Customer data is at the heart of modern retail strategies. However, in many companies, this data is scattered across different systems: the CRM, online shop, Point of Sale (POS) system, newsletter tool, or ERP — often without any connection to each other.

The result? Fragmented data instead of deep customer understanding. Which means inefficient customer service, and poor user experiences in the store frontend.

Unified commerce demands more. Brands and retailers need to centrally collect, manage, and intelligently use customer data to enable cross-channel experiences that are personalized, consistent, and compliant with data protection regulations.

Problem: Data Silos and Inconsistencies

In an ideal customer journey, a system recognizes the customer regardless of whether she is logging into the online shop, shopping at the POS, or contacting customer service. Only when all touchpoints can access a common customer profile can a true unified commerce experience be created.

But the reality is often different:

• Data silos: Customer information is fragmented across multiple systems.
• Inconsistencies: Different data statuses lead to incorrect recommendations or duplicate customer profiles.

• Limited personalization: Without a complete database, communication remains generic and impersonal.

Solution: Unified Customer Accounts with Real-Time Data

A modular orchestration approach creates a unified data structure for all customer-related information – one which is flexible, scalable, and secure. Ideally, this modular approach is centred on MACH principles: Microservices-based, API-first, Cloud-native and Headless.

The good news? This is what the Actindo Core1 platform was built for, with its powerful process and data orchestration capabilities.

Benefit: Central Customer Data Storage Across All Channels

• Single source of truth: Actindo consolidates customer data from all relevant systems – online shop, POS, ERP, CRM, loyalty tools – in a central customer profile.
• Unique assignment through ID management: Flexible customer ID logic prevents duplicates and clearly assigns cross-channel actions to a single profile.
• Real-time synchronization: Changes – e.g., new address data or opt-ins – are immediately fed back to all systems so that information is always up to date.

👉 See example process flow: Provision of all required customer documents:

Benefit: Personalization & Segmentation

• Data-based segmentation: Customer data from various sources (purchases, newsletter behavior, store visits) can be combined to form precise target groups.
• Personalized communication: Actindo provides structured customer data for marketing tools – for personalized newsletters, targeted campaigns, or dynamic web content.
• Behavior-based triggers: Integration with email marketing or CRM systems allows automatic actions to be triggered, e.g., reminders for abandoned shopping carts or vouchers for inactivity.

Benefit: Data Protection & Compliance

• Central management of consents (opt-ins): All consents – e.g., for newsletters or tracking – are managed and documented across all systems.
• Legally compliant data processing: Data storage in Actindo complies with the latest GDPR requirements – including deletion and information functions.
• Transparency for customers: Self-service portals can be offered via linked systems, where users can view and manage their data.

Benefit: Integration into Existing IT Landscapes

• API-first approach: Actindo can be easily integrated into existing CRM, ERP, and marketing systems – whether Salesforce, SAP, Microsoft Dynamics, or specialized email tools.
• Bidirectional data flows: Customer data is not only transferred, but also actively fed back – for example, when new customers are created or preferences are changed.
• Low-code integration: Predefined modules allow data flows to be customized without extensive programming.

Conclusion

By implementing a unified data structure that is updated in real time across all channels, brands and retailers can centrally capture, manage, and intelligently use customer data. This is what the Actindo Core1 platform delivers.

It enables them to deliver personalized, consistent, and privacy-compliant omnichannel experiences that are in line with industry best practices. And eliminate the manual "busy work" that can fatigue customer support teams and in-store staff.

Want to find out more about how Actindo can achieve this? Explore our platform: