"3M" tsifrovizirovat the loyalty program and transferred customer interaction to a blockchain

2019

On July 4, 2019 company 3M reported that it started the large-scale technology project directed to improvement of customer interaction. Within an initiative a number of products 3M for car repair business will be equipped with NFC tags and QR codes, scanning which, buyers will be able to receive a unique multimedia content and also to participate in the loyalty program 3M based on specially developed mobile application 3M-Auto.

According to the company, the project is technically implemented based on the solution of the Verisium project which uses the Quorum blockchain platform from J. P. Morgan and a complex of architectural services Microsoft in Azure cloud. It allows to keep account of NFC tags and QR codes in a system, guaranteeing authenticity of goods.

Buyers will be able to scan using smartphones QR codes on goods, to get an information access about it, to instructions and a professional advice for its use. In addition, for each product scanned in application 3M-Auto the client will get points which he will be able to exchange afterwards for prizes from 3M. This application — an additional option of the loyalty program "Disperse with 3M!", facilitating process of accumulation and accounting of points by participants. The application is developed by DataArt company.

To provide uniqueness of schityvaniye of QR codes, they will be protected by a skretch-film. Protection against attempts to forge the code is reached thanks to an indicating system in the application when rescanning the same code. The Verisium platform provides authentication of each goods provided in a system. The blockchain technology in a cloud of Microsoft Azure guarantees safe storage and protection against falsification of data.

Implementation of this project will allow company 3M to understand and analyze better customer needs, and, on the basis of information on purchases which is contained in application 3M-Auto, to create the personalized offers.

Focal products 3M for a car repair participate in the loyalty program: abrasive and polishing materials, solutions for masking, a system for preparation and mixing of PPS paints, sealants and glues.

The separate group of products 3M — polishing pastes — within pilot testing is equipped with NFC tags, each of which is synchronized with pages about goods on the Verisium platform in Microsoft Azure cloud. When reading a NFC tag the smartphone the user will see a goods card with the video, photo and text instruction and also councils for its application from professionals of a car repair. Unlike the QR code protected by a skretch-layer used within the loyalty program, a system with a NFC tag allows to scan a product repeatedly (for example, even before purchase, in shop).

The geography of the project covers Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan. Products 3M participating in the loyalty program will appear within July, 2019 in shops of official distributors of company 3M, and products with NFC tags — in official online store 3M, in online stores All tools, 220 Volts and others. As the partner in distribution of products the official distributor 3M Forin company performs with NFC tags.

For July, 2019 during a digitalization era, clients can begin communication with brand 3M on our website or the website of online store and to continue communication via the smartphones, scanning NFC tags or using mobile application 3M-Auto. Such wide channels of interaction will allow our buyers to be aware constantly of professional recommendations for use of a product, thanks to bigger amount of technologies, available for July, 2019, and to access to a unique multimedia content and also communication with technical specialists. The buyer will be able to save the history of interaction with our company and to get personal advice and answers to the questions concerning him. Leonid Zhukotsky, the director of Security and Industry business group 3M in Russia and the CIS told

In the closest plans of company 3M — it is essential to expand the number of groups of the products and business directions participating in an initiative that will allow 3M to analyze in more detail communication with the consumers.