The American Journal of Management and Economics Innovations
33
https://www.theamericanjournals.com/index.php/tajmei
TYPE
Original Research
PAGE NO.
33-41
10.37547/tajmei/Volume07Issue07-04
OPEN ACCESS
SUBMITED
14 June 2025
ACCEPTED
25 June 2025
PUBLISHED
09 July 2025
VOLUME
Vol.07 Issue 07 2025
CITATION
Narek Halstian. (2025). Use of Digital Tools for Sales Management in The
Retail Business. The American Journal of Management and Economics
Innovations,7(07),33
–
41.
https://doi.org/10.37547/tajmei/Volume07Issue07-04
COPYRIGHT
© 2025 Original content from this work may be used under the terms
of the creative commons attributes 4.0 License.
Use of Digital Tools for
Sales Management in The
Retail Business.
Narek Halstian
Owner and chief executive officer of trade and production
company “Factory of Gifts” (GoGift).Austin, Texas, USA
Abstract:
This article substantiates the necessity of
transitioning to an integrated digital sales ecosystem as
a key factor of competitiveness. The relevance of the
study is determined by the rapid growth of electronic
commerce and the approach of the online channel share
to 20% in global retail, which renders traditional
methods of sales management economically inefficient.
The author emphasizes that digital transformation
should be regarded not as a one-off project but as a
continuously accelerating positive feedback loop
requiring end-to-end integration of CRM, POS, BI, and
ERP/OMS. The objective of the study is to systematize
and analyze contemporary digital solutions applied to
sales management in the retail business, as well as to
identify the mechanisms of their interaction and their
impact
on
key
operational
indicators.
The
methodological basis comprised a comparative analysis
of reports by UNCTAD, Emarketer, McKinsey, Intellias,
and leading industry research, as well as content
analysis of practical case studies and statistical data. The
theoretical part examines the four layers of the sales
tech stack, while the empirical part provides examples
of the implementation of AI modules, predictive
analytics, and omnichannel platforms. The novelty of
the research lies in the comprehensive consideration of
the chain CRM → POS → BI → ERP/OMS as a single data
loop that enables enterprises to achieve operational
transparency of sales, responsiveness to demand, and
process scalability. Additionally, current trends in
marketing automation, SFA applications, and AR/VR
solutions are analyzed, as well as the organizational and
behavioral factors influencing the success of digital
initiatives. Key findings: integration of digital tools
ensures up to 65% reduction in revenue loss through AI
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demand forecasting and a 5
–
15% increase in revenues;
omnichannel transforms the customer journey,
increasing the average basket value and customer
retention; the implementation stages (audit
–
pilot
–
phased migration) are critical for minimizing risks; the
main barriers remain data fragmentation, employee
resistance, cyber threats and the risk of vendor lock-in,
overcoming which requires a systemic approach to
training, security and data management. This article will
be useful for executives of retail companies, IT directors,
digital transformation consultants, and researchers in
the field of retail.
Keywords
: digital transformation, sales management,
CRM, POS, BI, ERP/OMS, omnichannel, AI forecasting,
marketing automation
INTRODUCTION
The digitalization of trade has ceased to be a promising
direction and has become a mandatory condition for
competitiveness. According to UNCTAD, the combined
electronic sales of companies in 43 economies,
accounting for approximately three-quarters of global
GDP, increased by nearly 60% over just six years and
reached USD 27 trillion by 2022, effectively equaling the
volume of world exports of goods and services
(UNCTAD, 2024). Simultaneously, the share of the online
channel in global retail approached 20%: Emarketer
recorded 19.9% in 2024 and forecasts further growth
despite a slowdown in certain regions (Lebow, 2025).
Thus, a significant portion of revenue and almost all
margin dynamics are shifting into the digital
environment, and any sales management solutions that
ignore this shift become economically unjustifiable.
However, the issue is not limited to simply going online.
The principal cause is the compound-interest effect:
data are collected more rapidly, decisions are made
more accurately, and the freed-up resources are
reinvested
into
the
development
of
digital
infrastructure. As a result, digital transformation
becomes not a one-off project but a continuously
accelerating positive feedback loop, without which
sustainable sales growth is virtually impossible.
At the same time, consumers themselves are changing.
After the pandemic, offline and online touchpoints are
perceived as parts of a unified scenario: a recent study
by Google and Impact Commerce found that 84% of
omnichannel retailers in Northern Europe already grant
sales personnel access to inventory across all stores and
e-commerce warehouses in real time
—
otherwise,
customers switch to those who can confirm product
availability
immediately
(Winterberg,
2024).
Consequently, to meet the basic expectations of the
market, retail businesses require more than a storefront
and a call center; they need an end-to-end digital
ecosystem that unites CRM, ERP, analytics, and
customer-experience tools.
In conditions where the scale of online sales and
customer requirements grow faster than physical
infrastructure, digital tools transform from an additional
channel into the foundation of sales management. They
simultaneously provide process transparency, enable
faster responses to changes in demand, and create
competitive barriers that are difficult to replicate
without comparable investments in data and
technology.
MATERIALS AND METHODOLOGY
The study of the use of digital tools for sales
management in the retail business relies on a wide range
of sources: reports from international organizations,
industry research, and practical case studies from
leading companies. In the theoretical part, data from
UNCTAD showing e-commerce growth were used
(UNCTAD, 2024), as well as Emarketer’s forecasts that
the online channel share in retail will exceed 20%
(Lebow, 2025). The effectiveness of implementing AI
modules and predictive analytics is confirmed by a
McKinsey report, which recorded up to 65% reduction in
revenue loss through demand forecasting (Amar, 2022),
and by an Intellias study noting a 5
–
15% increase in
revenues among retailers applying such technologies
(Intellias, 2025).
Methodologically,
the
work
combines
several
approaches. First, a comparative analysis of the key
components of the digital tech stack was conducted:
CRM systems (Breeden, 2024; Salesforce, 2025), next-
generation POS solutions (GMI, 2024; Usta, 2024), BI
platforms
and
demand-forecasting
systems
(Yarymovych, 2025), as well as ERP/OMS complexes
(Forrester, 2024). Second, a systematic review of
industry reports and market forecasts was performed,
enabling the identification of the main trends and
growth rates of investments in digital sales solutions.
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The empirical foundation was supplemented by content
analysis of practical case studies and statistical reports.
For instance, a Google and Impact Commerce study
demonstrated that 84% of omnichannel retailers in
Northern Europe provide access to inventory across all
channels in real time (Winterberg, 2024). The Cropnik
report attests to high internal demand for marketing
automation (Cropnik, 2025), and Destination CRM
materials illustrate the effectiveness of SFA applications
in field sales (Destination CRM, 2024). Organizational
and behavioral factors analysis is underpinned by
Maor’s findings on the key
determinants of the success
of transformation programs (Maor, 2021) and Mishra’s
recommendations on employee training via embedded
micro-modules and gamification (Mishra, 2024).
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Digital tools first and foremost create full transparency
in the course of sales: data on inventory levels, prices,
and demand are aggregated into a single reality
dashboard with virtually no latency. The second benefit
manifests in reaction speed: analytical and AI modules
process market events within minutes, indicating when
to raise prices, launch a promotional campaign, or
redirect a shipment of goods. According to McKinsey’s
calculations, AI-driven demand forecasting yields up to a
65% reduction in revenue losses due to stockouts (Amar,
2022); a comparable Intellias study records that chains
employing predictive analytics increase revenues by 5
–
15% and raise gross margin by the same amount,
whereas companies without such tools achieve growth
of no more than 0
–
3% (Intellias, 2025).
Finally, the digital architecture renders the business
scalable and genuinely omnichannel. PwC notes a leap:
over five years, the share of retailers investing in
omnichannel scenarios rose from 20% to more than
80%, and the consumer
—
accustomed to seamless
switching between screens and stores
—
completes
purchases on marketplaces in 40% of cases, expecting
uniform pricing, personalized recommendations, and
real-time inventory across all channels. For IT
departments, this means that adding a new sales
channel or region becomes an API connect
—
and
—
scale
operation rather than a months-long migration project
(Mishra, 2024).
Advancement toward an end-to-end digital sales model
begins with constructing the proper tech stack, so it is
expedient to distinguish four key groups of solutions,
each covering its layer of data, operations, and customer
experience.
The first layer comprises CRM systems, which
consolidate
all
customer
touchpoints,
record
transaction histories, and feed personalized marketing
scenarios. Global spending on CRM has already reached
USD 53 billion and will continue to grow over the next
twelve months; the market leader, Salesforce, alone
accounts for 20.7% of the global turnover, clearly
demonstrating the weight of customer-relationship
management in retail strategy (Breeden, 2024;
Salesforce, 2025).
The second level consists of next-generation POS
platforms. These extend the checkout beyond the
stationary counter, turning a salesperson’s smartphone
or a courier’s tablet into a fully functional trading node
capable of processing payments, synchronizing
inventory, and launching micro-loyalty programs. The
POS software market was valued at USD 11 billion in
2023 and is growing at an 8.9% CAGR, as shown in Figure
1; transaction volumes through next-gen providers are
increasing at double-digit rates, in some cases reaching
40
–
50% per year, gradually displacing legacy on-premise
solutions (GMI, 2024; Usta, 2024).
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Fig. 1. Point of Sale (POS) Software Market Size (GMI, 2024)
The third stratum is formed by BI platforms and
demand-forecasting systems. Their principal value is
operational speed: companies using real-time analytics
reduce decision-making cycles by 30% while
simultaneously improving inventory-forecast accuracy;
73% of retailers that have implemented algorithmic
planning models have already recorded reductions in
both overstocking and out-of-stock incidents. By 2025,
real-time data processing will become standard for 70%
of chains, meaning that BI will transition from an
optional tool to essential infrastructure for daily
management (Yarymovych, 2025).
The fourth layer comprises ERP and OMS platforms,
linking the front office with procurement, logistics, and
finance. Integration of these loops provides not only
visibility of the supply chain from vendor to checkout,
but also a direct financial effect: a Forrester TEI study
showed that migrating to a cloud ERP suite with
embedded order management delivers a 106% total ROI
over three years, accelerates inventory turnover, and
saves up to 15 hours of labor per week for key users
through automated processes. For retail companies, this
means that any change in demand or disruption in
supply is instantly reflected in a unified system where
procurement plans, pricing, and delivery routes can be
recalculated before the deviation becomes a customer-
facing issue (Forrester, 2024). Most companies using
Dynamics 365 report process simplification (70.3%) and
improved customer experience (64.1%) as the main
advantages, while extended retail capabilities (31.3%)
and increased profitability (36.9%) are noted less
frequently, as shown in Figure 2.
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Fig. 2. Outcomes Experienced by Organizations Using Dynamics 365 (Forrester, 2024)
Thus, the
linkage CRM → POS → BI → ERP/OMS forms a
continuous data loop that enables viewing the
customer, the transaction, the forecast, and the supply
chain as parts of a single process; this constitutes the
foundation upon which digital sales management is
built.
The next layer comprises marketing-automation
platforms, which connect sales with personalized
marketing, from trigger-based e-mail campaigns to
orchestration of omnichannel initiatives. According to
Figure 3, the market for such solutions is valued at USD
6.79 billion in 2024 and, by estimates (The Business
Research Company, 2024), will grow to USD 10.54 billion
by 2029 at a 9% CAGR; for every dollar invested,
companies already derive USD 5.44 of cumulative
benefit, and 91% of executives report growing internal
demand for further automation (Cropnik, 2025).
Fig. 3. Marketing Automation Global Market (The Business Research Company, 2024)
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A logical continuation is provided by AI chatbots and
voice assistants, which transform service into a 24/7
sales channel. For companies employing distributed
sales teams, mobile SFA applications are critical,
allowing merchandisers and sales representatives to
record orders, planograms, and inventory in real time.
The SFA segment is already valued at USD 8.4 billion
(2023) by IMARC and is forecast to exceed USD 21 billion
by 2032, reflecting the growing demand for precise field
analytics and the reduction of blind spots between office
and point of sale. Integration of these applications with
CRM and ERP closes the last-mile data gap and
accelerates decision-making cycles at the branch or
route level (Destination CRM, 2024). Finally, AR/VR-
based solutions render sales management truly visual:
3D product models, virtual fitting rooms, and digital
showcases enhance customer confidence and reduce
returns.
Most digital initiatives fail not due to technology but
because of organizational missteps: a McKinsey study
shows that only about one-third of transformation
programs succeed, a figure that has remained virtually
unchanged over time (Maor, 2021). Therefore, a well-
managed company begins not with platform selection
but with an inventory audit
—
a meticulous mapping of
how goods and data travel from supplier to customer. A
detailed customer-journey map reveals friction points,
duplicate operations, and empty handoffs that impede
automation; without this picture, implementing any
system becomes an expensive band-aid atop disordered
processes.
Audit data forms the basis for measurable performance
metrics: if critical KPIs are defined in advance, the team
can track the real value of the project, reallocate
resources, and refine hypotheses before deviations
become irreversible. In the absence of clear KPIs, digital
transformation rapidly degrades into a set of parallel
initiatives among which it is impossible to establish
priorities.
The next choice lies between an all-in-one vendor
strategy and a best-of-breed approach. The former
reduces management complexity; the latter provides
acce
ss to the market’s leading modules but demands
high API compatibility. The optimal solution typically
involves a hybrid model: core processes are handled by
a unified platform, while specialized functions (e.g.,
dynamic pricing or AR showcases) are connected as
needed via a standardized integration layer.
During migration, particular attention is paid to data
quality. A single product, customer, and warehouse
directory eliminates discrepancies between systems and
prevents an avalanche of errors post-go-live. Rather
than a big bang, a phased entity migration with
mandatory validation is practiced: first a pilot set of
categories, then the remaining assortment. This
approach allows rollback at any stage without
interrupting sales or maintaining two parallel
ecosystems.
Technical readiness is worthless without trained people.
Traditional classroom training yields to embedded
micro-modules: short lessons and simulations directly
within the interface enable employees to learn new
functions at the moment they are needed. Gamification
mechanics add an extra layer of engagement, turning
learning into an intuitive
—
even competitive
—
process
that reduces natural resistance to change.
The cycle concludes with a pilot launch in a limited
scope
—
typically one region or a narrow product
category. The pilot zone serves as a laboratory:
integrations are stress-tested, data sufficiency is
verified, and staff reactions are observed. Once target
metrics are achieved, the solution is scaled by replicating
the template across the remaining units. Such phased
expansion mitigates the risk of budget overruns,
maintains team focus, and enables rapid roll-out of
proven practices, thereby increasing the likelihood that
the project will rank among the successful ones.
Digitization of the sales cycle delivers measurable results
almost immediately after the system goes live in
production. At the front line, this is evident in the
average
transaction
value:
personalized
recommendations generated from purchase history and
real-time behavior typically add a double-digit
percentage to each sale, while increased relevance of
offers helps retain customers for longer, increasing LTV
and reducing the marketing cost per contact. When such
scenarios operate synchronously at the point of sale, in
the mobile app, and in email campaigns, the effect is
amplified through a consistent experience: the buyer
receives the appropriate offer in any channel and is less
likely to switch to competitors.
In the assortment-and-inventory segment, the most
tangible benefit comes from multi-echelon inventory
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optimization. Transitioning from monthly data exports
to a continuous planning model reduces safety stocks
without sacrificing service levels. Freed capital can then
be reinvested in further automation without the need
for additional resources.
Digital service loops concurrently lower customer
support costs. Cloud-based service platforms unify
chatbots, virtual assistants, and operator workstations
into a single queue, so that repetitive inquiries are
handled by virtual agents while human operators focus
on complex requests. The unified case database also
feeds the CRM with cleaner data, improving the
accuracy of subsequent marketing recommendations
and closing the digital loop on the customer.
Finally, integrating the POS terminal, marketplace
storefronts, and order management center into a single
cloud architecture directly impacts revenue structure:
the share of the online channel grows faster than the
market. Taken together, the four results
—
higher
average transaction value, faster-turning inventory,
support-cost savings, and online-sales growth
—
create
positive feedback: every ruble or labor hour freed can be
reinvested in a new cycle of analytics and automation,
reinforcing the lead over competitors.
Despite the promised gains in revenue and efficiency,
digital transformation often stumbles over fundamental
risks. Chief among these is data fragmentation: without
a single reference for products, customers, and
processes, the system becomes a collection of
disconnected modules that distort analytics and block
automated scenarios. Even with a technically sound
architecture, a project may stall due to human factors.
Employees perceive new platforms as a threat to
established routines and resist change when they do not
see a personal benefit. Successful companies do so by
making training continuous and embedding it in
workflows. They let their people experiment with tools
well before going live. Equally important is linking
educational programs to career goals: fear of
automation diminishes when employees see how new
skills enhance their market value.
Another risk is about the cybersecurity and operational
infrastructure needs. Moving to the cloud and more
integrations greatly expand the attack surface: a breach
of client or pricing data not just breaks trust but also
brings big costs. This compels companies to adopt a Zero
Trust model, to encrypt data flows more aggressively,
and to hold vendors to the same standards as their
resources.
Vendor dependency becomes a critical issue
after initial project successes: the deeper an application
becomes embedded in processes, the more expensive it
is to replace. A long-term SLA must not only guarantee
availability and data protection but also provide for a
right of exit
—
a clear procedure by which the client can
retrieve the entire history of operations and transfer it
to another ecosystem without loss of integrity. In reality,
firms that insert this provision at an initial phase steer
clear of unwarranted increments in royalty fees and
secure better control over their creation.
Hence, the accomplishment of digital instruments is
decided less by their characteristics than by the entity’s
willingness to handle information as a strategic
resource, to involve individuals in transformation, to
safeguard an enhanced infrastructure, and to schedule
liberty of action in supplier links.
CONCLUSION
This study has demonstrated that digital transformation
in the retail sector has ceased to be an option and has
become a vital mechanism for effective sales
management. Analysis of modern digital tools shows
that integration of CRM, POS, BI, and ERP/OMS systems
establishes an end-to-end data loop that ensures full
transparency of operations and rapid responsiveness to
shifts in demand. This architecture not only makes the
customer journey visible in real time but also allows
quick changes to pricing policies, promotions, and
logistical routes to reduce losses from dead stock and
missed sales.
Adding marketing-automation platforms, SFA
applications, and AR/VR-based solutions to the
traditional
technology
stack
helps
unify
the
omnichannel customer experience. This enables the
retailer to further personalize offers at every
touchpoint
—
be it in e-mail campaigns or virtual
storefronts
—
which drives average transaction values
and customer retention rates even higher. Moreover,
the deployment of AI-driven demand-forecasting
modules delivers significant resource savings and
revenue growth through more precise assortment
planning and a reduction in out-of-stock situations.
However, these technological advantages do not
guarantee
project
success
without
thorough
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organizational preparation. A key step is a
comprehensive audit of existing business processes and
the creation of a Customer Journey map to identify
friction points and redundant operations. Only based on
a high-quality product-flow model and reliable data can
KPIs be accurately defined, a single-supplier or best-of-
breed strategy be selected, and a hybrid architecture
with clearly specified API interfaces be constructed. Pilot
implementations within a limited scope and phased
migrations with data validation help minimize risks and
allow for rollback to earlier stages in the event of critical
errors.
Among the main threats to digital initiatives are data
fragmentation,
human
resistance
to
change,
cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and vendor lock-in risk.
Overcoming these barriers requires continuous
employee training through embedded micro-learning
modules and gamification, adoption of a Zero Trust
model for information-infrastructure protection, and
pre-established exit procedures from the vendor
ecosystem that preserve the integrity of historical data.
Only with a holistic approach to managing data as a
strategic asset, supporting personnel, and maintaining
architectural flexibility does digital transformation
become a truly sustainable growth driver.
Therefore, the application of digital tools in sales
management within the retail sector proves highly
effective only under a systemic approach: from
consolidating customer touchpoints to seamlessly
integrating new technological modules and rigorously
regulating risks. Looking ahead, this evolution of
technical and organizational infrastructure will form the
foundation of retailers’ competitive advantage in the
global marketplace.
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