“Breaking down isolated silos and supporting teamwork is one of the keys to delivering winning products,” notes Satyakam Sahu.

New Delhi: According to a report published by Deloitte in 2024, the retail industry is currently facing several major challenges globally and in the US. Technological advances such as AI and automation solutions have led to some optimism, but the problems of the past few years remain, from labor shortages to supply chain stress to consumer uncertainty.

A strategic professional, Satyakam Sahu, currently a senior product manager at Walmart, shares his insights on these challenges and ways businesses can leverage new technologies to overcome them. In his career spanning more than a decade and a half, he moved through a number of roles, working as a product manager, strategic consultant and analyst at retail charities. With his multi-faceted experience and constant drive to learn and innovate, he offers a comprehensive view of the industry, identifies the most important trends and finds innovative solutions to benefit both the company and the customer.

“To stay competitive and bring value to your company, you need to move in multiple directions simultaneously,” he explains. “With the increasing role of innovative technology in multiple industries, one must stay abreast of trends in both business and technology to gain strategic insight.” His performance was recognized at the Cases and Faces Awards, where he was named Innovator of the Year. Furthermore, Satyakam Sahu finds it important to share experiences and support the drive for innovation and excellence among companies and individuals. He participated as a jury member in the Globi Awards, which aim to highlight the most prominent achievements in business and technology. He is the author of several scientific publications on the pros and cons of using AI and robotics in retail.

A significant part of Satyakam Sahu's work at Walmart involves project evaluation and review. His extensive and varied experience, not limited to retail, including previously leading digital transformation projects in charities and consultancy firms, allows him to effectively and accurately assess the potential benefits of projects and ideas, then find the best way to achieve them. He notes that his approach ensures cross-functional collaboration, creating an environment for productive collaboration of teams with different specializations and backgrounds, allowing the company to use human resources most efficiently. Satyakam Sahu focuses on employee empowerment, shaping a company culture of creativity and collaboration.

“In my current position at Walmart, creating a win-win situation for both the business and the customer is fundamental to my approach,” explains Satyakam Sahu. “Continuous innovation and customer focus have been Walmart's core values ​​since its founding by Sam Walton, and I find this philosophy very inspiring.”

Throughout his career, Satyakam Sahu has found many ways to put this approach into practice. For example, he led the development and implementation of a new claims management system, which replaced a less-than-convenient outdated system, significantly increasing the efficiency of processing customer claims. The implementation of the solution made it possible to use the company's resources more efficiently while improving communication with customers and increasing the level of customer satisfaction.

“The same approach should be applied to other aspects of the customer experience as well,” notes Satyakam Sahu. “Whether we're leveraging data to deliver personalized offers to customers or support financial literacy initiatives, creating a collaborative environment is beneficial for everyone involved.”

Ensuring a seamless customer experience in a changing world is one of the most important challenges facing the retail industry, but there are others. Recent advances in technology have created a new range of threats along with opening up new business opportunities. “With the proliferation of AI, new types of cyber attacks targeting retailers have emerged,” explains Satyakam Sahu. “Companies must adapt rapidly, developing and rolling out cybersecurity solutions to protect their data.”
Furthermore, the ongoing digitalization of the industry is changing the type of shopping experience consumers prefer. Implementing an omnichannel approach, integrating online and physical stores, is one of the biggest challenges facing retailers.

“Fortunately, digitization at the root of change can also provide solutions,” Mr. Sahu adds. “The growing amount of data on consumer behavior, market trends and product performance lays a solid foundation for data-driven decision-making.” In previous positions at Walmart and ALSAC and JDRF International, a deep understanding of data analytics has been key to driving revenue, optimizing processes and enhancing the customer experience. For example, at JDRF International he spearheaded the launch of several revenue-generating and fundraising projects such as “Ride to Cure” and “JDRF One Walk”, combining real-world events with virtual events.

“JDRF One Walk” was particularly notable, as it became the largest revenue generating event for the company. At ALSAC, Satyakam Sahu worked on establishing new partnerships and developing existing partnerships, identifying and implementing new opportunities for fundraising. He worked on several strategic initiatives, implementing Rounding of Donations, Pin Pad Asks and Multiple Stage Asks, which increased overall revenue and improved the donor experience.

Satyakam Sahu points out, “Breaking down different silos and supporting teamwork is the key to delivering winning products. Speaking from experience, as throughout his career, he has consistently supported collaboration as an essential component of effective project management. For example, at JDRF International, his ability to organize collaborative efforts and data integration during project launch was instrumental in the development and implementation of the T1D Detect Screening Program.

On the technical side, the program requires integration of company data with third party websites, as well as ensuring that participant data is collected and processed securely for research purposes. The launch of the T1D Detect screening program raised awareness about early detection of type-one diabetes and made essential medical tests available to key people.

The implementation of this program under the leadership of Satyakam Sahu is an example of how digital technology can benefit society, especially public health and medical research.

2024 is sure to be an important year for many companies in the US and global retail industry. As competition intensifies, businesses that are able to understand the current challenges facing the industry and find creative solutions to overcome them will be able to maintain their position in the long term and find new opportunities for growth.