The Future of the Digital Supply chain: The Worlds Collide

The Future of the Digital Supply chain: The Worlds Collide

Historically, we have viewed the world through a couple of lenses – a consumer lens and a business lens. So, where does an Uber driver fit it. A little bit of both worlds. The driver is both a consumer and a small business. So, what are the elements that we consider as we investigate the future? 

Universal devices like Mobile phones and tablets (reduced dedicated hardware units like credit card terminals & ATM’s). Many of the local coffee shops and restaurants have made the migration. Most others will follow. The flexibility and ease of use of these devices is driving adoption. The consumers will continue to migrate more payments to phones – away from cards and towards QR codes and other contactless systems. And remember, these devices are being used to buy, sell, transact – for both the consumer role and the business.

Payment gateways and mobile wallets started the revolution. Today, cloud-based Software with API’s are connecting all the players. These software platforms must be extensible, interconnected and evolve rapidly. As we take a wholistic view of where the transaction originates (a mobile device), to where the multi-party settlement happens (in the cloud), and the triggers to the supply chain to build/deliver a product or service. The supply chain of tomorrow has employees, vendors, and an army of independent professionals who may or may not be available at any given time – so real time changes will be the norm. 

Technology solutions like Blockchain offer security and transparency. These encrypted distributed ledgers will continue to provide trusted real-time verification of transactions with the need for intermediaries like correspondent banks and clearing houses.

We went from a world of passwords to two-factor authentication. Now we are gradually moving towards biometric solutions for authentication and decision. Voice, fingerprints, retina are just the beginning. Good technology innovation almost always gets noticed by bad actors who want to prey on the weak. It is likely that the biological and structural characteristics of a person will help eliminate most of that. 

Social platforms altered digital payments solutions a few years ago when Venmo allowed users to transfer money and share transaction details with their social eco-system. It is unlikely that the trend will change in the near term. It is another example of multiple world’s colliding. It is not just about making digital payments. It is a newsfeed that tells you who is going to a concert, paying rent and dining out (and with whom). 

Emerging markets are bringing in a couple more billion people to the connected universe. It is likely that those markets will drive the evolution of these solutions. Not just language, but social and cultural elements that will impact product design.

Smart home solutions like Amazon Dash allow one tap re-ordering. There are other sensors that automatically reorder. Similarly, as we communicate via voice with Siri, Alexa or Corona, we are driving up Voice based transactions and commerce. That trend is likely to grow. The voice authenticates, instructs and completes the transaction. 

Analytics, Artificial intelligence and Machine learning. Some of these are used interchangeably. Arguably, these will have the greatest impact on digital payments in the future – starting with preventing fraud, helping businesses recommend products and services to their customers, and helping drive automated transactions. It is as simple as the Netflix or YouTube dashboard – the media recommendations that show up are clearly based on the user’s preference and history….and drive many new media purchases, all done in a seamless manner that maximizes the user’s media watching experience. 

TraQiQ offers Digital payment solutions that have been in production for over 10 years. These solutions have evolved rapidly and provide great value in a socially connected world where barriers are coming down and emerging market consumers are driving change. 

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Digital Payments Drive Social Change in Emerging Markets

Digital Payments Drive Social Change in Emerging Markets

What does this translate into?

Emerging markets are leapfrogging from a largely disconnected and cash-oriented society to one where mobile devices are bringing consumers to the forefront of technology. They are leveraging technology. More importantly, they are driving innovation to add more relevant features and drive down costs. Practical, Affordable, and Relevant (PAR). 

So, what do we mean by PAR.

PRACTICAL:

A lot of users in emerging markets have never used a device – PC, phone, etc. The device and/or app experience must be easy to access and easy to learn and use. 

AFFORDABLE:

The device must be affordable. The monthly plans have to be very inexpensive. We saw innovation in India’s mobile phone industry, where incoming calls were free. It allowed a lot of people to acquire phones just to receive calls. Couple that with the business model innovation when Reliance introduced the Jio platform – reducing the cost of data to pennies per month. This type of technology and business model innovation drives usage. No wonder Reliance Jio is worth tens of billions of $. 

RELEVANT:

Cheap or free are great options. However, consumers demand value. They need to be able to get real work done. We see that in the area of digital payments – the unbanked are making payments via money stored on mobile wallets. Payments are being triggered via SMS messages or QR codes. This engagement model will drive change. 

Per World bank data, two third of the unbanked people (globally) own a mobile phone. This is an opportunity for financial inclusion. This is an opportunity to redefine the supply chain and bring in the unbanked community. Technologies like Blockchain provide a level of security and transparency that will drive growth in global commerce.

Lastly, there is the issue of infrastructure and scalability. Emerging markets are weak on digital infrastructure. While tremendous progress has been made in the last 10 years, we saw clear issues during the Covid19 crisis, where internet speeds were reduced significantly (plus outages). Scaling a solution to millions of uses takes significant resources – build the device, good UX to make sure the users can use it rapidly, relevant apps that provide value. This is clearly an area where Public-Private partnerships need to take precedence. Build infrastructure and digital solutions in tight partnerships to ensure sustainability even in the harshest conditions. 

The challenges of the emerging markets are now driving innovation. Payment and digital commerce are at the forefront of this transformation. TraQiQ offers Digital Commerce solutions that have been in production for over 10 years and are continuing to grow, innovate and support a PAR world. 

The Growth of Digital Payments

The Growth of Digital Payments

There is considerable history in the world of payments. As we go back thousands of years, we started with ecommerce/trade systems without monetary payments. It took considerable time to move from barter to livestock, precious coins, skins/leather and eventually paper money. However, there has been considerable progress in the last couple hundred years. The progression from paper money to checks to credit cards and now Digital currency (and payments). 

As we explore the world of digital payments, the revolution started in the mid-nineties with ecommerce and online shopping. It has continued to grow rapidly over the last 25 years. What started as simple payments with credit cards has now transformed into a broad segment of mobile payments. A simple tap or wave with a phone buys groceries or pays for a round of golf. How does one even define the broad world of digital payments? 

Digital payments convert a traditional cash transaction to a cashless one. The business world aggressively moved in that direction with ACH payments, wire transfers and EDI based solutions. As we look at the consumer world 25% of the global population does not have access to the traditional banking systems (with a high percentage of women). This is the segment that is ready for migration to the world of Digital payments – safe, reliable, transparent, and convenient. While these transactions tend to save money due to system efficiencies, the bigger benefit is that it leaves a digital trail, thereby protecting people’s financial interests. 

As with most industries, technology is changing the game. Countries are considering the introduction of digital cash, where digital legal tenders are transferred directly from payer to payee in a payment transaction. This is a scenario where paper and metallic currency will become obsolete. While this transition is likely to take some time, we are heading there. Many consumers in the developed markets did not use any cash during the many weeks of Covid19. McKinsey tells us that e-commerce transactions grew 81% in Italy during that period. Technology is also enabling regulators to bypass banks. We see companies like Paypal/Venmo, Square, and Stripe drive payments and transactions across the consumer and business eco-systems. If the user chooses to leave money in those accounts (aka wallets), it does not need to go to a bank account. 

We do live in interesting times. The growth of digital commerce coupled with mobile usage are driving deep change in the global payment’s infrastructure. Consumers and businesses are facing and driving this change. They are demanding innovation and the technology industry is delivering. There are significant social issues that need to be addressed – we need to be inclusive. However, there is every indication that technology will continue to enable the developing markets and underserved demographics will continue to benefit and join the connected world. 

TraQiQ offers a mobile wallet, payment gateway, and commerce solutions. These solutions have been deployed around the world and help large corporations serve their customers. These solutions also enable the unbanked consumers to participate in digital commerce with just a phone.