The following diagram illustrates the range of in-store components currently existing within SIF.  Each is a valuable merchandising mechanism, but in each case, the real solution provided by theses in-store devices is one of information provisioning.

Each may be seen as a “solution”. But each is really an enabling technology for an information based solution. The intention of IBM’s Business Integration component within SIF was to define a process step that would manage the availability of relevant information and deliver it to the in-store devices.  Sadly, without some automated capability, such as that delivered by MIQ, this Business Integration function cannot be defined, develop and delivered in time frames acceptable to merchandising schedules and decision cycles.

MIQ, sometimes combined with SIQ, delivers a complete automated capability that can react in real-time to in-store customer initiated events.  In this way, a kiosk interaction where the customer’s loyalty card is identified, may retrieve personalized customer history from the back-end applications and deliver a communication to that customer that is exactly relevant to his or her needs and in compliance with preferences established over time.

Finally, the combination of capabilities emerging in the in-store devices and the ability to create an automated access and manipulation of relevant information from back-end applications now delivers the retailer an ability to communicate with the customers while they shop; and to provide useful guidance on shopping decisions while they’re being made.  MIQ delivers this capability across the range of in-store devices.