Shiseido collaborates with IBM on app to empower beauty consultants

The Tokyo-headquartered firm selected the IBM MobileFirst Platform to develop and secure an enterprise app for its ‘Beauty Tablet’, and has multiple modules and increasing capabilities for internal operations.

It has also been integrated to Shiseido's backend systems, and acts as a beauty consultant's one-stop mobile solution for communications, scheduling, reporting and other tasks that increase productivity, according to the technology and consulting company.

Empowerment a ‘must’​

"With more consumers expecting personalized experiences across every channel, brands must empower their salespeople with the tools and insight to provide greater customer service,"​ says Phil Buckellew, vice president, enterprise mobile, IBM.

"IBM's partnership with Shiseido will help maximize and accelerate its mobile strategies to drive greater brand differentiation and higher levels of engagement."​

There is also a module in the app that creates a virtual community for beauty consultants to learn from each other, by sharing photos, tips and tricks, and comments, which IBM says helps to build a greater sense of pride and teamwork.

Social data analytics identify best practices and incorporate knowledge and know-how into future training and helps raise the bar for building consistent service and skills among beauty consultants.

"With new mobile apps, Shiseido Beauty Consultants continue to engage customers with 'Omotenashi' (the Japanese spirit of hospitality) to differentiate the Shiseido customer experience,"​ said Chikako Sekine, corporate executive officer, Shiseido Co.

"IBM is a valuable partner, supporting our company's long term vision to continuously enhance our brand value and drive growth and leadership in the global beauty industry."​

Deployment​

Since deploying the Beauty Tablet in 2013, Shiseido continues to support its consultants in Japan with the latest mobile enterprise use cases.

The IBM MobileFirst Platform enables Shiseido to continue to provide its consultants with access to new services and allows them to incorporate feedback into future product innovation and increase collaboration.

The cosmetics maker says the platform is a long-term solution in a mobile industry that is continuously evolving with new form factors, operating systems and security concerns.