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Unified Commerce Maturity Model

ASF-001 — Score your organisation's Unified Commerce maturity across 24 capabilities.

Maturity Scale

Level Label Definition
0 Absent Capability does not exist.
🟥 1 Ad hoc Single channel, manual, inconsistent.
🟧 2 Fragmented Multi-system, partial automation, not unified.
🟨 3 Integrated Cross-channel, automated, consistently applied.
🟩 4 Optimised Real-time, data-driven, continuously improving.

Importance

Value Meaning
critical Blocking for basic UC operations. Gaps here prevent launch.
high Significant impact on CX and operational efficiency.
medium Valuable for differentiation but not blocking.
low Enhances maturity but marginal impact at early stages.

Capability Matrix

Capability Name Importance Dependencies
basket-management Basket Management critical customer-identity, pricing, promotions
checkout Checkout critical basket-management, payment-processing, inventory-reservation
customer-identity Customer Identity critical
fulfillment-execution Fulfillment Execution critical order-orchestration, inventory-allocation
inventory-reservation Inventory Reservation critical inventory-visibility
inventory-visibility Inventory Visibility critical
order-management Order Management critical customer-identity, basket-management, payment-processing
order-orchestration Order Orchestration critical order-management, inventory-visibility, inventory-reservation
payment-processing Payment Processing critical order-management
pricing Pricing critical catalogue-management, customer-segmentation
automated-item-identification Automated Item Identification high inventory-visibility
catalogue-management Catalogue Management high
channel-management Channel Management high catalogue-management
customer-consent Customer Consent high customer-identity
customer-profile Customer Profile high customer-identity
decision-intelligence Decision Intelligence high customer-consent
guided-selling Guided Selling high customer-profile, clienteling, inventory-visibility
inventory-allocation Inventory Allocation high inventory-reservation, order-orchestration
loss-prevention Loss Prevention high automated-item-identification, checkout
loyalty Loyalty high customer-identity, promotions, order-management
promotions Promotions high pricing, customer-segmentation, basket-management
returns-management Returns Management high order-management, fulfillment-execution, payment-processing
service-order-management Service Order Management high order-management, customer-profile
store-inventory Store Inventory high inventory-visibility
store-operations Store Operations high inventory-visibility, order-management, fulfillment-execution
clienteling Clienteling medium customer-identity, customer-profile
customer-segmentation Customer Segmentation medium customer-identity, customer-profile
exchange-management Exchange Management medium returns-management, inventory-visibility, basket-management
retail-media-management Retail Media Management medium customer-consent, customer-segmentation, promotions
subscription-management Subscription Management medium basket-management, checkout, order-management, payment-processing
voucher-management Voucher Management medium promotions, payment-processing
loyalty-management Loyalty Management low loyalty
social-intelligence Social Intelligence low customer-consent

Commerce Domain

basket-management — Basket Management critical

Level Label Description
0 Absent No basket capability. Transactions are immediate without cart.
🟥 1 Ad hoc Basket exists in one channel only. Session-based, not persisted.
🟧 2 Fragmented Basket persisted per channel. No cross-channel basket sharing.
🟨 3 Integrated Unified basket shared across all authenticated sessions and channels. Real-time pricing.
🟩 4 Optimised Intelligent basket with cross-sell/upsell recommendations, saved-for-later and abandoned basket recovery.

Assessment Questions:

  • Can a customer start a basket on mobile and complete purchase on desktop?
  • Is the basket shared between authenticated sessions across devices?
  • Is pricing calculated in real-time within the basket?

checkout — Checkout critical

Level Label Description
0 Absent No structured checkout process. Manual order entry.
🟥 1 Ad hoc Checkout exists in one channel with limited payment options.
🟧 2 Fragmented Separate checkout flows per channel with inconsistent payment methods.
🟨 3 Integrated Unified checkout experience across all channels. Inventory reserved atomically. Multi-tender supported.
🟩 4 Optimised One-click checkout with biometric auth. Frictionless experience. AI fraud detection. Real-time inventory.

Assessment Questions:

  • Can a customer complete checkout in under 60 seconds?
  • Is checkout consistent (same flow, same payment options) across all channels?
  • Is inventory reserved atomically during checkout to prevent overselling?

catalogue-management — Catalogue Management high

Level Label Description
0 Absent No centralised catalogue. Product data managed separately per channel.
🟥 1 Ad hoc Master catalogue exists but feeds only one channel. Manual export for others.
🟧 2 Fragmented Catalogue feeds multiple channels but with manual enrichment per channel.
🟨 3 Integrated Single catalogue publishes to all channels. Channel-specific rules applied automatically.
🟩 4 Optimised AI-assisted product enrichment. Real-time publication with digital asset management integration.

Assessment Questions:

  • Is there a single master catalogue that feeds all channels?
  • Can you publish channel-specific pricing and availability from one source?
  • How long does it take to publish a new product to all channels?

channel-management — Channel Management high

Level Label Description
0 Absent Channels are managed in complete isolation. No central channel control.
🟥 1 Ad hoc Channels onboarded manually. No central configuration.
🟧 2 Fragmented Channel management exists but requires per-system configuration for each change.
🟨 3 Integrated Centralised channel management. Pricing, availability and content configured centrally.
🟩 4 Optimised Dynamic channel activation with A/B testing, channel-level analytics and automated performance optimisation.

Assessment Questions:

  • Can you activate and configure a new channel in less than one day?
  • Is channel-specific pricing and availability managed centrally?
  • Do all channels have consistent product availability visibility?

subscription-management — Subscription Management medium

Level Label Description
0 Absent No subscription capability. All purchases are one-off transactions.
🟥 1 Ad hoc Subscriptions exist but are managed manually by customer service.
🟧 2 Fragmented Self-service subscription creation available but management options are limited.
🟨 3 Integrated Full self-service subscription lifecycle. Automatic renewal. Cross-channel management.
🟩 4 Optimised AI-optimised subscription recommendations. Dynamic frequency adjustment. Predictive churn prevention.

Assessment Questions:

  • Can customers create, pause and cancel subscriptions without contacting support?
  • Are recurring orders generated automatically at the correct frequency?
  • Can customers manage their subscription (skip, modify frequency) from any channel?

Customer Domain

customer-identity — Customer Identity critical

Level Label Description
0 Absent No customer identity system. Transactions are anonymous.
🟥 1 Ad hoc Customer registration exists in one channel only. No cross-channel resolution.
🟧 2 Fragmented Customer records exist in multiple systems (eComm CRM, POS CRM). Manual deduplication.
🟨 3 Integrated Unified customer ID across all channels. Automated deduplication and cross-channel resolution.
🟩 4 Optimised Real-time identity resolution with probabilistic matching and ML deduplication. Single view of customer.

Assessment Questions:

  • Can you identify the same customer across all channels (web, mobile, store)?
  • Do you have a single customer ID that persists across all touchpoints?
  • Can you resolve duplicate customer records automatically?

customer-profile — Customer Profile high

Level Label Description
0 Absent No customer profile management. Each transaction is standalone.
🟥 1 Ad hoc Basic profile in one channel. Purchase history limited to that channel.
🟧 2 Fragmented Profiles exist per channel. Manual synchronisation between systems.
🟨 3 Integrated Unified profile accessible across all channels. Preferences and history consolidated.
🟩 4 Optimised AI-enriched profile with behavioural predictions, next-best-action and real-time updates.

Assessment Questions:

  • Can store associates access a customer's online purchase history?
  • Can online channels access a customer's in-store preferences?
  • Is the customer profile updated in real-time across all channels?
Level Label Description
0 Absent No formal consent management. Regulatory non-compliant.
🟥 1 Ad hoc Consent captured at registration but not enforced. Single-channel only.
🟧 2 Fragmented Consent captured per channel. No unified consent record. Manual enforcement.
🟨 3 Integrated Unified consent record per customer. Automatically enforced across channels.
🟩 4 Optimised Granular consent preferences per channel and purpose. Real-time propagation and audit trail.

Assessment Questions:

  • Is consent captured and stored for all marketing channels (email, SMS, push)?
  • Can you demonstrate consent status for any customer at any point in time?
  • Is consent enforced automatically across all communication channels?

customer-segmentation — Customer Segmentation medium

Level Label Description
0 Absent No customer segmentation. All customers receive the same communications.
🟥 1 Ad hoc Static segments defined manually (e.g. loyalty tier). Updated monthly or less.
🟧 2 Fragmented Rule-based segmentation in one channel. Not shared across systems.
🟨 3 Integrated Dynamic segments updated regularly. Applied consistently across channels for promotions and communication.
🟩 4 Optimised ML-driven micro-segmentation updated in real-time. Feeds personalisation and next-best-action engines.

Assessment Questions:

  • Can you dynamically segment customers based on real-time behaviour?
  • Are segments used to personalise offers in all channels?
  • How quickly do segments update when customer behaviour changes?

clienteling — Clienteling medium

Level Label Description
0 Absent No clienteling capability. Store associates have no customer context.
🟥 1 Ad hoc Associates can look up basic customer information manually in a CRM.
🟧 2 Fragmented Client book exists but is not integrated with eCommerce or order history.
🟨 3 Integrated Associates have full cross-channel customer view including online behaviour. Interactions recorded.
🟩 4 Optimised AI-assisted clienteling with next-best-action recommendations and automated follow-up workflows.

Assessment Questions:

  • Can store associates see a customer's online wishlist and basket?
  • Can in-store interactions be recorded and surfaced to other channels?
  • Do store associates receive AI-assisted recommendations during client interactions?

guided-selling — Guided Selling high

Level Label Description
0 Absent No guided selling support exists for associates.
🟥 1 Ad hoc Associates use static product information and manual advice.
🟧 2 Fragmented Recommendations exist in isolated channels or product categories.
🟨 3 Integrated Associates receive explainable, context-aware recommendations across priority journeys.
🟩 4 Optimised Guided selling continuously improves from governed outcomes and associate feedback.

Assessment Questions:

  • Can associates review and explain product recommendations with current availability and customer context?

decision-intelligence — Decision Intelligence high

Level Label Description
0 Absent No governed decision intelligence is used in commerce workflows.
🟥 1 Ad hoc Recommendations are produced without consistent policy or audit records.
🟧 2 Fragmented Some decisions record confidence or approval but lack complete traceability.
🟨 3 Integrated Material decisions are policy-governed, auditable, and overrideable across priority workflows.
🟩 4 Optimised Decision controls are continuously monitored for quality, fairness, and operational outcomes.

Assessment Questions:

  • Are material automated decisions recorded with evidence, policy, accountable authority, and override outcome?

social-intelligence — Social Intelligence low

Level Label Description
0 Absent No structured social or feedback insight capability exists.
🟥 1 Ad hoc Teams review feedback manually without governed source or purpose metadata.
🟧 2 Fragmented Feedback analytics exists in isolated tools with partial governance.
🟨 3 Integrated Consent-aware aggregated insights are available for approved customer experience purposes.
🟩 4 Optimised Insights update continuously with transparent provenance, retention, and impact measurement.

Assessment Questions:

  • Are feedback and social insights purpose-bound, consent-aware, and separated from the customer master record?

Fulfillment Domain

fulfillment-execution — Fulfillment Execution critical

Level Label Description
0 Absent Single fulfilment location. Manual pick-pack-ship process.
🟥 1 Ad hoc Structured fulfilment workflow in warehouse only. No store fulfilment.
🟧 2 Fragmented Multiple fulfilment nodes but operated independently with manual coordination.
🟨 3 Integrated Unified fulfilment execution across all nodes. Automated picking workflows. Real-time tracking.
🟩 4 Optimised Autonomous fulfilment with robotics integration. Predictive SLA management. Carbon-optimised.

Assessment Questions:

  • Can you fulfil an order from any location (warehouse, store, supplier)?
  • Is the end-to-end fulfilment workflow automated from pick to dispatch?
  • Can customers track their order in real-time?

returns-management — Returns Management high

Level Label Description
0 Absent Returns only accepted at point of purchase. No cross-channel returns.
🟥 1 Ad hoc Returns accepted in the channel of purchase only. Manual refund process.
🟧 2 Fragmented Cross-channel returns possible but require manual intervention. Refunds take > 3 days.
🟨 3 Integrated Any-channel returns. Automated refund trigger on return acceptance. Same-day refund processing.
🟩 4 Optimised Predictive returns management. AI-assisted return reason classification. Instant refund options.

Assessment Questions:

  • Can a customer return an online order in any store?
  • Is the refund processed automatically when a return is accepted?
  • Do you track return reasons to inform product and process improvement?

exchange-management — Exchange Management medium

Level Label Description
0 Absent No formal exchange process. Customers must return and repurchase separately.
🟥 1 Ad hoc Exchanges handled manually. Single channel only.
🟧 2 Fragmented Exchange process exists but requires multiple system interactions.
🟨 3 Integrated Unified exchange as a single transaction. Inventory reserved at initiation. Cross-channel.
🟩 4 Optimised Proactive exchange offers based on AI return prediction. Frictionless mobile exchange initiation.

Assessment Questions:

  • Can a customer exchange an item in any channel regardless of purchase channel?
  • Is the exchange treated as a single transaction (return + repurchase)?
  • Is inventory checked and reserved at the point of exchange initiation?

service-order-management — Service Order Management high

Level Label Description
0 Absent Service and repair commitments are not managed in the commerce model.
🟥 1 Ad hoc Service is tracked manually outside customer order history.
🟧 2 Fragmented Service orders exist but scheduling and customer visibility are fragmented.
🟨 3 Integrated Service commitments are linked to orders, scheduled, completed, and visible across channels.
🟩 4 Optimised Service capacity and outcomes are proactively optimised using governed operational insights.

Assessment Questions:

  • Can customers and associates create, schedule, and track repair or service commitments alongside the original order?

Inventory Domain

inventory-visibility — Inventory Visibility critical

Level Label Description
0 Absent No real-time inventory visibility. Stock counts done periodically.
🟥 1 Ad hoc Inventory visible in one location or channel only.
🟧 2 Fragmented Inventory visible per location but not aggregated. Latency > 1 hour.
🟨 3 Integrated Near-real-time inventory across all locations visible to all channels. ATP calculated.
🟩 4 Optimised Real-time inventory with predictive availability. Safety stock AI-optimised. Network-level visibility.

Assessment Questions:

  • Can you see available inventory across all locations in real-time?
  • Is inventory visible to customers at the channel level (e.g. available at my store)?
  • How long does it take for an inventory movement to be reflected system-wide?

inventory-reservation — Inventory Reservation critical

Level Label Description
0 Absent No inventory reservation. Overselling is common.
🟥 1 Ad hoc Inventory decremented only at order confirmation. Race conditions possible.
🟧 2 Fragmented Reservation exists at checkout but not across all channels consistently.
🟨 3 Integrated Atomic reservation at checkout across all channels. Auto-expiry of stale reservations.
🟩 4 Optimised Predictive reservation with demand-sensing. Dynamic reservation windows based on conversion rate.

Assessment Questions:

  • Is inventory reserved immediately when a customer initiates checkout?
  • Are reservations automatically released if checkout is not completed?
  • Can you see total reserved quantity per SKU across all channels?

inventory-allocation — Inventory Allocation high

Level Label Description
0 Absent No inventory allocation. Physical stock picked on first-come basis.
🟥 1 Ad hoc Manual allocation done by warehouse staff.
🟧 2 Fragmented Allocation exists but not integrated with fulfilment execution.
🟨 3 Integrated Automated allocation on order confirmation. Tracks allocated/reserved/available separately.
🟩 4 Optimised ML-optimised allocation across fulfilment network. Dynamic reallocation on exception.

Assessment Questions:

  • Is inventory allocated to specific fulfilment orders immediately after order confirmation?
  • Can you track allocated vs available vs reserved inventory separately?
  • Is allocation released automatically if an order is cancelled?

store-inventory — Store Inventory high

Level Label Description
0 Absent Store inventory managed manually with spreadsheets or paper-based systems.
🟥 1 Ad hoc Store inventory exists in a POS system but is isolated from other channels.
🟧 2 Fragmented Store inventory feeds online availability but with significant latency.
🟨 3 Integrated Real-time store inventory visible across all channels. Mobile inventory management for staff.
🟩 4 Optimised AI-driven store replenishment. Predictive low-stock alerts. Autonomous inventory counting.

Assessment Questions:

  • Can store staff see and update inventory in real-time from a mobile device?
  • Is click-and-collect availability based on real-time store stock?
  • Are store inventory adjustments immediately visible to online channels?

automated-item-identification — Automated Item Identification high

Level Label Description
0 Absent Item identification is entirely manual or unavailable at key touchpoints.
🟥 1 Ad hoc Barcode identification is present but isolated from unified inventory context.
🟧 2 Fragmented Multiple identification methods exist but evidence is not consistently integrated.
🟨 3 Integrated Approved item identification evidence updates priority store and checkout workflows in near real time.
🟩 4 Optimised Identification accuracy is continuously measured and optimised across approved hardware methods.

Assessment Questions:

  • Can retail touchpoints resolve items and surface identification anomalies with measured accuracy?

Loyalty Domain

loyalty — Loyalty high

Level Label Description
0 Absent No loyalty programme.
🟥 1 Ad hoc Loyalty programme exists but is single-channel (online or in-store only).
🟧 2 Fragmented Loyalty exists in multiple channels but points are reconciled overnight. In-store redemption manual.
🟨 3 Integrated Unified loyalty. Points earned and redeemed in all channels in real-time. Visible at POS.
🟩 4 Optimised AI-personalised loyalty with gamification, tiered experiences and predictive churn prevention.

Assessment Questions:

  • Do customers earn and redeem points in every channel?
  • Is the loyalty account balance updated in real-time after a purchase?
  • Are loyalty benefits visible to the customer and associate at point of sale?

loyalty-management — Loyalty Management low

Level Label Description
0 Absent No loyalty programme or management capability.
🟥 1 Ad hoc Loyalty rules configured by IT. Tier changes require development effort.
🟧 2 Fragmented Loyalty tiers and accrual rules configurable by business users. Some manual steps.
🟨 3 Integrated Self-service loyalty management: tiers, earn rules, catalogue, and member lifecycle all configurable.
🟩 4 Optimised Real-time loyalty simulation, A/B testing of programme structures, ML-driven tier optimisation.

Assessment Questions:

  • Are loyalty tier rules and accrual policies managed without IT involvement?
  • Is the loyalty catalogue (rewards, experiences) managed by merchandising teams?
  • Can the loyalty programme structure be changed without a deployment?

Order Domain

order-management — Order Management critical

Level Label Description
0 Absent No centralised order management. Orders managed per channel.
🟥 1 Ad hoc OMS exists for one channel only. Other channels use separate systems.
🟧 2 Fragmented Multiple OMS instances or order data aggregated manually.
🟨 3 Integrated Single OMS handles all channels. Unified order history visible to customer and associate.
🟩 4 Optimised Real-time order visibility. AI-driven order modification and exception management.

Assessment Questions:

  • Do you have a single order management system across all channels?
  • Can customers view all their orders (online and in-store) in one place?
  • Can you modify an order after it has been placed?

order-orchestration — Order Orchestration critical

Level Label Description
0 Absent No order routing. All orders fulfilled from one fixed location.
🟥 1 Ad hoc Manual routing decisions made by operations team.
🟧 2 Fragmented Basic routing rules (e.g. ship from nearest warehouse). No real-time inventory awareness.
🟨 3 Integrated Automated routing considering inventory, distance and SLA. Split orders supported.
🟩 4 Optimised ML-optimised routing with cost/carbon/SLA trade-off. Dynamic re-routing on exception.

Assessment Questions:

  • Can you route an order to the optimal fulfilment node automatically?
  • Do you consider cost, distance, stock level and SLA when routing?
  • Can you split a single order across multiple fulfilment nodes?

Payment Domain

payment-processing — Payment Processing critical

Level Label Description
0 Absent Payment processing per channel with no shared infrastructure.
🟥 1 Ad hoc Centralised payment gateway for one channel. Others use separate acquirers.
🟧 2 Fragmented Payment hub exists but does not serve all channels. No cross-channel stored payments.
🟨 3 Integrated Unified payment hub. Same payment methods available in all channels. Cross-channel stored tokens.
🟩 4 Optimised Frictionless payment with biometrics and contextual payment method recommendation. Full PCI DSS Level 1.

Assessment Questions:

  • Are the same payment methods available in all channels?
  • Can a customer pay with a stored payment method from any channel?
  • Is payment tokenised and PCI-compliant across all touchpoints?

Pricing Domain

pricing — Pricing critical

Level Label Description
0 Absent Pricing managed per channel with no synchronisation. Frequent inconsistencies.
🟥 1 Ad hoc Centralised price list but applied manually to each channel.
🟧 2 Fragmented Centralised pricing with partial automation. Segment pricing in one channel only.
🟨 3 Integrated Unified pricing engine. Consistent application across all channels. Segment and tier pricing.
🟩 4 Optimised Dynamic pricing with demand-sensing. AI-optimised margin management. Real-time competitive pricing.

Assessment Questions:

  • Is the same pricing rule applied consistently across all channels?
  • Can you apply customer-specific or segment-specific pricing?
  • Can you activate a price change across all channels in under 1 hour?

Promotion Domain

promotions — Promotions high

Level Label Description
0 Absent Promotions managed manually per channel. Inconsistencies are common.
🟥 1 Ad hoc Centralised promotion setup but executed differently per channel.
🟧 2 Fragmented Promotion engine exists but only covers some channels.
🟨 3 Integrated Unified promotion engine. Consistent application and stackability rules across all channels.
🟩 4 Optimised AI-personalised promotions. Real-time offer optimisation. Closed-loop effectiveness measurement.

Assessment Questions:

  • Are promotions evaluated and applied consistently across all channels?
  • Can you run a promotion in all channels simultaneously from a single configuration?
  • Can customers stack multiple promotions?

voucher-management — Voucher Management medium

Level Label Description
0 Absent Vouchers are paper-based or channel-specific. No central management.
🟥 1 Ad hoc Digital vouchers exist but only redeemable in the channel of issue.
🟧 2 Fragmented Cross-channel vouchers exist but with manual reconciliation and latency.
🟨 3 Integrated Unified voucher management. Real-time balance check. Cross-channel redemption with instant invalidation.
🟩 4 Optimised Dynamic voucher generation based on customer behaviour. ML-optimised discount value.

Assessment Questions:

  • Can a voucher issued online be redeemed in store?
  • Is voucher balance checked in real-time at point of redemption?
  • Are single-use vouchers reliably invalidated after first use?

retail-media-management — Retail Media Management medium

Level Label Description
0 Absent No retail-media management or closed-loop attribution exists.
🟥 1 Ad hoc Sponsored placements are managed manually without reliable attribution.
🟧 2 Fragmented Offer exposure or conversion data exists but consent and evidence controls are incomplete.
🟨 3 Integrated Consent-aware sponsored offers and approved closed-loop attribution operate across priority touchpoints.
🟩 4 Optimised Retail-media outcomes are continuously optimised with transparent incrementality and governance controls.

Assessment Questions:

  • Are sponsored offers activated and attributed through consent-aware, closed-loop evidence without changing core pricing ownership?

Store Domain

store-operations — Store Operations high

Level Label Description
0 Absent Store operations fully disconnected from digital channels.
🟥 1 Ad hoc Store has basic POS with no UC process support.
🟧 2 Fragmented Store supports some UC processes (e.g. BOPIS) but with manual handoffs.
🟨 3 Integrated Store fully integrated into UC. All UC processes operable from store devices. Real-time dashboard.
🟩 4 Optimised Autonomous store operations with AI-driven task management, queue prediction and associate coaching.

Assessment Questions:

  • Can store staff initiate any UC process (BOPIS, BORIS, ship-from-store) from their device?
  • Is the store dashboard updated in real-time with pending click-and-collect orders?
  • Can a store operate with partial or no connectivity?

loss-prevention — Loss Prevention high

Level Label Description
0 Absent Loss prevention is reactive with no structured anomaly case workflow.
🟥 1 Ad hoc Staff handle alerts manually with inconsistent evidence and outcome recording.
🟧 2 Fragmented Anomaly detection exists but case management or policy controls are fragmented.
🟨 3 Integrated Evidence-governed cases, interventions, outcomes, and false positives are managed consistently.
🟩 4 Optimised Loss prevention optimises intervention quality using measured shrink, service, and false-positive outcomes.

Assessment Questions:

  • Are anomaly signals triaged into auditable cases with authorised interventions and false-positive tracking?