, so they can make more informed decisions.”
