Nothing stands still for long in the world of retail. We’ve always seen change, but the pace has accelerated beyond what seemed possible even just a few short years ago. When it comes to technology, today’s retail management solutions are almost unrecognisable compared to their forerunners – the large, fixed in-store terminals where we used to queue up to check out.
So let’s take a look at three of the ways in which retail management solutions have changed, and, more importantly ,just why this matters to retailers.
Retail management solutions have made a big leap in the last few years, transforming the technology landscape and retail operations.
What happens to cloud-based point of sale if there is a connectivity failure?
In the past, many retailers were nervous about moving to cloud-based retail management solutions because they were worried about being dependent on an internet connection. Two things have happened to allay those fears, and have been behind the massive shift to cloud-based pos:
Firstly, high-speed, highly reliable internet connections in many parts of the world have given retailers the confidence to move away from legacy on-premise systems and embrace the benefits of the cloud.
Secondly, there are providers, like iVend, whose solutions can still operate in stand-alone mode, should there be an internet issue. They simply reconnect when they can and synchronise all data and transactions.
Can we get the same benefits as an integrated solution if we have solutions from a range of providers?
Whilst you will get some benefits by having the functionality of, say, a loyalty program, or a promotions engine, they will not be as great as if you implemented a platform that has those functions ‘baked in’. When different systems have to exchange and share data. you can find there are compatibility issues between them. These will usually be fixable, but take time and resources. When you use an integrated solution, where all the elements were designed and built to work together, those issues simply don’t arise, so your time to value is considerably faster.
References:-
*https://www.dataclarity.uk.com/2021/01/05/how-retail-has-evolved-over-the-last-10-years/
**https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2023/02/02/retail-evolution-through-the-digital-decade-three-factors-impacting-retail-today/?sh=2b3e0b047241
+ https://www.techradar.com/news/the-evolution-of-pos-point-of-sale-systems
++ https://www.g2.com/articles/mobile-pos
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