Branch Support & Crisis Management in Retail

The coop eG faced the challenge of modernizing and accelerating support for around 250 stores. The existing solution was reaching its limits, especially in efficiently processing incident reports and quickly and reliably managing business-critical processes such as product recalls. In addition, specific requirements of the retail environment had to be considered, such as different user groups in the branches and the need for complex escalation logics.

The Solution: flying dog Helpdesk & Workflow Platform

flying dog software replaced the legacy system with a customized implementation based on our flexible BPM platform. At the center is the flying dog Helpdesk, extended with specific modules and workflows to meet the special requirements of coop eG:

Modernized Branch Support:

• A high-performance and modern web interface (supplemented by an optional Windows client for quick access) enables efficient recording and processing of incident reports and other requests from the stores.
• Support for reporter groups with shared accounts allows branch teams to submit reports without each individual employee needing personal system access.

Integrated Crisis Management (Product Recalls):

• A highly specialized module manages time-critical recall processes for food and other products.
• Targeted alerts to defined stores and warehouses are sent via multiple channels (email and SMS).
• The workflow actively requests quantity reports from the affected locations and processes them in a structured manner.
• Sophisticated escalation mechanisms ensure timely responses: escalations via SMS are sent to area and supermarket managers, taking into account opening hours and specific responsibilities of the stores.

Flexible Process Control:

• The underlying Workflow Engine enables the mapping of complex complaint workflows across supermarket chains.
• Processes can be triggered and controlled by various events (email, API, form inputs).

Key Features of the Implementation:

• Helpdesk Core Functionality: Fast, efficient ticket processing.
• Crisis Communication Module: Time-critical recalls with multi-channel alerting and feedback.
• Dynamic Escalations: Consideration of contextual factors such as opening hours and roles.
• Flexible User Management: Support for shared accounts in branches.
• High Performance & Modernity: Replacement of a legacy system with a fast, contemporary solution.
• Cross-Chain Capability: Mapping of workflows across different chains.

Results & Benefits for coop eG:

• Significantly accelerated processing of incident reports and support requests.
• Reliable and fast execution of time-critical product recalls.
• Improved control and transparency over support and crisis processes.
• Efficient communication with hundreds of branches across various channels.
• Mapping of specific retail requirements in an integrated platform.