Does Retail Finally Need Technology?

Unlike the office environment, the technology used in retail has been relatively stagnant. The times are changing, though. It’s been a long time coming, but the technology used in the retail environment is finally evolving to meet the growing needs of organizations. Unfortunately, this has been met with the challenges of implementing said technology in the industry.

Industry leaders are the major hang-up in this case, as they are reluctant to implement the new technology. Even though there has been a significant shift in the past few years toward the adoption of this technology, leaders simply don’t believe they need it. Considering how important customer satisfaction is to the retail experience, you would think that any technology that improves it would want to be used. With consumers demanding a greater user experience that is more personalized, however, it only makes sense that technology like mobile apps and e-commerce would pick up speed.

Business owners need to take the first step by pretending to be on the outside looking in. They need to appreciate what technology can do for a business from the consumer level. On the other side of the equation, you have IT administrators who need to think about the macro effects and immediate budget impacts as well as the long-term benefits of such a solution. Since the massive amount of changes to technology in the business environment, more standardized terms have been implemented to make it easier for people to discuss these issues.

These terms have unfortunately caused there to be little distinction between the variety of available solutions, which has stymied the ability of businesses to make decisions. Let’s look at some of the biggest data breaches out there: Target, TJX Companies, Inc. (think Marshall’s, TJ Maxx, and Homegoods), and Home Depot. All of these companies have experienced data breaches through their point-of-sale systems, all due to poor security solutions in place.

Therefore, the problem isn’t the point-of-sale system, rather the fact that businesses aren’t investing enough in protecting said systems.

There’s no telling if proper IT service management could have kept these situations (and others in the past) from happening, but one thing is clear: all businesses, retailers included, can benefit from IT support and security. We’re hopeful that retail industry leaders will start to pay more attention to how technology can benefit them, and we’re confident that when they do, they’ll see organizations like Horne & Benik stepping up to the plate to ensure successful implementation, management, and security.

To learn more about how technology can work for you, reach out to us at (603) 499-4400.