Scurri - leveraging Cloud tech for e-commerce & omnichannel
Rory O'Connor is CEO of Scurri, a cloud-based delivery management platform that connects and optimises online ordering, shipping and delivery. Since its launch in 2010, O'Connor has focused on building and leading a team of experienced technologists and advisors. He is a regular speaker at international tech conferences and media commentator on the eCommerce sector.
Tell us a little of yourself
I left Waterford Crystal in 2004 to work in consultancy, before founding Scurri, a cloud-based logistics company for the e-commerce industry, with the aim of making it easier for e-commerce merchants to get their goods delivered more efficiently. I’ve secured €15.3mn in investment from private individuals, business angel investors as well as Enterprise Ireland.
What does Scurri do?
Scurri is a cloud-based delivery management platform that connects and optimises online ordering, shipping and delivery. We like to call what we do ‘connecting commerce,’ because we help retailers get their parcels into the hands of customers in the most efficient way, from checkout to the front door.
In developing a technology that connects delivery companies with retailers sending the deliveries, Scurri found a gap in the market. "Currently, 61% of our revenue comes from the UK market, and our clients include major retailers such as eBay, Beauty Pie, Vision Direct, Gousto, and many others."
As online retail booms, Scurri is perfectly placed as its system helps select the most effective delivery option, creates accurate labels, tracks packages and also provides analytics for merchants.
What is the biggest challenge for retail?
What’s key is that a customer’s satisfaction with a retailer hinges on the delivery experience, now more so than ever. As a company, we take an agile approach to helping retailers adapt to such a challenge.
The past few years have been challenging but there are always opportunities. For UK retailers, international expansion is becoming a top priority. We’ve just brought on a new cross-border data partner, Hurricane Commerce, to ensure that shipments have the right data to pass smoothly through customs and on to the end consumer.
How do you help customers?
Our Delivery Management platform helps address key retailer challenges in a combination of ways. Firstly, we remove friction for retailers looking to take advantage of cross border demand. Plus, improved carrier choice in international markets allow retailers to offer more delivery options to end consumers, and to prevent an overreliance on individual carriers.
Our technology also powers a better customer delivery experience. Consumers want choice and flexibility of delivery options, and timely and relevant delivery information, post purchase.
We empower retailers to take more control of that post-purchase experience.
Where do you see retail being in five years' time?
Technology is accelerating change at an exponential rate. It will be the retailers that embrace these changes that thrive, rather than those that shy away.
Supply chains need to be increasingly agile to adapt to unseen peaks and troughs in demand. They need to be data driven to drive insights and decisions. Entire value chains in 2030 will have been adjusted to accurately predict shoppers' needs. Data and AI will predict stock requirements more accurately, reducing wastage.
Who inspires you?
Elon Musk, simply because he is not afraid to say what he thinks.
Best advice ever received?
I recently received great advice from Sean Baker, CTO of Iona Technologies. He told me to make sure that, when someone asks for advice, that you give them time, no matter how busy you are. It’s important to pay it back in the tech community. I am a firm believer in what goes around, comes around.
