Keyora, JustEnough Software, and Columbus Launch E2E Retail Powered By Microsoft Dynamics AX

As next week's National Retail Federation BIG Show nears, Microsoft Dynamics partners Keyora, Columbus and JustEnough Software today announced the launch of their joint offering, E2E Retail, built on Microsoft Dynamics AX, billing it as "the industry's first cohesive, end-to-end solution" for today's omni-channel retailers, according to the companies.

E2E Retail integrates with Dynamics AX 2009, Dynamics AX 2012, as well as Dynamics AX 2012 for Retail, according to a spokesperson. The solution brings together e-commerce, financial planning, merchandise and assortment planning, allocation and replenishment, business intelligence, store operations and point-of-sale capabilities. The product aims to replace disparate and disconnected retail systems and replaces them with real-time, connected workflows, officials said.

As a result, retailers can unite their people, processes and selling channels in an effort to:

• Compete for brand differentiation and customer loyalty
• Meet and exceed the needs of increasingly demanding consumers
• Keep pace with the rate of change as new selling channels emerge and the line between social networks and the marketplace continues to blur

In a new examination of 2012's retail industry outlook, Microsoft's industry director for retail and hospitality Will Roche wrote about many of the same challenges, including the need to get closer to customers, manage infrastructure costs, and optimize processes around the client.  Specific areas of interest, in Roche's opinion are mobile apps, smart use of social networking, and Microsoft's focus on providing role-based information in their business applications.

"An omni-channel ...