Evolving readiness index for overhauling the retailing sector through retailing process reengineering implementation

The purpose of this paper is to examine the state of readiness of the Indian retailing sector for the implementation of mobile retailing applications. It also identifies the most critical success factors (CSFs) for mobile retailing implementation through retailing process reengineering (RPR) framework.

This paper attempts to identify a few CSFs through questionnaire survey and interview, subsequently establishing the inter-factor relationships through interpretive structural modeling framework and computing the priority weights of the interrelated factors using analytic network process. Finally, the authors compute the retailers’ RPR implementation readiness indices for mobile retailing using Multi-Level data envelopment analysis methodology.

The 11 CSFs have been identified. Out of these, two factors namely Strategic Alignment and Management Control and Quality Contribute profoundly for mobile retailing implementation. Finally, a readiness index has been computed for implementation of mobile retailing in the selected retail outlets through RPR framework.

Only a few selected large retail outlets have been considered in this study and the sample size was modest. This study only revolves around the Indian retail sector.

This study can be used as a decision support system for mobile retailing implementation in Indian retail sector. Moreover, based on the results of this study, a few retail outlets are completely ready for mobile retailing implementation. Apart from them, the other retail outlets can improve their readiness index by emphasizing on performance scores of the CSFs.

Due to the scanty literature on mobile retailing, this study contributes to the mobile retailing body of literature in three ways: first, identification of CSFs in mobile retailing; second, interrelationship among the factors; and third, proposes a rational framework to compute retail outlets’ readiness indices for the implementation of mobile retailing through RPR framework.