Summary of the article "Toward a three-dimensional framework for omni-channel"

Towards a three-dimensional framework for omni-channel
Saghiri et al. (2017)

Omni-channel: introducton and research motiaton
When channels work independently of each other they create fragmented supply chains and struggle
to deliver a consistent and reliable consumer experience. Omni-channel retailing aims to address this
by coordinatng processes and technologies across all channels, to provide consistent and more
reliable services for consumers. The omni-channel system assures maximum informaton availability,
visibility and consistency across multple channels. This provides various benefts such as total sales
growth, cost saving, trust, synergy and diferentaton through value-added services.

To enhance the consumer’s mult-channel experience, retailers have atempted to make the product
and service informaton consistent across all channels (cross-channel systems). This makes data
gathering and decision making easier for the consumer.

However, these is a scarcity of omnichannel research work in the academic literature (no theoretcal
ground and characterizaton for various aspects of omni-channel systems). Besides, there are some
controversies in literature which require the development of a holistc framework for omni-channel.

Theoretcal ground
In omni-channel systems various partes (retailers, manufacturers and delivery companies) are
agents of the system. Channels refer to diferent ways to interact with customers. However, what is
overlooked is that the channel types are diferent for diferent interactons with the customer during
his/her buying process and are managed by diferent agents. Therefore, agents in omni-channels are
defned in the context of the channel type(s) they represent or perform in, while channel types are
defned based on the stage(s) of the customer journey they refer to. Channel types and agents in
each stage of the customer value-adding journey are not the same.

Noton 1: the identty and role of the agents in the omni-channel may vary, depending on the
channel type(s) they manage or perform in.
Noton 2: diferent types of channels in omni-channel systems should be identfed based on the
stage of the customer value-adding journey in which they occur.
Noton 3: agents in omni-channel systems should be defned with two key atributes: channel type
and the stage of the customer value adding journey that the agent belongs to.

Complex adaptve systems include constant and dynamic connectvity and interactons among the
agents internally and with the surrounding environment. The interacton and communicaton type
may vary for diferent products, customers, services and operatons, and the coordinaton level may
change over the value adding journey stages and channel types.

Noton 4: connectvity and interacton among the agents in omnichannel systems should be defned
based on channel type and stage of the customer value adding journey that the agent belongs to.
Noton 5: connectvity and interactons among the agents in omnichannel systems should ultmately
connect multple channel types and stages of the customer value-adding journey.

Emergence: a collectve outcome of the agents' behaviour, performance and interactons.
More autonomy gives freedom to agents and introduces a higher level of uncertainty. On the other
hand, more control (inspectons, legislatons or restrictons) make the system more predictable.

Noton 6: the emergence and autonomy/control in omni-channel systems needs a clear defniton
and understanding of the agents, channel types and stages of customer value-adding journey.