Microsoft technology and solutions for consumer markets: PwC

Consumer preferences and behavior are ever-changing, and global volatility and economic uncertainty are often challenging businesses to reimagine their services and operations. For industries such as retail, consumer packaged goods, hospitality, travel, transportation, and logistics, these shifting circumstances typically require custom solutions and trusted guidance. Organizations should have an industry-leading digital strategy so they can stay competitive, connected and agile.

PwC and Microsoft work together to help your business address today’s challenging issues. From helping facilitate business transformations to scaling the adoption of new ways of working, our award-winning Microsoft team of more than 9,000 global-certified Microsoft consultants and engineers help clients around the world grow, adapt, and better understand their customers and a workforce consisting of humans and increasingly intelligent systems . With the power of cloud technology, user-friendly business applications, analytics, AI and more, Microsoft delivers innovation to help businesses enhance their existing resources as well as pursue new opportunities including business model reinvention.

59% of consumer markets leaders plan to invest in new technologies over the next 12–18 months

Source: PwC Pulse Survey

A trusted collaborator for consumer-facing organizations

We look at strategy from various angles: the business perspective, customer experience, workplace applications, operations, supply chain, and technology, among others.
Our experience in accounting, tax, and advisory can help drive solutions to common and emerging business challenges.

We use deep industry knowledge to help organizations stay ahead of trends and respond to risks.
Our experienced team of engineers can bring a holistic approach to your business strategy, supporting you with tech-powered solutions to help navigate complexity and accelerate breakthrough outcomes.

A way forward with Microsoft solutions

Azure Azure supports the data and AI capabilities, digital and app innovation, security, and infrastructure needs of your business, helping give you the tools you need so you can plan and transform. Business applications Business applications by Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Power Platform use a low-code approach to help deliver high-value outcomes, including custom dashboards and automated reporting. Cybersecurity solutions Cybersecurity solutions can help businesses respond to cyber threats, enhance supply chains, and protect sensitive data as operations and customer experiences become increasingly digitized. Data analytics Data analytics support critical insights into customer behavior and innovation with AI , so they can empower you to modernize your data usage and create personalized experiences. GenAI (generative AI) GenAI is a top strategic priority for consumer-facing companies in the next three to five years, and tools from Azure OpenAI Services are ready to help you streamline back-office processes, automate customer support, and improve productivity.

Legal technology Legal technology can help your business operate strategically, and our Cloud for Legal — enabled by Microsoft Azure, Data Lake Storage, Cognitive Services, Power BI and Power Platform — can combine advisory with efficiency. Smart venues Smart venues can help you visualize the future of business by simulating product designs, helping reduce risk with digital twins, and planning more sustainable operations. Tax Tax departments are contending with new regulations, and our Cloud for Tax solution uses state-of-the-art Microsoft technology to stay current and extract more value from your business data. Sustainability Sustainability has become an increasingly urgent business priority, and we deliver targeted technology solutions and data-driven insights to help you plan your climate actions, measure progress, comply with regulations, and create value.

Helping consumer businesses maintain an edge

PwC brings trust and experience to its work with Microsoft technology to help deliver strategic end-to-end solutions for consumer markets organizations. Our team advises global clients on ways to use Microsoft technology for innovation in business transformation, tax, sustainability, and more, helping them implement, manage, and operate the services that can help lead to enduring outcomes.

We help industry leaders accelerate business, using our knowledge of the consumer markets landscape to determine better solutions for building key capabilities and managing current and future risks. PwC connects clients with trusted Microsoft technology so they can reinvent their business models, including low-code business applications, operational tools, and security-focused approaches to data needed to pivot when the world changes.

Our approach to advisory and technology can help give retailers, manufacturers of consumer goods, hotel and travel, transportation and logistics providers, and others the perspective and tools so they can drive business value, profitability, efficiencies and growth. Microsoft technology makes it possible — and PwC makes it personal.

The state of consumer markets

AI is giving the public new ways to shop and book travel, and chatbots and other emerging technologies offer consumers unprecedented assistance and convenience. Meanwhile, analytics are providing businesses with new perspectives on brand loyalty and consumer behavior. Consumer markets companies are seeking ways to respond to industry changes and reinvent their business models by managing costs strategically and sustainably, building more resilient supply chains, and implementing responsible-sourcing practices. For these organizations to transform themselves and thrive, they should have the right technology — and the right guidance.

PwC strives to stay ahead of trends, exploring and enhancing strategies for generating value, reducing risk, and improving customer and workplace experiences. Using Microsoft–based solutions, PwC has enabled companies to get more from their data and systems so they can increase productivity, enhance connectivity and their portfolios, operationalize AI usage, and engage in sustainable business transformations.

What can PwC and Microsoft do for your business?

Learn how consumer markets businesses are innovating and excelling.

Today’s consumer packaged goods businesses require modern enterprise resource planning (ERP) strategies so they can modernize their data, scale growth, and refine customer insights.

Find out how PwC combined retail and manufacturing experience with Microsoft Azure to help a global manufacturer of personal care products use the cloud for its commercial transformation and better decision making. Discover more here.

Consumer experiences drive the hospitality sector. As travelers search for and reserve hotel rooms online, AI-powered digital assistance is becoming increasingly valuable in meeting expectations and delivering effective customer service. PwC and Microsoft can help you combine automation with analytics so you can learn about the needs of travelers and develop unique and satisfying customer experiences.

To help build agile supply chains, centralize information, and enhance operations, manufacturers should have modern technology and business strategies backed by industry knowledge.

When a textile producer struggled with inefficiencies due to manual processes and outdated software, PwC’s industry-leading knowledge in business transformation — including finance and ERP — helped this company use Dynamics 365 to unify front- and back-office systems, manage change, and engage employees. Find out how.

Working in physical and online sales environments, retailers are constantly pivoting in response to changing consumer preferences, supply chain disruptions, and shifting economic conditions. PwC and Microsoft bring a human-led, tech-powered approach to automation, building connections across retail locations, and customer insights to help your retail business be more strategic and successful.

To effectively manage thousands of business-critical applications, a Fortune 500 company turned to PwC. We helped this retail giant operationalize and standardize Microsoft Azure policies, resulting in improvements in productivity, security, compliance, agility, and resource management. Find out how.

Responding to regulatory changes, using data for more informed decision making, and maintaining digital agility are all growing considerations for transportation companies. With strategies informed by analytics and tech-enabled approaches to business transformation, the transportation industry can innovate amid intersecting challenges.

With the support of our Finance Ready solution and Microsoft Dynamics 365, an intermodal container leasing company found ways to help modernize its financial system, simplify workflows, and scale for ongoing growth. Learn how PwC helped this company explore new opportunities.

In addition to scheduling trips online, many tech-savvy travelers are increasingly interested in using AI when seeking recommendations for places to stay. With nearly 50% of travelers using online booking sites for their 2023 holiday travel, PwC and Microsoft can help you find ways to use emerging technology so you can meet modern consumer needs.