In order to focus on creating value for their customers and prioritising the needs of their users, METRO Digital set the goal to establish a user-focused and data-driven product development process.
METRO AG, a premier specialist in the wholesale and food retail sector, operates in 35 nations worldwide, employing a global staff of more than 150,000. The company's IT division, METRO Digital, provides unique and future-focused IT solutions, supporting METRO businesses in their technological needs – covering all markets, each department, and every nation.
Recognising the growing significance of user-centric and data-driven development processes in the B2B sector, the desire arose to base product launches and adaptations on quantitative data. The goal was to utilise experiments and A/B testing to substantiate decisions with measurable KPIs. This approach is intended not only to reduce the risks of undesirable developments, but also accelerate the pace of innovation.
To optimize the usability and performance of a website, continuous testing and learning is crucial. A/B testing with tools like Optimizelywhere two or more website versions are compared with each other, are an effective method.
This requires what is called an "experimentation culture" within the company.
Because consistent testing, iteration and knowledge sharing between teams are an essential part of the learning and optimisation process and encourage an innovation mentality throughout the company.
To reach these goals, METRO Digital chose Up Reply as their trusted partner to execute an iterative experimentation rollout plan.
The rollout strategy was twofold: First, a technical proof of concept (POC) was carried out, while at the same time processes were established to introduce an "experimentation culture" in the new product teams.
At the beginning of the project, interviews with stakeholders and a technical proof-of-concept (PoC) identified effective ways to integrate experiments into existing product processes. The desired solution should be customisable for different shops and apps, support different tests and personalisation campaigns, and integrate seamlessly with existing systems. METRO Digital chose Optimizely because of its ability to run and track experiments in a live environment.
Simultaneously, we worked to instil a KPI-based "culture of experimentation" within the company and developed a strategy for a step-by-step rollout of the experimentation program. A pilot team kickstarted the process. They received training, identified user-centric hypotheses and built an initial experimentation roadmap. Following the pilot's success, the programme expanded to other teams, enabling them to independently address further development of platforms and online.
As the world's leading company in wholesale and food retailing, METRO AG is present in 35 countries. METRO Digital, the company's technology division, develops visionary IT solutions tailored to the individual needs of METRO companies. With an impressive team of around 2,500 employees, METRO Digital oversees a broad spectrum of services ranging from data warehousing, merchandise management and customer information systems to logistics, e-commerce and intranet solutions. They take care of IT requirements in all markets, departments, and countries, reflecting METRO's diverse activities.
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