Retail Business Capability Map¶
The Capability Map shows the three-level hierarchy of retail capabilities: Domain → Capability → Capability Area. It is vendor-neutral and technology-agnostic — capabilities describe what a retailer does, not which software implements it.
Capability Levels¶
UC-BoK classifies capabilities into three levels.
Level 1¶
Business Domain
Example
- Customer
Level 2¶
Business Capability
Example
- Customer Identity
Level 3¶
Business Capability Area
Example
- Customer Authentication
- Customer Registration
- Customer Merge
Retail Capability Map¶
| Domain | Capability | Capability Areas |
|---|---|---|
| Customer | Identity | Registration · Authentication · Customer Merge · Customer Search |
| Profile | Preferences · Contacts · Privacy · Consents | |
| Engagement | Clienteling · Communication · Appointments | |
| Analytics | Segmentation · Behaviour · Lifetime Value | |
| Commerce | Catalog | Product Display · Variants · Bundles · Rich Content |
| Search | Full-Text · Faceted · Autocomplete · Synonyms | |
| Navigation | Category Tree · Filters · Sorting · Breadcrumbs | |
| Basket | Add / Remove · Quantity · Saved Basket · Guest Basket | |
| Checkout | Address · Delivery Options · Payment · Review & Confirm | |
| Assisted Selling | Recommendations · Cross-sell · Up-sell · Clienteling Tools | |
| Order | Capture | Order Creation · Validation · Confirmation |
| Orchestration | Routing · Splitting · Allocation · Release | |
| Tracking | Status Updates · Notifications · Proof of Delivery | |
| Modification | Item · Address · Delivery Change | |
| Cancellation | Full · Partial · Refund Initiation | |
| Inventory | Visibility | Stock Levels · Location View · ATP Calculation |
| Availability | Real-Time Check · Promised Date · Safety Stock | |
| Reservation | Soft Reserve · Hard Reserve · Expiry | |
| Allocation | Wave Planning · Pick Release · Replenishment | |
| Reconciliation | Stock Count · Variance · Adjustment | |
| Fulfillment | Home Delivery | Standard · Express · Scheduled · Same-Day |
| Click & Collect | In-Store · Locker · Drive-Through | |
| Ship From Store | Pick · Pack · Dispatch | |
| Ship To Store | Transfer · Receiving · Notification | |
| Endless Aisle | Virtual Catalog · Order Capture · Drop Ship | |
| Returns | In-Store · By Mail · Return Reason · Disposition | |
| Exchanges | Item Swap · Value Exchange · Instant Exchange | |
| Pricing | Base Prices | List Price · Cost Price · MSRP |
| Price Lists | Customer Group · Channel · Region | |
| Markdown | Manual · Automated · Clearance | |
| Dynamic Pricing | Rule-Based · AI-Driven · Competitor | |
| Simulation | What-If · Scenario · Impact Analysis | |
| Promotions | Rules | Threshold · Buy X Get Y · Bundle · Multi-Buy |
| Coupons | Single-Use · Multi-Use · Personalised | |
| Vouchers | Gift Cards · Store Credit · Referral | |
| Campaigns | Planning · Activation · Deactivation | |
| Evaluation | Real-Time Engine · Stacking Rules · Exclusions | |
| Loyalty | Membership | Enrolment · Tiers · Status · Renewal |
| Points | Earn · Redeem · Expiry · Transfer | |
| Rewards | Catalogue · Redemption · Fulfilment | |
| Wallet | Digital Card · Balance · History | |
| Personalization | Targeted Offers · Recommendations · Triggers | |
| Payments | Authorization | Card · Wallet · BNPL · Gift Card |
| Capture | Immediate · Deferred · Partial | |
| Refund | Full · Partial · Credit Note | |
| Settlement | Batch · Real-Time · Reconciliation | |
| Fiscalization | Receipt · Tax · Compliance | |
| Store | POS | Transaction · Payment · Receipt · Returns |
| Cash Office | Float · Reconciliation · Handover · Reporting | |
| Workforce | Scheduling · Clock-In · Performance | |
| Store Inventory | Receiving · Counting · Replenishment | |
| Store Fulfillment | Pick · Pack · BOPIS · Ship | |
| Product | Catalog | Master · Channel · Syndication |
| Assortment | Range Planning · Listing · De-listing | |
| Lifecycle | Introduction · Active · Phase-out · Archive | |
| Classification | Hierarchy · Taxonomy · Attribute Schema | |
| Attributes | Technical · Commercial · Rich Content · Media | |
| Analytics | Sales | Revenue · Units · Conversion · Basket Size |
| Customer | Acquisition · Retention · LTV · Churn | |
| Inventory | Turnover · Cover · Write-off · Shrinkage | |
| Operations | SLA · Pick Efficiency · Exception Rate | |
| Executive Dashboard | KPI Summary · Trends · Alerts |
Capability Principles¶
Every capability SHALL satisfy the following rules.
Stable¶
Capabilities evolve slowly.
Business-Oriented¶
Capabilities describe business value.
Vendor Neutral¶
Capabilities are independent from software vendors.
Technology Independent¶
Capabilities are independent from implementation technologies.
Measurable¶
Every capability should define measurable KPIs.
Capability Relationships¶
Capabilities collaborate through business processes.
Example
Click & Collect requires:
- Customer
- Commerce
- Order
- Inventory
- Fulfillment
- Payments
- Store
No single capability owns the complete process.
Capability Ownership¶
Each capability belongs to exactly one Business Domain.
Capabilities MAY collaborate.
Capabilities SHALL NOT overlap.
Usage¶
The Capability Map is used to:
- classify software products
- perform software selection
- execute capability assessments
- identify implementation gaps
- define solution architectures
- compare vendors