In April's issue, Furniture News explores the opportunities and challenges multichannel retailers face when upgrading their retail management system to meet modern demand …
It’s official – bricks work better when supported by clicks. Going multichannel gives furniture retailers access to new avenues of opportunity – yet it also adds layers of complexity to a business, and any attempts to scale up (and out) into the digital space are likely to falter without the presence of a robust IT platform to manage the details and join the dots.
From inventory management and order processing to ecommerce, PoS and resources for sales staff, retail management systems promise to integrate the numerous tasks involved in running a multichannel retail business, ensuring accuracy, transparency and insight across both in-store and online operations.
But what happens when that system starts feeling a little bit long in the tooth, and the technology that once enabled growth begins to create frustration? In line with changing customer behaviour, retail management platforms have evolved a great deal in recent years, so a business may find that its current set-up simply isn’t up to scratch.
This month, we’re exploring how retailers can go about selecting a new provider, and the opportunities – and pitfalls – of switching over. Most of us have experienced difficulties when moving from one telecoms, insurance or energy provider to another – the pressure is all the more intense when a business’ future is dependent on a successful outcome.
For this month’s retail technology feature, we asked some of the sector’s leading tech providers to share their thoughts. They would all concur that an upgrade can make a business faster, more productive and more profitable – but also that the undertaking requires careful consideration and planning.
Thanks to this month’s feedback panel for their feedback: Wayne Robbins, director, Iconography; Sarah Friswell, CEO, Red Ant; and Duncan Fergusson, MD, Sci-Net Business Solutions.
Read the feature here.
