The challenge

Oliver Spencer wanted to understand where innovation and technology could meaningfully support the business without introducing tools simply for the sake of change. Opportunities crossed multiple departments, so the first challenge was deciding where to focus. Ecommerce represented around 30% of revenue, while returns were running at approximately 25–30%, making conversion and returns a commercially relevant place to investigate first.

The solution

Future Fashion Assembly conducted a cross-functional audit and opportunity mapping process across the business, taking into account commercial priorities, existing workflows, company values and team dynamics.

Rather than presenting a broad list of technologies, the process identified ecommerce conversion and returns as the first priority to address. A specialist AI-powered sizing and fit solution was then identified as a potential route to reducing purchase uncertainty and fit-related returns, with the pathway structured from discovery through to implementation.

Practical value

The work gave Oliver Spencer a clear first priority for technology adoption and a structured route from a broad innovation question to a specific business challenge and relevant solution.

General Manager Tom Bodaly described the process as more than selecting tools, noting that opportunities were mapped across departments and aligned with the company’s goals, values and team dynamics. He said this helped the business feel it was making progress and finding tools that could support growth while freeing people to focus on their best work.

The broader lesson is that technology adoption becomes easier when teams agree on the problem first, prioritise where value can be created and then choose the technology.