| | MAY 20188CIOReviewBy Earl Newsome, CIO, Praxair, Inc.At Praxair, our digital strategy rests on four pillars: Operations ­ ensuring maximum uptime, Supply Chain ­ especially logistics, Business processes within the workplace and external eco-systems with a focus on our customer's experience. From a digital perspective, we are an operating company and primarily focus on two of those pillars ­ Operations and Supply Chain.Rapidly Growing Trends in the E-Commerce LandscapeWe want to take advantage of the external technology ecosystem to help us communicate better with our customers and suppliers. Millions of devices are currently in use supporting e-commerce. We have come up with a new word to describe this digital internet-commerce ­ "i-commerce." The next query that arises is how we can collaborate more effectively with our suppliers and customers across different domains. We start by navigating the journey either a supplier or a customer takes when interacting with our company. I think as you map those journeys out, you look for those moments of truth where organizations can start to apply some of these next-generation collaboration or human-computer interface capabilities to make that journey easier and more pleasant. One trend is electronic notification of milestones during the product delivery cycle giving customers access to accurate location information. Another is the use of voice technology, which is going to be the "new web access method." According to experts, 70 percent of transactions in the next two years will be operationalized using voice. This novel technology combined with machine learning and cognitive automation will lead the next generation for computer interface.The next phase of human-computer interface is going to be multifaceted, taking advantage of all of the senses. When we know how people interact with our systems, we begin to understand how to improve the landscape with more neutrality both in language ­ and physical ability. When we interact with businesses either from the supplier or customer perspective along their journey, the more the chances we will have to tailor their experiences. Also, globally, people will want to create unique and innovative experiences. You're going to see how the next generation of human-computer interface manifests itself and improve, achieving a truly neutral landscape for people to order the products or services that they need. Challenges Faced in the E-Commerce Landscape The biggest challenge is tracking the arrival of the goods or service. For instance, when we used to order a hard wired cable service, the company would tell you the day when they will be coming at a certain time or window, but we had no option to track their arrival. Now, you can track your customer service person IN MYPINION
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