Ashley La mer Founder & Chairman
Wurster
Editor’s Note
The Changing Phase of the Retail Industry
In2018,theactofbuyingcommodities(i.e.buyingthingsbecauseweHAVEto)willbecomelessofa
chore.PlayerslikeAmazonandsubscriptionbusinesseswillmakethispartofretaileasierthrough offeringslikeauto-renewals,one-tappurchases,andsame-daydelivery.Inotherwords,the“chore”or routinecomponentofshoppingwillbecomemorestreamlined.
Meanwhile,theexperientialsideofretail—thepartthatinvolvesdiscoveringgreatproductsand socializingwithothers—won’tbegoingaway.Peoplewillstillmaketheirwaytophysicalstores,not becausetheywantto“buystuff,”butbecausetheywanttogetexperiencesthattheywon’tfindanywhere else.Personalizationwillstillbeakeyretailtrendin2018andbeyond.We’renotjusttalkingaboutputting someone’snameinanemailsubjectlineorlettingcustomersputtheirinitialsonproducts.We’rereferring topersonalizationthatenablesshopperstobuildproductsandcustomizethemtotheverylastdetail.
ThebigtrendIseeisthatretailersarefinallyrealizingthattheymustchange.Formanyyears,leadersof theretailindustrywereaversetochange–theywantedeverythingtobesmoothandaslongastheybeat “lastyear,”theywerehappy
Thisisnolongerpossible.
Inthepast,itwastheretailerwhodeterminedwhatacustomershouldwanttobuyandhowtheyshould shop.Today,it’sthecustomerwhoaredefiningtheshoppingexperience. Andaretailerismissing opportunitiesforsaleswhenitoperatesinthetraditionalsilosthatkeptmerchandisecategoriesandselling channelsseparateratherthancoordinated.
Theacceptanceofomni-channeltradeanddigitalsavvymerchandisingisimportant.Todayitisa requirementforsuccess.However,itisnotonlyacceptanceofnewideas,butIalsoseetheneedtoreview oldsystemsandprocedures.Storeoperationsandmindsetsmustchange.
SomehaveassumedthatAmazonisgoingtokilltheindustrythateverythingwillbeboughtonline. Well,aswehaverecentlyseen,it’snotthatsimple.Ononeside,weseestoreslikeWalmartwaking upandmovingaggressivelyintothesameonlinearena.And,Amazonisredefiningitselfaswell.I amnotsurprisedthatAmazonisopeningsomestoresandbuyingcompanieslikeWholeFoodsto gaindominance.Idobelievethattheywillbeastrongplayerbutwillnoteliminategood competition.
2017wastheyearofdigitaldiscovery.2018willbetheyearoftechnologyandmoreintegrationofit intomainstreamretail.Itwillbetheyearwhereweseeretailerscreatenewoperatingmodelsthatare lessfocusedontheirstorevs.thewebandmorefocusedoncreatingexperiencesthatgivescustomers morecontrolandconvenientwaystoshop.Ithinkitwillbeanexcitingyearwherecustomerswill findnewnessandcreativity.
Ipredictthatmostwell-fundedretailersanddepartmentstoreswilladjustandsurvive.Theywillslim downfurtherandconcentrateondestinationmega-malls.Theywillattractcustomersbecausethey knowfashion,havethebrandsthatappeal,learntohavequickerturnoveroftheirassortmentandadd innovationsthattakehold.
So,withgreatenthusiasmInsightsSuccesshasselectedsomeofthemostprominentorganizations aroundtheglobeintheissueof“The10MostRecommendedRetailSolutionProviders2018.” Theseorganizationsaretransformingtheretailindustrywiththeirrevolutionaryinnovationsand foremostinitiativesthatmainlyfocusontheproductaccelerationandcustomersatisfaction.
ThejourneystartswiththeCoverStoryTradeLinkRetailSystems(Pty)Ltd.,aleadingSouth AfricanRetailITSolutionsgroup,focusingprimarilyontheretailFastMovingConsumerGoods (FMCG)marketsinRSAandAfrica,aswellasspecializedretailingmarkets.
ThenwehaveourCompanyoftheMonth,PARTechnologyCorporation,whichisanindustry leaderinsystemsandservicesolutionsforthehospitalityindustry
WealsohaveAntivia,aninternationalsoftwarecompanywhoisalsothecreatorofDecisionPoint™, fast,modernbusinessintelligence(BI)platformthatenablesnon-programmerstocreatestunning dashboardapplicationsandinteractivedashboardsformobiledevicesandthedesktop;Celerant TechnologyCorp,whodevelopsinnovativeretailandE-Commercesoftwarewithamissiontohelp retailersgrowtheirbusinessandmanageeveryaspectoftheiroperationswithasingleintegrated platform;InteractiveEdgeLLC,anorganizationwhichhelpsincombiningacommandingdata analysisenginewithflexible,easy-to-usefrontendtools;moreover,theirBIplatformhelpsin improvingthequalityandimprovementinspeedofdatavigorousPowerPointPresentationsand ExcelReports;ShamrockConsultingGroup,whosecoreconsultingfocusistelecom,datacenter, cloudandfiber-related.ShamrockdoeseverythingfromwritingandrunningcomplexRFP’sfor largeropportunities,tosimpleshoppingforsmallerclients;KPSAG,whichisatransformationand managementfirminEurope,thatprovidessolutionsinITmanagementservices.
Also,whileflippingthepagesofthemagazinedon’tforgettogothroughRetailInsights-Customer ExperiencethroughanAgileRetailTechnologyPlatform;DigiPerspective-RetailintheDigital Age:FocusingontheThreeThings.
Wehavealsoincorporated,IndustryTrends-KeyPOSTrendsReshapingtheRetailSector; Actionable-RetailIndustry:Trends,Insights,andBestPractices
PAR Technology: Software Solutions for the Food Retailers
Antivia: Enabling Non-Programmers to Create Stunning Dashboard Applications
Celerant Technology Corp: Developing Retail and E-Commerce Software in the Retail World
KPS AG: Enriching Business Operations with Priceless Experience and Insights
Interactive Edge: Transforming Technology for Faster and Deeper Insights
Shamrock Consulting Group: Offering Reliable Solutions for Telecom, Data Center, Cloud and Fiber Verticals at the Guaranteed Best Price
Business
Editor-in-Chief Pooja M. Bansal
Senior Editor
Anish Miller
Managing Editor Piyush Rishi
Executive Editors
Sourav Mukherjee
Jenny Fernandes
Assistant Editors Smith Brian Balkawade Ajit
Visualiser David King
Art & Design Director Amol Kamble
Associate Designer Vijaykumar Dudhbhate
Art & Picture Editor Belin Paul
Co-designer Shweta Ambilwade Khanna Jayant
Senior Sales Manager Abhijeet Mehra
Development Manager
Peter Collins
Marketing Manager John Matthew
Business Development Executives
Steve, Joe, Rick, Vishal
Sales Executives
David, Kevin, Eric, Prathamesh
Technical Head Jacob Smile
Technical Specialist Amar, Pratiksha
Digital Marketing Manager Marry D’Souza
Online Marketing Strategist
Alina Sege, Shubham Mahadik, Vaibhav K
SME-SMO Executives
Prashant Chevale,Uma Dhenge, Gemson
Research Analyst Chidiebere Moses
Circulation Manager Robert, Tanaji
Database Management Stella Andrew
Technology Consultant David Stokes
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Corporate Ofces: January, 2018
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Ashley La mer Founder & Chairman
TradeLinkRetailSystems (Pty)Ltd(TradeLink)has beenattheforefrontof supplyingtheFast-MovingConsumer Goods(FMCG)industryinSouthern AfricawithtailoredPoint-of-Sale (POS)solutionsforthelast25years, theirexperiencehasallowedthemto growwiththeirclientsandprovide valuableservices,fromPOShardware andsoftwaresystemsandsupport, integratingintotheretailerbackoffice andheadofficefunctions.Drivenby technology,theTradeLinkisableto provideafull-servicesolutionforretail needs,drivingcustomersaleswith integratedbankingande-commerce, loyaltyandrewardsystemsanda seamlessmanagementtooltocoverthe fullbusinesscycle.TradeLinkisable tooffersoftwaredevelopmentand projectmanagementexpertiseallowing theircustomerstoremainatthe forefrontoftheirmarketsthrough serviceexcellence.
DuetoaSouthAfricanrecessionary climate,retailersareexperiencinga realslowdown(growth)intraditional consumerspendingpatternsandare lookingformorereturnonadeclining marketfromtheirITpartners.Trade Linkisnotonlyawareofthisstatistic butensuringthattheretailerclientis receivingmore“bangforbuck” throughinnovativeandcost-efficient systems,relativetocustomerspend. Simplyput,TradeLinkseekstostretch theconsumervalueaddandexperience whilstnotaddingtothebottomline costfortheretailerusinginnovative dataandsystemsanalytics,newage loyaltyandrewardssystems.
FascinatingJourneyofTradeLink
Thestartwasinmid-1994froman existingbusiness;Positronwhichwas acash-registerbasedcompany,based inDurban,KwazuluNataland addressingthegeneralRetailmarket
forcashregisterproducts,solutions andservices.TheywereofferedPOS softwaretotakeTradeLinkintothe POSPC-basedmarket,outoftheold CashRegisterdomain,includingthe abilityforstorestoscanitemsattheir checkouts.
ThePOSsoftware,POSition,from Nixdorfhadbeendevelopedbyan IsraelSoftwarecompany,Retalix,and wasalreadywellestablishedaround theworld.Theywereawardedapilot installationbyTheSPARGroup,using NixdorfHardware,enablingthestore togotheScanningrouteforpricing(as opposedtopricemarkingeachitemin thestore)andthispilotstorewas successfullyinstalledinMay1995. TradeLinkgrewfromthatsmall beginningtoeventuallycoverthe entireSPARgroupofstoresin SouthernAfrica,throughsuccessive versionsoftheoriginalRetalixPOS softwarewithopenPOShardware(any qualifiedandapprovedhardware)to today,withover1500SPARMember storesusing13,000POSsoftware licencesandanowdifferentsoftware productcalled“dStore”developedin AustriaandownedbyOracleUS.
In2000ShopriteCheckerscameon board,usingTradeLinktoinstalland supportthesameoriginalPOS softwaretilltoday,with25000POS softwarelicencesinstalledinSouth AfricaandmanyotherAfrican countries. OthersimilarPOSsolutions havebeeninstalledbyTradeLinkin SA(Clicks)andinZimbabwe(OK Zimbabwe,TMSupermarkets,and Meikles)andinKenya(Uchumi)and Mozambique. FoodLoversMarket havebeenbroughtintothefold.
Bybranchingoutintosoftware Development(maintainingtheoriginal softwaresourcecodeforthe developers)aswellasofferingPOS HardwareMaintenanceservicesand
manyothercomplementaryproducts andservicessurroundingthekeystore checkoutPOSpoint,theyareexporting theirsolutionbeyondAfricaandinto theEuropemarketandeventothe MiddleEast,havingtranslatedthe samePOSsoftwaretoofferanArabic languageversion.
TradeLinkissupportingsome3000 stores,usingaround40000POS softwarelicencesallinstalledand supportedbythem.TradeLinkhas formedseparateservicecompaniesto
beabletofocusoneachoftheirspecificclients’needsand providethemspecializedandtailoredservicesolutions, includingcompaniesinBotswana,Namibia,Zambiaand Zimbabwe.TheyarenowbranchingintoSriLankawiththe SPARgroup,astheyopentheirfirststoresthere.
EnthrallingPersonalityLeadingtheRetailSystem Market
AshleyLattimer,FounderandChairmanstarteditallin 1994,withasmalldedicatedgroupofstaff,somestillwith useventoday. Fromthatsmallbeginningofaround6 peopletheyemploysome250stafftodayandworkclosely withmanyStrategicPartnersemploying100’smorerelated
localstaffonthemanyandvariedPOS-servicesrequiredto serviceamodernhigh-techPOSCheckoutpointin sophisticatedurbanenvironmentsandalsospreadoutinto theruralandfar-flungplacesinAfricawheretheirsolution istickingawaydaily,24/7overthesepast23years.
Ashleycameoutofalife-longITbackgroundmainlyspent atIBMSAandinEuropeandmainlyintheServices business–awayfromthepurehardwaresidewhichusedto bethestrongpointofIBM. Havinggrownupin“Solutions andServices”thisremainsourlifebloodstilltoday,offering POSSolutionsandServicesofCustomerchoiceandonany compatibleHardwareplatforms.
We concentrate on the full retail cycle for your business, providing full stock and sales management at your branches, head office and distribution centers
We ensure a centralized control over all your retail operations
Agilence agilenceinc.com
RussHawkins President&CEO
AgilenceistheleaderinCloud-Based DataAnalyticsforstore operationsandlossprevention.
Antivia antivia.com
CelerantTechnologyCorp celerant.com
InteractiveEdgeLLC interactiveedge.com
KPSAG kps.com
PARTechnology Corporation partech.com
Salesboom.com salesboom.com
ShamrockConsulting Group shamrockconsulting.com
SolidCommerce solidcommerce.com
MarkHudson CEO&Founder
IanGoldman CEO&President
ZelBianco Co-founder,President &CEO
LeonardoMusso CEO
Antiviaisaninternationalsoftwarecompanyandisthecreator ofDecisionPoint™,fast,modernbusinessintelligence(BI) platformthatenablesnon-programmerstocreatestunning dashboardapplicationsandinteractivedashboardsformobile devicesandthedesktop.
CelerantTechnologydevelopsinnovativeretailandECommercesoftwarewithamissiontohelpretailersgrowtheir businessandmanageeveryaspectoftheiroperationswitha singleintegratedplatform.
InteractiveEdgehelpsincombiningacommandingdata analysisenginewithflexible,easy-to-usefrontendtools; moreover,theirBIplatformhelpsinimprovingthequalityand improvementinspeedofdatavigorousPowerPoint PresentationsandExcelReports.
KPSAGisatransformationandmanagementfirminEurope, whichprovidessolutionsinITmanagementservices.
ChasWurster ChiefTechnology Officer
TroyMuise CEO&Co-founder
PaulCooney Founder&CEO
PARTechnologyCorporationisanindustryleaderinsystems andservicesolutionsforthehospitalityindustry
Salesboom.comoffersafullyintegratedAffordableBestinclass HostedCRMsoftwaresolutionwithOutlook,QuickBooks, Invoicing,Quoting&ProjectManagement.
ShamrockConsultingGroup’scoreconsultingfocusistelecom, datacenter,cloudandfiber-related.Shamrockdoeseverything fromwritingandrunningcomplexRFP’sforlarger opportunities,tosimpleshoppingforsmallerclients
ErikSimon VP,Marketing
TradeLinkRetail Systems(Pty)Ltd. trade-link.co.za
AshleyLattimer Founder&Chairman
SolidCommercehelpsitsclientstogrowtheirmarketplace salesbyprovidingthemostintegratedSoftwareasaService (SaaS)eCommerce operationsplatformcoupledwith MarketplaceGrowthAdvisorsdedicatedtoyoursuccess.
TradeLinkisoneoftheleadingSouthAfricanRetailIT Solutionsgroup,focusingprimarilyontheretailFastMoving ConsumerGoods(FMCG)marketsinRSAandAfrica,aswell asspecializedretailingmarkets.
Technology: Software Solutions for PAR Retailers Food
Theretailindustryisinthemiddleofatransformativephasewith changingconsumerbehaviors,arapidlyevolvingsetofenabling technologies,andgrowingcomplexity.Throughallofthis,their customersandpartnersrelyonPARTechnologyCorp.tohelpthemto besuccessfulinthisevermore-challengingenvironment.
PARTechnologyisaconsciouscompanywithastrongculture whereperformancemanagementisawayoflife.Thepeopleof PARaretheinspirationforthecreationoftheirsharedcorevalues: People,Authenticity,Awareness,Perseverance,andDreaming. Thesevaluesaidintalentretentionandemployeeengagement amongMillennials,GenXandBabyBoomers.PARpeople believethattheyaretheservantleaders,andtheirstakeholder responsibilityethosiswellunderstoodacrossthecompany
TheorganizationisonajourneytotransformPARfroma hardwareandserviceprovider,toasoftwareleadsolutions company.Centraltothisjourneyarethecloud-basedBrink POS®SoftwareandtheSureCheck®FoodSafety Platform.Bycombiningtheirlong-standingquality hardwareproductlines,withinnovativeCloudandIoT technologies,PARisabletorapidlyintroducesolutionsto themarkettosupporttheircustomersranginginsizefrom singlelocations,tosomeofthefastest-growingandmost respectedrestaurantchainsandfoodretailersintheworld.
AboutPARTechnologyCorporation
Fornearly40years,PARhasdevelopedtechnology solutionsforfood-basedretailcompaniessuchasrestaurants, grocerychains,conveniencestoresandcontractfood providers.
WithPOSsystemsinmorethan75,000restaurantsandover110 countries,PARisredefiningthepointofsaletobring technologicalinnovationtoallaspectsofthebusiness.PAR’sPOS softwareiscomplementedbyreliablehardwareandisbackedby PAR’sinternationalservicesinfrastructure.
InadditiontoPAR’shospitalitysolutions,itisaleadingproviderof technicalsolutionstothegovernmentsector.PAR’sGovernmentbusiness isawhollyownedsubsidiaryofPARTechnologyCorporationandis comprisedofPARGovernmentSystemsCorporationandRomeResearch Corporation.PAR’sGovernmentbusinessdeliversinnovativeinformation managementsolutionsthroughadvancedtechnologyandprofessionalservicesto Federal,State,andlocalGovernmentagencies,aswellasprivateindustry customersthroughouttheworld.
PARTechnologyCorporationstockistradedonthe NewYorkStockExchangeunderthesymbolPAR.
Charles“Chas”WursteristheChiefTechnology Officer(CTO)atPAR
ChasjoinedPARin2017asChiefTechnologyOfficer andbringstoPARexperienceandperspectivegained fromworkingasanentrepreneurandatFortune500 companies.AsCTO,Chasleadsthesoftwareand hardwaredevelopmentteams,aswellasproduct management,acrossallproductlines.Beloware Chas’’insightsontheindustryandtheexcitingthings PARisworkingon.
IndustryDisruption
OnthePOSside,paymentsremainanareaof disruption,bothfromthepointofviewofsecurity,as wellasemergingtechnologies.Thereisaconstant streamofpressaroundcompromisedpaymentsystems thatshouldbeconcerningtoanyoneinthespace.On thetechnologyside,PARseeslessthanhalfofthe restaurantswithpaymententrydevices,whichenable notjustApplePayandAndroidPay,butalsoEMV chipcardstobeprocessed.Theimpactsofchanging consumerbehaviorgoeswellbeyondmobile payments.Theyalsoseedisruptionfrommealkits, deliveryoptions,kiosksandotherself-ordering solutions.Thechallengefortherestaurantindustry willbetobalancetheseemergingconsumertrends withtheoverallgoalofproducingexceptionalfood anddelightingthecustomer
Anotherchallengetheindustryfacesiskeepingup withreportingandfoodsafety.Thereisacontinuing proliferationofpenandpaperreportsoutinthe industrythatisripeforthetransitiontodigital.Asold schoolpenandpaperchecklistsmovetodigital,it introducestheabilitytoverifythattheactivitywas performedattherighttimeandintherightplace. Includedinthetransitiontodigitalrecordingarea numberofimprovementstotemperaturemonitoring. PAR’sSureCheckplatformoffersnotjustchecklists, butalsotheabilitytotaketemperaturemeasurements withtheirbestinclass,dedicatedandall-in-one
Company of the Month
devices.ByleveragingCloudtechnologies,allthecompliance andfoodsafetydatacanbesenttotheCloudwhereitcanbe analyzedfortrendsandleveragedtogeneratecompliance reports.
Competitors
Ingeneral,PARhastwotypesofcompetitors–large,mature companiesthatarestillstrugglingtogettotheCloud,and venturebackedstartupstargetedatsmallerorsingleunit conceptsthat,whilewell-funded,donothavealonghistoryof beingabletoscaleanddelivervalueovertime.
Chas Wurster Chief Technology Ofcer
Technologysystems,likepointofsaleandfoodsafety,tend tohavearelativelylongexpectedlifespancomparedtothe longevityoftypicalventurebackedofferings.Whilea consumermayenjoytradingouttheiriPadforanewone everyyear,itcanbeincrediblydisruptiveforarestaurantto replaceinfrastructure.
BenefitingClients
PAR'sclientsgetbestinclasshardware,combinedwith industryleadingCloudsystems.Thisuniquecombination allowstheirclientstogeteverythingtheyneedtoruntheir businessfromonetrustedpartner.PARalsohasarobust ecosystemofpartnerswhoprovideadditionalservices throughtheirapplicationprogramminginterfaces(APIs). Withtheentirecustomer’sdataisintheCloud,itis significantlyeasiertoperformupdates,analyzedataand trends,provisionusers,andaddnewfeatures.
StrategizingtheSuccessthroughRisk
Thereareanumberofothercompetitorsinthespace. PAR’sstrategytoaddresscompetitionistofocuson deliveringaqualityproductatacompetitivepricepoint withoutanygimmicksorhiddenfees.Byrenewingtheir focusonquality,providingtheirtechnicalstaffwithawork environmentthatfostersinnovation,andpartneringwith theircustomerstounderstandtheirneeds,theybelievethat theorganizationwouldoutperformtheircompetition.
MakingtheIndustryBetter
AsaproponentofsecureCloudandIoTsolutions,PARis focusedonenablingtheircustomerstodomorewiththe technologytheyhave,whilealsocreatinganenvironment thatallowsnewtechnologytobeseamlesslyintroduced.By providingreal-timeaccesstodataacrossall locations, trendscanbeidentifiedinstantlyandcorrectiveactionscan betakenimmediately Theyalsoworkwiththeircustomers onriskassessmentsandmakerecommendationstoimprove theoverallsecurityoftheirpaymentsystems.Onthefood safetyside,theyareliterallymakingtheindustrysaferby introducingtechnologytoensureproperrefrigerationand foodpreparationacrossanumberofverticals,fromgrocers, toconveniencestoresandeverythinginbetween.
‘‘
People don't buy goods and service; they buy relations and stories ‘‘
LookingAhead
Inthenextfewyears,PARcontinuesitsgrowthin traditionalmarkets,whileintroducingsomeinnovativenew productsandenhancements.TheBrinkPOSSoftwareand PARhardwareteamsareveryexcitedtobeworkingin tandemonarefreshoftheirkitchenoperationsandkitchen videosystems.Astheylooktothefuture,theyseemore demandforself-serviceorderingfrommobile,kiosks,voice recognitionandbeyond.Tofacilitatethis,andintegrations rd with3 partydeliveryservices,PARishighlyfocusedon improvingdeveloperpartnershipprogramsandmaking APIseasiertoleverageandintegratewith.Lastly,PARis excitedtobeworkingonsomepaymentrelatedofferings thatareexpectedtobecommercializedinearly2018.
Antivia: Retail
Enabling Non-Programmers to Create Stunning Dashboard Applications
Retailersoperateinachallengingenvironment.They facemultiplechallengesintheformofintense competition,lowprofitmarginsandeverchanging customerpreferences.Tosurvivefromallthese,theyneed tomakesomesmartdecisionsbasedonup-to-dateand accuratedata,ratherthanjustongutfeel.
Antiviaisaninternationalsoftwarecompany,andisthe creatorofDecisionPoint™,afast,modernbusiness intelligence(BI)platformthatenablesnon-programmersto createstunningdashboardapplicationsandinteractive dashboardsformobiledevicesanddesktop.These dashboardapplicationscanbesharedwithfrontline decisionmakerswhocanpickthemupandusethem withouttrainingtoanswertheirdailyandone-offquestions -wherevertheyarelocated.
Antiviawasfoundedin2007inLeeds,UKandsincethen theirsoftwarehashelped100soforganizationsaroundthe worldtounlockthevaluetrappedintheirbusinessdata. Antiviaispartoftheinsightsoftware.comfamily;theywere acquiredinSeptember2016.
PromisingServicesofAntivia
DecisionPoint™enablesretailerstocreateandshareguided insightswithstoremanagers,categorymanagers,supply chainmanagers,procurementmanagersandanyoneelse whoneedsthem.
• Create and share retail analytics that match your business processes
DecisionPoint™combinesinformationfrommultipledata sourcestoprovidethebigpictureviewoninventorylevels, supplychainmovements,customerdemand,sales,etc. Choosefromover50componentstovisualizethedata. Draganddroptolayout.Calculatekeyperformance indicators.Addsophisticatedfilters,drill,custom workflows,andcolor-codedalerts.Applyacustomcreative
themethatmirrorsthebrandandhelpsdrivehighlevelsof adoption.
• Get guided insights into the hands of the people who need them
Deliveringretailanalyticsthroughcustomizeddashboard appsthataretailor-madeforpeople’srolesgivesthem theflexibilityandautonomytheyarelookingfor.These appsguidepeoplethroughtheKPIsandmetricsthatare mostimportanttotheirsuccess.WithDecisionPoint™,they cananalyzedatabydrillingthroughproducthierarchiesor filteringtocompareindividualstoresormarketsacross selectedtimeperiods.
• Share information with more people across your organization
DecisionPoint™scalescost-effectively,todeliverfast responsetimesforlargenumbersofusersfromamodest hardwarefootprint.Inadistributedretailenvironment,it letsyoushareinformationwitheveryonewhoneedsit. Salesassistantsinstoremaywanttoseehowtheir departmentisperformingagainsttargetonabigwallmountedscreen.
And,DecisionPoint™providescompleteofflineaccessto informationwhentheyhavenonetworkaccess.Itworks acrossWindows,AndroidandAppledevices.So,youcan beconfidentthatyourpeoplewillalwayshaveaccesstothe informationwhichtheyneed.
BackboneofAntivia
MarkHudson,CEOandFounderhasover20years’of vastexperienceinthebusinessintelligenceworldin operational,leadershipandproductmanagementroles. Aserialentrepreneur,Marksoldhisfirstventure,BlueEdge Software,toBusinessObjects(nowownedbySAP)in 2001.Hethenspentanumberofyearsworkingfor BusinessObjectsinseniorroleswithintheProductGroup andlatterlyasBusinessDevelopmentDirectorandmember ofthemanagementteaminAustralia.
Mark Hudson CEO&Founder
When you can’t guarantee network connectivity for mobile workers, allow them to take all the information they need o line with 1-click - giving them fully interactive access to their information whenever they need it‘‘
AfterleavingBusinessObjects,Mark joinedtheExecutiveTeamat Edgewing,adataintegrationspecialist, asBusinessDevelopmentDirector. AfterEdgewingwasacquiredby BusinessObjects,Marklefttosetup Antivia.
Fromhisearlydaysasabusiness intelligenceconsultantbackinthemid -1990s,Markhasalwaysbelievedthat thevalueofinformationincreasesthe greaterthenumberofpeoplewhohave accesstoit.Yet,manypeoplein organizationsstilllackaccessto timely,relevantinformationdelivered inaformatthatworksforthem.
ThemajorityofBIandanalytic softwarehasbeendevelopedtoserve theneedsofthedataanalystswithin organizations.Yet,dataanalystsonly represent5-10%ofworkerswhoneed accesstoinformation.Otherpeople–includingfront-lineworkerslikestore managersandcategorymanagersin
retail- stilldon’thaveeasyaccessto thedatatheyneedtomakesmart, informeddecisionsandtotakethe mostappropriateaction.Mark establishedAntiviatosupportthe needsofthesepeoplewhohave historicallybeenunderservedby information.
ChallengesFacedbyAntiviaduring theirBusinessDays
WhenAntiviastartedouttheyfocused ontheSAPworld,becausethisisa markettheyknowwell.Atthetime theyaddedvaluetoSAP’sdashboard technology–makingdashboard designersmoreproductiveandmaking iteasierforthemtoworkwith enterprisedatasources.
But,SAPDashboardswasbasedon Adobe’sFlashtechnologyandasthe marketshiftedtomobile,Flashvery quicklybecameyesterday’s technology.Fromthispoint,the writingwasonthewallforSAP Dashboards.That’swhentheytookthe
decisiontobecomeaBIplatformin theirownright,developingtheirown designtooltocreatedashboard applicationsagainsttheirexisting back-endtechnology
Thisallowedthemtodesignaproduct fromgroundupforneedsofthemobile world.And,thatiswhyoneofthekey benefitsofDecisionPoint™isinits offlinecapability Thisisakey requirementformobileworkers.With DecisionPoint™,mobileworkerscan stillinteractwiththeircontent–drillingandfilteringevenwhenthey areoffline.Thereisnoneedforthem tosecondguessthecontenttheywill needbeforetheyhittheroad.
FutureExecutionsbyAntivia
Theorganizationplanstocontinueto helpretailerscreateandshareanalytics thateveryonecanunderstandandact upon.Theypridethemselvesonbeing responsivetotheircustomers’needs andthishasabiginfluenceontheir productroadmap.
Trends, Insights, and Best Practices RetailIndustry
Whenweponderthetraditionalshopping experience,werealizehowfarwehavecomein thecustomerservicewiththedevelopmentsin theretailindustry.Theseevolutionscameintothepicture notonlybecauseofthetechnologicaladvancements,butthe radicalchangesinourthoughts,behavior,anddecisionmakingtowardsshoppingalsobroughtthemin.Today’s retailisaimedtoservetheconsumersinthemost convenientways.“Sorryfortheinconvenience,”neither retailersliketosaythisnorcustomersliketohearthis. Thus,theretailindustryembracesadvancedtechnologies andwowsthecustomerswithinnovativeoptions,widgets, andothermeans.Today’scustomersdemandthatretailers shouldbeabletoimmediatelyfulfillaswellaspredicttheir needs.Withcurrenttrendsintheindustry,this transformationispossible.
Trends
Whenitcomestotheshoppingtrends,Amazonappearsasa gamechanger.Itoffersexceptionalservicestothe
customerssuchasmemberdiscountsandsame-day delivery.Itsgreatcustomerservices,competitivepricing, andreliableuserreviewsandsupportarewell-known worldwide.Amazon’snewfeatureEcho(Alexa)istrending thesedays,whichmakesshoppingvirtuallyeffortless.Echo knowsthecustomers’buyinghistoryandpreferencesbased onwhichAlexaoffersdailypromotionsandspecialdeals.
Althoughonlineshoppingisgettingpopular,brickand mortarshopsstillstayrelevant.Manyshopperswanttotry theproductshands-onbeforetheybuy.Thesecustomerscan befoundsearching“locationsnearme”online.Therefore, brandsareexpandingtheirstorestothenewlocations. Moreover,Locationbasedtargetingisdominatinginthe retail.Geo-fencingandGeo-targetinguseGPStosendout pushnotificationsandmessagestothosewhohavetheapps downloaded.Forinstance,assoonasyouarriveinthe parkinglot,yougetatailoredmessagefromthenearest store.Geo-fencingislikelocation-basedadvertising irrespectiveofthecustomers’interests,whileGeo-targeting involvesdifferentinterestsandneedstotargetusers.
| January 2018 |
Virtualshoppingiswhatshoppersarewaitingfor.The retailerswillcaterhologramsandvirtualrealitydisplays, enhancingthein-storeexperience.Itwouldbeamazingto tryonanoutfitinthevirtualenvironmentwithoutchanging clothes.TheretailerswillprovideGPStrackingfor shippingordelivery.UsingGPStracker,customerswillget toknowexactlywheretheirproductisontheroute.The retailersareencouragingconsumerstopostreviewsforthe productstheyarepurchasing.Forareason,newbuyersrely ontheproductreviewsmoreandtrustintheconsumers' community
Insights
Areportsaysthatalmostsevenintengetinfluencedby theirfriends’socialmediaposts;83percentpeopletrust recommendationsfromtheirfamilyandpeers.They discovertheproductsonlinebeforegoingouttotheshop. Therefore,theretailersneedtocreateaseamlesschain betweenonlineandon-siteshopping.Virtualreality,social shopping,andotherservicescanhelpconsumersfindthe product,accessreviews,andlocatestorestobuy.
BestPractices
Theretailsectorrequiresdeployingthebestpracticesto copewiththeadvancements.Thesedifferentpracticesare appliedindifferentphases-beforethesale,duringthesale, andafterthesale.
Frontdooranalyticsareneededtounderstandthetrafficand demographics.Inthisphase,retailersshouldcapture conversionrates,thefrequencyofvisit,anddurationof visitforeverystorehourly.Thestaffselectionshouldbe basedontrafficortransactions,andthestaffscheduling shouldbebasedonthedatafrominteractionanalysis. Traffictype(first-timevisitorsorrepeatcustomers)alsocan beanalyzedbeforethesale.
Thetraditionalpurchaseexperiencewascontrolledby retailers’systems(callforwardingsystem)duringthesale. Buttodaycustomerscontrolthepurchaseexperiencewith onlinepayments,mobilePOS,andmobilepayments.The retailersshouldgiveareasontovisitthestorethatcanlead tocustomersatisfaction.Also,askingforfeedbackhelpsin buildinggoodrapportandgaininginsights.
Afterthesalestrategiesplaythecrucialroleinbuilding brands.Therearelotsofwaysavailablethatcanbeutilized forcustomerretentionsuchassocialmedia,CRMsystem, andEmailmarketing.Ratherthanofferingdiscount couponswithlowconversionsandthinmargins,retailers shouldfocusondeliveringoffersbasedoncustomers’ profilesandpurchasehistory.Theseoffersshouldbe deliveredthroughcustomers’preferences(Email,mobile, etc.),anddevelopaverypersonalcustomerexperience.
NewformatsforthestoresarebasedonArtificial Intelligence(AI),helpingtheretailindustrytogainmore insights.Withvideoanalytics,theretailerscanunderstand theshoppingflow,suchashowcustomersshopandengage withtheproducts.Customerslookforthevalueandvariety oftheproductsandexperiencethespeedandeaseof checkoutatthestores,whetheritisonlineoroffline.No wonder,theretailerswhoacceptmorepaymentmethodsget theattentionofmorecustomers.
Alongwiththedevelopmentsintechnology,marketing processesaregettingrefinedandautomated.Marketing automationhastheentirepipelinetoconvertavisitorintoa customerandconsequentlytogeneratemorerevenue.The retailindustrycanusetheseprocessestoresolvethe complexitiesofconsumers’behavior,makingiteasierto predicttheirneeds.Thefocus,whichismajorlyon providingsophisticatedcustomerservice,shouldequallybe ofcustomersatisfactionbyprovidingconvenience.
Weknowhowagreatclientexperiencefeels.Aquick emailreplyfromabusinessmakesusfeellikeweare theironlycustomer.Theconvenienceofonlinecheckinforaflightprovidesaseamlessairportexperience.Successful companiesprovideagreatclientexperience–Apple,Amazon, AirNewZealand.You’dbeforgiveniflawfirmsdon’tmake yourlist.
In2017,theaverageNetPromoterScoreforclientsatisfaction forlawfirmswas17%.Lawyersaregoodatmeticulously draftinglegaldocumentsandsolvingproblemsfortheir clients.Weviewour‘product’asthelegalcontractoradvice. Buttheproductofanyprofessionalserviceshouldbethe entireexperienceofinteractingwiththeserviceprovider
Alawfirmthatprioritisesdeliveringanexceptional experiencewillattractmoreclientsandearnstronger loyalty.Firmsthatdisregardtheirclients’evolving expectationswillbeleftbehind.
TheDifferenceBetweenClientServiceandClient Experience
Wehearpeopleuseclientserviceandclientexperience interchangeably.Butthereisanimportantdifference.
Whenaclientcallsalawfirm,alawyermaypickup thephone,warmlygreettheclientandlistentotheir issue.Thisisclientservice.Butifalawyertellsthe clienttheywillfollowuplater,andforgetstocall backforamonth,thiswouldsourtheclient’soverall experience.
Clientserviceisthenabouttheindividual interactionsaclienthaswithyourbusiness.Client experienceisthesumofalltheclient’stouch pointswithyourbusiness.
WhatMakesanExceptionalExperience?
We’velikelyencounteredlawfirmmarketing thattoutssomevariationonthesecommon themes:
•Legalexpertiseandindustryknowledge;
•Practicalandcommercialsolutions;and
•Professionalservice.
Butthesetraitssimplymeetthebase expectationsthatclientshavefortheir lawyer Anexceptionalclientexperience shouldexceedtheseexpectations.
Inourshorthistory,focusingonthesefive pillarshasenabledustodeliveran excellentclientexperience.
1.EamdedicatedtotheClientExperience
Inthesamewaythatlawfirmshaveteamsdedicatedto producinglegalworkormarketingcampaigns,sotoodo organisationsneedateamthathastheclientexperience frontofmind.
Theroleoftheclientexperience(CX)teamistoensurethe client’sjourneywithyourorganisationisasconsistentand frictionlessaspossible.ThisrequirestheClientExperience Officer(CXO)toidentifythebarriersthatcouldprevent lawyersdeliveringagreatexperience.
Forinstance,alawyerhascompetingpriorities-speaking withaclientabouttheirlegalmatter,creatingandsending theinvoiceandcompletingthelegalwork.Asaresult,they maybeslowerinrespondingtoaclient’squestions,forget toupdateaclientonnextstepsorsoundrushedonaphone call.
TheCXO,recognisingthatdelaysincommunicationwill impacttheclient’sexperience,canthenworkacrossteams anddesignsolutionstothesedelays,suchas:
•separatingservicedeliveryfunctions;
•trainingspecialistlegalprojectmanagerstorespondto clientenquiries;and
•creatinginvoicetemplatestoincreaseefficiency.
2.PersonalisingService
Historically,lawfirmsviewedtheclient’sjourneyfroma lawyer’sperspective.Thisincludedhowwespokewith clientsonthephone,draftedcorrespondenceandbilledfor legalwork.Lawfirmscanbettertailortheirserviceoffering byworkingwithclientsontheirterms.Thisinvolves:
•Meetingclientswheretheyare(onlineandmobile);
•Mirroringthelanguageandtoneclientsuseinverbaland writtencommunication;
•Listeningtotheirchoiceofwordstogaugetheirlevelof legalandcommercialknowledge;
•Offeringflexiblebillingoptions;and
•Settingoutwhatscopeofworkisincludedintheprice.
Howalawyermakesaclientfeelcaneitheroverwhelmthe clientanddeterthemfromproceedingwiththelegal assistancetheyneed,orenergiseaclientaboutthenext stepsintheirbusiness’journey
3 Askfor-andacton-feedbackwhenit’sprovided Clientscanmoreeasilycheckthereviewsofthelegal serviceyourfirmprovidesonline–thelawyer’sdemeanour, theusefulnessoftheadvice,thespeedoftheirrepliesand
thecost.YourlegalteamandCXteamshouldcollect feedbackatallstagesoftheclient’sjourneywithyourfirm usingNetPromoterScore(NPS)surveys,socialmedia reviewsandphonecallsforqualitativefeedback.
Don’tignorethisfeedback.PartoftheCXteam’sroleisto actionfeedbackfromyourclientstomakeyourprocesses easier,fasterandmoreenjoyable.Sometimes,aclientmay leaveanegativereviewonline.Asafirststep,it’simportant tospeakwiththeclienttobetterunderstandthenatureof theircomplaint.Ifthecomplaintstemsfromaninternal processorprocedure,thismayrequireassessingthe existingframeworkandmakingchangeswithintheteam.
4.Providerealvalueforclients
Lawfirmsnowtoooftenfocusonprovidinglegalservices atacompetitiveprice.ButaCXINLAWreportfoundthat 60%ofclientssaythequalityofservicemostinformstheir purchase,and25%saythecheapestprice.Whenchoosinga legalservicesprovider,weknowthatcostisafactorfor clients.Butit'snotthedeterminativefactor.
The perception ofvalueandqualityiscentraltoclient satisfactionandloyalty.Valueismultifacetedand encompassestechnicaladvice,theeaseoftheexperience, communicationabouttheprocessandusefulnessofthe advice.Forexample,alawyerwritesanarticleexplaining inplainEnglishthefunctionofashareholders’agreement anditsterms.Thelawyerthensharesthearticlewitha prospectiveclient.Thisaddsvaluebecausetheclientcan readthearticle,intheirowntime,anddecidewhetherthe documentismostappropriatefortheirbusinessand circumstance.Thisgivestheclientcontroloverthe decision-makingprocessanddemonstratesthelawyer’s subject-matterexpertise.
5 Anticipatetheclient’sneeds
Lawfirmscannowaccesstoolstocollectandrecord informationabouttheirclients’businesses,industriesand legalenquiries.Thisinformationrevealspatternsabout whataclientlikelyneedsnextintheirbusiness’journey. Forinstance,abusyclientmayengageyourfirmtohelp withbusinessstructuring.Butifyouknowthatotherclients ofasimilarsizeandinasimilarindustrystartedthinking aboutregisteringatrademarkineightmonths,youcan pre-emptaconversationaboutprotectingthebusiness’ intellectualproperty Thismaynotbeatthefrontofthe client’smind,butthey'llappreciateyousharingyour experienceaboutsimilarbusinesses.Youmayalsojustsave themfromlandinginanuncomfortabletrademark dispute.
CelerantTechnologyCorp: Retail
Developing Retail and E-Commerce Software in the Retail World
Formanyyears,retailershavefocusedon personalizingtheexperiencefortheirshoppers onlinebyprovidingseamlesscheckoutprocesses, mobileE-Commerceandbytrackingtheireverymovement online.Withallthisdata,thereisagrowingneedto leveragethisdatatocreatesmarterexperiencesandreduce operatingcosts.Forexample,someretailersareusingtheir datatoautomatepersonalizedemailcampaignsand coupons.Oneofourclientscreateda“personalizedonline shoppingassistant”byusingtheirCRMdatatosuggest productsbasedontheirbrandpreferencesandpast purchases.
CelerantTechnologydevelopsinnovativeretailandECommercesoftwarewithamissiontohelpretailersgrow theirbusinessandmanageeveryaspectoftheiroperations withasingleintegratedplatform.Thecompanyretail systemcombinesPOS,inventoryandordermanagement, warehousing,businessintelligence,E-Commerce, marketplaceintegrationsandintegratedmarketing automation.Theorganizationalsopartnerwitheachoftheir clientstoensuretheirsuccessbyprovidingaseamless implementation,customizations,training,supportand servicessuchasdigitalmarketingtoincreasetraffictotheir storesandwebsite.With18years’experience,theybring theirexpertise,innovationandbestpracticestotheretail industry,andhavebeenrecognizedthisyearasthe#1retail softwareontheRISLeaderBoard.
InnovativeLeadersofCelerantTechnology
Inthe1990s,theybegantoseeashiftfromtheoldstyle cashregisterstocomputer-basedsystems.Bytheendofthe 90s,retailersbegandemandingmore,however,therewasa lackofhigh-endtechnologyespeciallyforsmall-to-mid sizeretailers.IanGoldman,CEO/President,alongwith hisbrother,RobertGoldman,CTO,andJohnHeiser, CFO,foundedCelerantTechnologytoimprovetheretail
industrywithinnovativetechnology.Theirinitialgoalwas todevelopasingle,real-time,databasesystemfortier2and 3retailers.
ImpressiveServicesbyCelerantTechnology
Celerant’sretailsoftwareenablesomnichannelmerchantsto manageandexpandtheirentirebusiness,in-storeand online,withinonesysteminreal-time.Celerantgoesfar beyondyourtypicalretailsoftwarecompany-designing customE-Commercesitesbuiltonasingledatabasewith Celerant’sPOSsoftware,providingseamlessintegrationsto multipleonlinemarketplacesandofferingfull-service digitalmarketingwithSEOandemailautomation, integratedwithCRMandsalesdata.
CelerantTechnologyprovidesretailerswiththetools neededtostreamlinesupplyfromtheirvendors.Through thesetools,retailerscanbrowsevendorcatalogs,importthe productstheywanttosell,andautomaticallyreorder inventorybasedonmin/maxlevels.Withlivevendorfeeds, retailerscansellwiderproductlinesontheirwebsite withoutstockinginventoryorfulfillingtheordersby displayingtheirvendor’savailableinventoryontheir website.Whencustomersmakepurchases,theordersare sentdirectlytothedistributorforfulfillmentviadrop shipping.
Throughtheirintegrationswith3rd-partymarketplacessuch asAmazon,WalmartandeBay–theyallowretailersto easilyexpandsalesvianewoutletsontheweb.Retailers caneasilyuploadandselltheirproductsdirectlyon3rdpartymarketplaces,andtrackthosesales-allinasingle place.Theycanchoosetofulfilltheirownordersorhave themarketplacefulfilltheorders.
Celerantprovidesafully-integratedemailautomation platform,whichtheirclientsusetopromotetheir
Ian Goldman CEO&President
Our in-house team of developers is capable of customizing the system in order to fit any specific operation ‘‘ ‘‘
businesses.Usingin-storeandonline CRM/salesdata,retailerscanautomate andpersonalizeemailcampaignsbased ontheirshopper’sbuyingpatterns, interestsandbrandpreferences. Personalizedemailmarketingcandrive moretraffictotheirretailstoreand websitebydeliveringupto6xhigher openrates.
WhenRiskBecomesthe OpportunitytoProve
Asaleaderintheretailsoftware industry,theyarecontinuously innovatingandintroducingnew technologytothemarket.Themost significantchallengetheyfacewith newadvancementsisslowuser adoption.Forexample,theywereone ofthefirsttointegratethelatestin Radio-FrequencyIdentification(RFID) withtheirPOSaround10yearsago. However,theindustry,includingtheir client-base,wasnotreadytoadoptthis
technology Withtheirnewest innovation,anemailmarketing platformintegratedwithclients’live salesandCRMdatainordertosend therightmessageattherighttime, whiletheyareseeingahigher adoption,ithasbeenataslowerpace thantheyanticipated.
FutureFootstepsofCelerant Technology
Inshort,youcanexpectmoreand moreinnovativefeatures.Retail platformsaredefinedbythefeatures andfunctionsthatusersrequire.The moreCelerantisabletooffer,themore efficientlyuserscanoperate,enabling Celeranttomakeagreaterimpacton theretailindustry
In2018,lookformoreStratusRetail integrationswiththird-partyonline marketplaces,aswellasexpanded digitalmarketingservicestohelp retailerspromoteboththeirin-store
andonlinesales.Celerantispreparing tounveiltheirnewdashboardreporting ontheStratusRetailmainmenuscreen sothatretailerscansee,ataglance, theirmostimportantreportsandhave morevisibilityintheirtopproducts andbrands.Theyareenhancingtheir repairandrentalmodules,aswellas buy/tradeandconsignment.They continuetopartnerwithnewvendorsdistributorsandmanufacturerscreatingintegrationstohelptheir clients’betterleveragetheresources madeavailabletothem,suchas catalogimportsanddropshipping. ThisyearCelerantannouncedthe releaseoftheirnewSaaS,Cloud system-CumulusRetail-throughtheir subsidiary,CAMCommerce,forthe tier3retailers.In2018,thecompanyis lookingforwardtoprovidingtier3 retailerswithtier1technologyand35 yearsretailexperience,allwithtier3 pricingandsimplicity
Key POS Trends POS Trends Retail Sector Retail Sector the Reshaping
Inrecenttimes,theretailindustryhasn’tseenamore excitinginventionsincetheinventionofcashregister. Withnewandinnovativetechnologieshelpingshape bothonlineandofflineexperiencesforconsumers,the landscapeiscontinuouslychanginginawaywhichwas unimaginableevenfewyearsback.Thebestpartisthat thereseemstobenoendoftheinnovation,whichonly influencingthepurchasedecisionoftheconsumers.
Nowadaysthemainfocusofretailersistocreateasafe, engaging,anduniqueshoppingexperienceforits consumers,it’sveryimportantfortheretailersto understandtheimportanceof Big Data and in-store analytics and adapting to the cloud. Withtheretailindustry atthevergeofmassivetransformation,wearelistingout fewkeytrendsthateveryoneneedstoknowtobe successfulintheecosystemthatistransformingquickly.
Multi-systemIntegration
Multi-systemintegrationwithvariousapplicationsgetsthe utmostpriorityfromtopretailers.Mostoftheretailerslist outPOSintegrationwithotherapplicationsasakeypriority alongsidetheimplementationofdynamicmarketingcontent throughmobiledevices.Thisismostlyduetotheretailer’s interesttostoreallthecustomerinformationandpurchase historyinadatabase,whichiscompletelycentralizedthat couldbeeasilyintegratedwithmultipleapplications. However,inordertodothat,aretailerneedstouseanERP databasethatcanhandleallthese.
Speed
Peoplealwayslookforquicksolutionsforeverything.A clockstartstickingthemomentacustomerenters,nomatter howgoodtheproductis,iftheprocessisslowandthe attentiontodetailsaremissing,thencustomerswillleave
disappointed.Asaretailer,onecannotpleaseeveryone,but withamodernandefficientPOS,theservicecanbe improved.AmodernPOSsimplifiesthecommunication betweenvariousdepartmentsandcansavealotoftimefor boththeretailerandthecustomerrespectively
ManagingStocks
Keepingandmanaginginventoryisanightmareformostof theretailers,andit’squitenatural.Managinginventoryisa never-endingtaskandtakesalotofeffort,time,and manpower.However,itisquiteimportanttomanage inventorieswhenitcomestolong-timesurvival.An efficientPOSsystemalwaysmakestheprocessof managingtheinventorymucheasier ThebestpartofaPOS is,onecanmonitorthestatusofstockeditems,shipped products,andnewordersanytime.Thisisahugetimesaver foracumbersomeandatediousprocess,andeventually helpsretailerstofocusonotherimportantaspectsof runningthebusiness.
CustomizedExperience
WithPOSsystems,retailersjustneedtoprovide personalizationthatscoopsouteveryshopper.Every passingyear,retailersareadaptingtopersonalized technologysolutionsthatallowaninteractiveuser experience.Thankstotheemergenceofallnewmobile POStechnology,nowretailerscanofferitscustomersmore choicestoaccommodatetheirshoppinghabitsbyletting themtocompletetransactionsanywhereinthestore.Now withtheinventionofimprovedPOSmarketersand customerserviceteamscancontactthebuyerateachpoint oftheirpurchasedecision.Withsomuchdataretailersand consumerscanhavebettercustomerservice,quicker paymentprocessesandaccesstobetteroffersandreal-time personalization.
PromotionsandMarketingatitsBest
Nowadayswiththeadventofdigitaltechnology,marketing involvesmaintainingadigitalpresenceaswell.APOScan integratealltheadvertisedofferswithtransactions,making iteasiertokeeptrackofallthecampaigns.Additionally,it canintegratewithCRMandtrackcustomerbehavior When anoffergetspopularamongthemasses,thentheretailer willseeitinhistransactiondata.
UsageofBigDataanalytics
Inordertocompetewithe-commerce,retailersarenow takingthehelpofBig-Dataandinstoreanalyticsjustto haveabetterideaaboutwhat’shappeninginsidethestore. Big-Dataanalyticshelpsretailerstotrackhowfrequentlya specificitemmovesfromshelftoshoppingcartallows retailerstoknowthetrendsthataredominantinthemarket. Analyticshelpstheretailindustryinabigwaytobetter understandconsumerpurchasepatternandbehaviors.
KeepingTrackofEmployees
Torunabusinesssmoothlyaretailer,needfewpeople.A POSsystemenablestomanagethemwithgreataccuracy WithaPointofSalesysteminplace,employeescansignon oroffeasilyandthesystemwillautomaticallylogtheir workhoursandbreakhours.
Security
Aboveall,aPOSsystemoffersgreatsecurityprotections thathelpkeepingcustomerdatasafe.Retailstoresand businessesarealwaysprimetargetsforCyberCriminals, andadatabreachisnotgoodforabusiness.So,byusing standardencryptionandfirewall,businessescanbesecured fromcyber-attacksandcustomerscanswipetheircards withapeaceofmind.
So,herewehavelistedoutfewofthePOStrendsthatwill shapethefutureoftheretailindustry Aswelookahead, thesetrendswillbeonfocusforbothretailersand customers.ThemainadvantageofanadvancedPOSsystem isgreaterefficiencyandoptimization,itlinksallthe departmentstogetherwhicheventuallyallowstohavebetter controlovertheinventory,betterprofitability,andto manageprocessesinanefficientway
KPSAG: Retail
Enriching Business Operations with Priceless Experience and Insights
Anhourglassisafascinatingobjectforthinkers anddreamersalike.Whensanddropsfroman hourglasstomeasuretime,itfillsanemptyvoid intoaflasktocaptureinfinitepossibilitiesthateach momentinlifebrings.Duringeachmomentlivedand breathed—infiniteideas,infiniteefforts,infinite recollectionsandinfiniteintuitionsfillallofustoturn timeonitshead.Awatchchasestimelikeatool;an hourglassfillstheemptyvoidinlifewithanexperience fullofpassion.
Individualsandorganizationsalsospendmillionsof dollars,hoursofcalculatedandfocusedefforts,investin advancedresourcestocapturemaximumefficiency.One companywhichbelievesincapturingthetrueworthof timespentwiththehelpofpureobjectivityand passionateeffortsfortrueinnovationenrichedwith practicalexperienceisKPSAG
ReshapingthePresenttoBuildaBrighterFuture
KPSAGisoneofEurope’sleadingconsultingpartner forthedigitaltransformation.KPSworkswithawide varietyofcompanieswhowishtobecomecustomer centriccorporateleadersinashortperiodoftime.Its expertiseliesinthedigitaltransformationofcompanies situatedintheretail,fashion,andconsumermarkets. KPSprovidesitsclientswithend-to-endservicesfrom strategicguidelinesforrealignmentandsector-specific innovative,integratedprocesschainstothe implementationofcutting-edgetechnologies–all throughasinglesource.Intherecentpast,KPShas delivereditsclientswitha50%reductioninproject runtimeandcostallowingthemtointroduceinnovative, digitalbusinessmodelsfasterwhilestayingagile.Based ontheKPSmethodologyandtheextensiveknowledge
ofKPSconsultantsabouteachindividualsector,the successofeveryprojectisguaranteed.
AnAdviceThatMakesMarketLeadersSitUpand TakeNotice
KPShasbecomeamarketleaderveryquicklyasitis trustedbysomeofthemostprestigiousnamesinEurope todeliverimplementation-orientedstrategy,process,and ITconsulting.KPShassimplifieditsapproachand focusedonthreecentralpillarstodeliverresultstothese clients:thein-depthindustryandprocessexperienceof KPSconsultants,theproprietaryKPSRapid Transformationapproachandseparatingitselffromthe competitionwithanoutstandingclientbase.Its prominentclientbaseincludesHugoBoss,Lidl,Dansk Supermarked,Deichmann,PUMAandmanymore.The firmcontinuestotastesuccessateverystepbyleading digitaltransformationandprocessalignmentacross Europe.
AUniqueSolutionChallengingClientstoInnovate everyday
WhenKPSwasfoundedin2000,rapidtransformation solutionswerelargelyunheardof.KPStodayreshapes theentirebusinessandprocessspectrum,fromERPecommerce,throughtodigitalmarketingandsalesandthe successfulmanagementofbigdata.Additionally,it transformstheprocessonalllevels-thestrategic, process,applicationandtechnologylevel.Suchanallencompassingmethodologicalapproachwasnotonly unheardofbutwasoftenunimaginabletoclients.Hence, KPSfacedachallengingsituationofbringingvarious technologyandprocessexpertsonacommonplatformto makethemunderstandthebiggerpictureandworkin
Leonardo Musso CEO
We ensure competent, experienced, and rapid project turnaround ‘‘ ‘‘
tandemwitheachothertodeliver optimumresults.Today,thecompany hasmovedontosolvingsomeofthe coredigitaltransformation challengesofthedifferentindustries. Today,traditionalbricksandmortar retailersexperiencemanydifficulties inconnectingwiththeincreasingly newdigitalcustomers.KPShelps retailersunderstandtoinitiatea refreshingdialoguewiththeir customerbasewiththehelpof innovativetechnologysolutions.The companyhassuccessfullybrought manyretailersclosertotheir consumersinareal-time Omnichannelbusinessenvironment withthehelpofenrichingbusiness insights.
TranslatingExperiencetoBuilda FuturisticVision
Aconsultantrequiresmore experienceandmorein-depth
understandingofabusinessinorder toguideclients.Therearethreemain thingsthataconsultantmust understandaboutabusiness.These include:theindustry,itsprocesses, andthetechnologythatdrivesits potential.Thisrequiresyearsof trainingandrelevantindustry experience;afactoflifeatKPS.The firmhasinvestedinitspeople, technologyandsolutionstonotonly gainthehighestrelevantexperience buttotranslatethatexperiencein buildingprototypesolutionsthat meettheneedsoftheirclients. Today,theteamofconsultantsat KPSpridesthemselvesintheir authorityoneverysector
ConsistentlyWavingtheMagic WandofSuccess
LedbyLeonardoMusso,theCEO ofthecompany,KPSdeliverstop notchtransformationprojectstoits clientssinceitsformation.The
companyhasconsistentlydeveloped, optimizedandconstantlyupgraded itsprocesscharacteristicsand functioncataloguestostayontopof itscompetitorsandthelatest technologicaldevelopments.KPSis partofaverysuccessfulpartner network,includingSAPGold,SAP HybrisPlatinum,AdobeBusiness, IntershopPremium,SAPARIBAas wellasSAPConcurPartner With around1,000consultantsacross12 countries,KPSwithitsunique approach,networkanddedicated employeeswillcontinuetoexpand itsglobalmarketpositionthrough ground-breakingprojectsindigital andtechnologicalinnovationand change.
It’ssimple.WeallknowthatCustomerExperienceis improvedbymanagingtherelationshipthroughthe entirecustomerlifecycle,whileensuringwekeep employeesandcustomersonthesamepageatalltimes.
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE through an Agile Retail Technology Platform
Troy Muise CEO & Co-Founder Salesboom.com
ToimprovethisCustomerExperienceyoumustgetgoodat closed-loopmarketing.Thisstemofmarketingcontinually measuresthegoodandbadabouteachcampaign,aswellas trackstherelationshipwiththecustomerfromMarketing, Sales,SupportandeCommerce.Thisstemisagileenough tochangecourseasneeded,updateprocesses,andretrain employeesandcustomersseamlessly.
ThecenterofAgileRetailTechnologyhasnowbecomethe CRMsystem(CustomerRelationshipManagement). ImprovingthecustomerexperienceispartoftheCRM system,asitcontainsthemasterprofilerecordofthe Customerduringallstagesofthebuyingrelationship. Not
justthepurchasingstage,butleadmanagementand nurturing,salesopportunitymanagement,andpost-sale stagesareeasilyaccessed.Thiswilldeveloparich customerprofilethatcanbeusedtosegmentexisting ContactsandAccounts,aswelldriveAccount-Based Marketing(ABM)andAccount-BasedSalesactivities.
Retailerstodaymustbereadytocommunicatewith customersonline,atanytime,andself-servicethroughtheir communicationchannelofchoice-Website,Chat,Email, Phone,Onlineformsubmission,Text,Social,andonward. CRMsystemsmanagethecommunicationsand relationshipsandkeepinteractionsfromallchannelsinone place,attachedtotheCustomerprofile.
Forward-thinkingRetailersareimprovingtheircustomer experiencebymakingtheirorganizationsmoreagile,and abletoreactinstantaneouslytochange.Thisisachievedby
evolvingintoadigitalorganization.Digitaltransformation isachievedbyadoptingaCloud-firststrategytooutsource theheavylifting,andinnovationofthesoftwaretothe CloudCRMvendor,leavingyoutofocusonthecustomer experienceandperfectingthat.
RetailTechnologyplatformsintegratedwiththeCRMcore includePointofSale(POS)joinedwithaCloudCRM system(CustomerRelationshipManagement)andalsoa cohesivebackendERPsystem(EnterpriseResource Planning)sothatyoucanseealltheinteractionswith customersduringtheentireCustomerLifecycle.Various otherappsmaybeintegratedwiththisecosystemaswell includingemail,phone,text,andothers.
Reportsoncustomersfrompre-sales,throughSalesand closing,eCommerce,andonwardthroughsupport,re-ups, cross-sells,upsells,renewals,returnengagementsbythe customerhelpbringinsightintowhatisworkingandwhat isfaltering.Thisallowsonetoquicklyreactandchange course,andretrainallinternalandexternalcustomers,from leadstocustomers,employeesandshareholders,aswellas partnersandotherstakeholders.
BeingAgileinretailcanbethedifferencebetweensurvival andfailureformanyretailorganizations.
ACloud-FirstStrategyisthewaytosuccessandthekeyto beingagileinthisevolvingmarketplace.
Thefutureofretailistobemoreagileandresponsivewith theirexistingcustomerprocesses,toreducefrictionin buyingandtokeepallstakeholders“onthesamepage”in termsofwhattheMarketing,Sales,Support,and Commercedepartmentsarethinking.
Being“onthesamepage”isthelandingpagewherethe leadorcustomer,aswellastheemployeeorpartnercango toreadabouttheprocessforcommunicatingwiththe company.Heretheycanfillouttheonlineform,getan immediateresponse,lettingthemknowtheirrequesthas beensubmittedandanemployeenotified.Inrealtime,an employeeisalertedoftherequestwhichisthen documentedintotheCRMasanitemforfollow-up.
BigDataisanewandhugetrendamongretailersinhopes ofanalyzingallthevariouspurchasesandsocial interactions.Thishelpsmapoutnewopportunitiesandkeep profilesenrichedwiththemostintelligentandup-to-date informationonyourcustomer Thisleadstokeepingloyalty
programsperformingandcustomersreturningformore fromyourbusiness.
Retailorganizationsareallwatchingwhatthe600pound gorillaintheroom,Amazon.com,isdoingwhilealsotrying tomaximizerevenuesfromeachoftheretaillocations.
AmazonisreleasinganautomatedstorenamedAmazonGo, requiringnocheckoutemployees,whereRFIDtagsare placedoneachproduct.Buyersenterthestore,pull productsonandofftheshelf,andcheckoutautomatically bypassingthroughandelectronicgate,muchlikeametal detectorscanner
Thecustomer’scardisbilledautomaticallyandifthereis notenoughfunds,analarmgoesoff.Noemployeesneeded, otherthanoneemployeeatthefrontwatchingand answeringquestions,restockingshelves,etc.Noneedfora checkout.ThismayseemlikeafinalassaultbyAmazonon retailers,butinrealityAmazon’sonlyretailcompetitoris Walmart.OnecouldeasilyseeAmazonleasingtheir technologiestobring“brickandmortar”Retailnewlifeby notonlyreducingexpensesbyreducingstaff,butalsoby taggingyourinventorywithAmazontags.Thismeansyou instantlycanselltheminyourstoreandonAmazon’sestoresimultaneously,withthesameinfrastructureandthe samesoftware.Thisisthe‘offeryoucan’trefuse’that Amazonmaybeputtingforthtoallretailers,inabidtotake overallphysicallocations,whilealreadydominatingthe onlineretailspace,andlettingWalmarttryanddealwith this.
Oneinterestingandbrandnewwayofmonetizingspaceis bycombiningserversthatrunCRMandback-office softwaresystems,butalsocomewithBitcoinMinersthat mineBitcoinandotherCryptocurrencies.Theoverheadina businessincludingleasingthespace,heatingit,electricity, employees,insurance,etc.,needtobepaidwhetheryouare havingaslownightornot,sowhynotbeminingBitcoin on-sitetohelppaythebills?Thejuryisoutonwhetherthis isagreatsolutionforallretailorganizations,andthereare manyriskstoeducateyourselfonaboutCryptocurrencies, howevertheideaofminingcurrencyasanalternateincome strategytoboostlocationperformanceisanothertoolinthe arsenaltokeepinmind.
Interactive Edge: Retail
Transforming Technology for Faster and Deeper Insights
Anindustryleaderindataanalysisandpresentation software,InteractiveEdgehasbeenservingthe consumergoodsindustrytoenhanceproductivity andefficiencyforover20years.InteractiveEdgeprovides shopperandcategorymanagementdataanalysts,marketing andfieldsalesteamswiththeaward-winningXP3® softwaresolutionthathelpsthemdelivercustomized categoryandshopperinsightdatainpresentationformatto retailbuyers.ItsXP3®platformhelpstointegratemultiple datasourcesdirectlyintoMicrosoftPowerPoint®and Excel®tospeeduptheprocessofcreatingdynamic,data richpresentationsanddashboards.Onaverage,itreduces thetimespentbyover80%.
CustomerManagement,VisionaryInnovation,andDemand DataAnalyticsaresomeoftheareaswhereInteractive Edgehasbeenwinningseveralindustryawards.
InitialChallengesleadingtoTriumph
InteractiveEdgewasoneoftheveryfirstcompaniesto createcustomizableCategoryManagementsoftwarecalled CMS-Pro®.Theyhavesuccessfullycompleted implementationsformanyofthelargestCPGcompanies includingJohnson&Johnson,Nestlé,Hormel,Pepsi-Cola andmanymore.CMS-Pro®wasdesignedtorequirevery littleeffortonthepartofthecasualend-userwhoonly neededtomakelimitedselectionssuchasretailer,time periodorproduct/categorytorefreshandupdateanentire presentationorreport.Whilethiswasproventobevery effective,inordertomeettherequirementsofeachretailer, additionalanalyticalslidesneededtobeaddedwhichfell uponInteractiveEdge’ssupportteamtocompletethistask.
AsInteractiveEdgeultimatelywantedtoputallofthe powerintheclient’shands,anewsolutionwasdeveloped thatwouldmeettheneedforadditionalflexibility.XP3® Suitewasdevelopedtomeettheneedsofbothfieldaccount saleswhorequiredasimpleuserinterfaceaswellas analystswhoneededittobepowerfulenoughtoeasily importandflexiblyexploredatatosimplifytheprocessof buildingandmaintainingbusinessintelligenceanalytical presentationsandreports.TheXP3®Suitesoftwarecanbe implementedaseitheradesktoporenterprisesolution.
GroundBreakingServicesofInteractiveEdge
TheInteractiveEdgesupportteamworksverycloselywith theclientorganizationtounderstandtheneedsofthosewho are“power”usersandthesalesorganizationsothatthe softwareisimplementedtodeliverthebusinessbenefits theywerelookingtoachievebyusingXp3®.
Theflexible,scalabledesignofXP3®allowsclientsto deployasmuchoraslittlefunctionalityastheirbusiness environmentrequires.XP3’sfront–endanalysisand automatedpresentationdevelopmenttoolscanbelayered overexistingdatamanagementsolutionstoenhanceand extendtheirvalue,orXP3’sfullfunctionalitycanbe leveragedbyimplementingitsback-enddataloadingand integrateddatawarehousefunctionalitytomeetrobust informationmanagementrequirements.
FutureRoadmapofInteractiveEdge
InteractiveEdgeiscurrentlyworkingonthenextversionof
Zel
Bianco Co-founder,President, &CEO
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Generating actionable insights and recommendations, and presenting them on a recurring basis, gives you greater credibility and positions you as a trusted advisor to your retail customers
theirsoftware:acloudbasedsolution thatincorporatestheeasytouse interfaceandrichfeaturestheirclients havecometoexpectfromInteractive Edge.InteractiveEdgeisalso expandingtheirprofessionalservices teamtoprovidemoreservicestomore organizationsasmanyCPG organizationsarefacingsignificant staffreductions.E-commercewillalso beanotherareaoffocusasonline purchasingcontinuestoimpactbrick andmortarretailers.
StrategicLeaderAccelerating Success
ZelBiancoistheCo-founder, PresidentandCEOofInteractive Edge.Asanindustryleaderforover25 years,hehasbeenamemberofthe CategoryManagementAssociation
sinceitsinceptionandhascontributed hisandtheInteractiveEdge’steam’s expertiseintheassociation’sgroundbreakingchangessuchastheupdating ofthecategorymanagementprocessto CategoryManagement2.0,aswellas supportformanyindustrywhitepapers includingCategoryManagement Mastery-theKeytoGrowthandmany others.
ZelisthememberoftheDePaul UniversitySalesLeadershipand CategoryManagementAdvisoryBoard andafrequentspeakerattheCategory ManagementAssociationAnnual Conferenceandotherindustryevents. HeisalsoamemberofRetailWire’s BrainTrustandaregularcontributorto theRetailWiredailyon-linenewsletter andblog.ZelandInteractiveEdgealso wontheprestigiousDemoJamAward
attheSAPTechEdSAPPHIREUser Conferenceagainsthundredsof contestants.
Zel’smainfocusisondrivingvaluefor InteractiveEdge’sclientsandtheir retailcustomersbyhelpingclientsto buildbetterconnectionsbetweenraw datasourcesandthecategory managementandshopperinsights professionalswhoneedtogenerate insightsandactionable recommendationstotheirretailbuyers. Healsocontributeshistimeand resourcestohelpstudentsatanumber ofuniversitiesseekacareerinCPGor relatedindustries.
Retailin the Digital Age:
Focusing on the Three Things
Customerbuyingpatterns,aswellasevolving consumerbehavior,laysthegroundworkastowhy thereal-timemonitoringofoperations,promotions, andfinancialperformancearemissioncriticaltotoday’s modernretailer.Thesebusinesses,withnumerouslocations andlargeworkforces,arechallengedwiththeproblemof ensuringthatemployeesfromthetoptothebottomoftheir organizationarealignedaroundthesamegoalsand objectives.Thisalignmentisespeciallyimportant consideringtheneedtoaddressever-changingobjectives drivenbycustomer,corporate,seasonal,andpromotional mandatesthatimpacttheirbottomline.
Whilethereareendlessinitiativesthatretailerscanfocus theirenergyon,wehavefoundthatadheringto“TheThree Things”isthemostinformedmethodtochannelingtheir transactionaldata.Byfocusingonoptimizingsales, promotionperformanceandimprovingprofits;aretailercan turntheiravailabledataintotangibleactionplans.
SalesOptimization:Streamlineyourrevenue-generating activities
Everytimeacustomervisitsyourstoreandinteractswitha salesassociate,yourorganizationhastheopportunitytonot onlymakeasalebutalsoincreasetheaverageordersize. Forexample,aspecialtyapparelretailercanupsellbelts withslacks,jewelrywithablouse,sockswithshoes,etc. Thisiscommonknowledgebutwhatisn’talwaysknownis whatupsellitemsarethemostlucrativeataregionalor districtlevel.Whatwehavefoundisthatmanyretailers understandtherightproductmixtobundlebutstore
managementisn’talwaysconvincedastowhatshouldbe theA,BorCoptionfortheteamonthefloortofocuson. Thiscanbesolvedbyfocusingwhatisalreadyembeddedin theirenterprise-wideTLogdata.
DrivingmorevaluefromOmni-Channel
Therearemanytimeswhenanomni-channelsalecould leadtoanin-storeupsellbutthisisrarelytracked…until now.Forexample,acustomerbuysaproductonlineand thenreturnsittotheirlocalstore.Byfocusingonhistorical omni-channeldata,someretailershavefoundthatasaleserodingactivityofareturncanactuallydriveanadditional saleifassociatesaretrainedproperly. Becausemanyonline productsarenotpartofastore’sinventoryandaretypically shippedbacktodistributionorsoldasaone-offitem,they canbeviewedasaquicklossbutinrealityifyoucan isolatewhichitemsarebeingreturnedacrossyourentire enterprise,youcanhaveacomplimentaryofferingmade readilyavailabletoyoursalesassociatesasanupsellitem. Nowthelossofareturncanstrategicallyoffsetwiththe righttrainingandoffer.
StoppingRewardsProgramAbuse
Someretailersmaybesurprisedtoknowthatsomeoftheir customersknowtheirpromotionactivitybetterthantheir ownmarketingdepartmentdoes.Forexample,oneretailer putaRewardsPointsPrograminplacetorewardloyal customers,andtheretailer’smarketingdepartmentbelieved theprogramwasverysuccessful.However,theoperational teamanalyzedcomponentsoftheprogramindepthand madesomestartlingdiscoveries.
About the Author
A veteran in the technology space, Russ Hawkins, the President and CEO of Agilence, has shouldered the responsibility of the company and spearheaded its overall strategy to lead it towards success. Formerly, Russ was the President and CEO of two early stage tech companies, SilverStorm Technologies and Paragon Networks. The Boston graduate also boasts 15 years of experience at Lucent Technologies, wherein he helmed various management positions.
Whenfirstrolledout,theRewardsProgramhadnolimits onthepointsacustomercouldcollectandnoticedthat somecustomershadrackedupseveralhundredthousand pointsayear(versustheaveragecustomerwhowouldget 2500pointsayear).Usingadataanalyticssystemto analyzetheirtransactionaldata,theretailerdiscoveredthat thesehigh-reward“customers”wereresellingtheretailer’s merchandiseoneBayandorderingthemerchandisethe eBaycustomersorderedonMr.Rebates.Thismeantthat thehigh-rewardscustomer(e.g.,reseller)wasgettingcash backfromMr.Rebates,andasarewardsmember,was eligibleforfreeshippingaswell,althoughtheresellerstill chargedtheeBaycustomerforshipping.Thereseller carriednoinventoryanddidnothandlereturns,makingthe resellerafulfilmentcenter.
Eventhoughtheretailerwasrecognizingrevenuesonthis typeofactivity,theretailer’smarginsweresignificantly impacted,andtheresellerswerewipingouttheretailer’s inventory Worstyet,theretailer’struecustomers,whowere expectingagoodshoppingexperience,weredeniedthat becausetheresellerswerebuyinguptheinventory.
Oncetheretaileridentifiedthistypeofrewardsprogram abuse,theorganizationdecidedtoputacaponthenumber ofannualpointsaRewardscustomercouldearntoputa stoptothisactivity
However,withoutdataanalysis,thisretailerwouldhave continuedtobelievethattheprogramwassuccessfulwhen infactitwaserodingtheirmarginsanddepletingtheir inventory
Russ Hawkins President & CEO Agilence
Shamrock Consulting Group: Retail
Offering Reliable Solutions for Telecom, Data Center, Cloud and Fiber Verticals at the Guaranteed Best Price
Theconsultingagentindustryhaschanged considerably,andsohastheproviderindustry-thereareenormous,excitingchangeshappening rightnow Agentsdon’tsurvivelongiftheydon’tknow howtoadviseonnewtechnologieslikeSD-WANandcloud technologiesandstrategy Theindustryhaschangedfroma legacytelecommunicationsindustry(thinklegacyAT&T, Verizon,etc.)withmanyplayersandcompetitors,toa mergingindustrywithfewerlargeplayersvyingforthe samebusinessaroundthecountry.Ifwelookbackafew years,therearemanycompaniesthatjustdon’texist anymore–andnotjustbecauseofbigmergersthatgobbled upgiantslikeLevel3andXO.Consolidationmeansfewer yetlargerproviders,andwhattheyeventuallybecome, asidefromsellinginternetandphoneservice,isessentially alogoandcontractvehicleforemergingtechnologies.All bigtelecomproviderslikeAT&T,VerizonandCenturyLink aresellingSD-WAN,cloudservicesandconsolidated broadband--butthey’retypicallynottheactualcreationsof thosecompanies.So,whatdoesthecustomeractually purchase?Sure,theymaybebuyingVelocloudfromAT&T, butwhatthey’rereallybuyingistheteambehindthe productandthecomfortofabrand.
ShamrockConsultingGroupprovidesexpertsolutionsfor telecom,datacom,colocation,fiberandpublicandprivate cloud.Shamrockdoeseverythingfromwritingandrunning complexRFP’sforlargeropportunities,tosimpleshopping forsmallerclients.
TheyanalyzebillingtocomeupwithanaccurateROIfora project,getthebestpricingandcontractlanguagepossible, makessureeverythingisinstalledinatimelymanner,and managethedealuntiltheclientis100%satisfied.They
haveover150carriersintheirgrowingportfolio,which ensuresthattheirclientsalwaysgetthebestavailable servicesandoptionsforthebestavailableprice.The organizationdoeseverythingfromresearchingfibermaps, todiggingintothefinancesofeachdeal,toworkinginthe bestlegallanguagepossible.Theyworkfrombeginningto endonsolutionsforavarietyofdifferenttechnologies,and theirgoalistoestablishalong-termpartnershipwiththeir clientsbasedontrustwhilecuttingtheirtimeandeffortby anaverageof80%.
FascinatingJourneyofShamrockConsultingGroup
ThejourneyforShamrockhasbeenoneofasingleowner, tothefirstsalesandsupportpeople,toaformalcompany, andit’sbeenafunandrewardingjourney.Presidentand CEOPaulCooney,alongwithhisbusinesspartnerandVP BenFerguson,developedtheirinitialpushtofocuson customeracquisitionandrevenue,whichShamrockhas alwaysdoneverywell.Theyhadverylittlesupportand staff,noprocesses,andifyousoldadeal,youhadtodo everything.
Theinitialstrugglewasjustaboutgettingrevenueatthe door.Itwasprettysimple–theywerenotmanufacturing productsoranythinglikethat–theyhadtosellservicesand keepcustomershappy Thebiggestturningpointwasafter aboutayearandahalfwhenShamrockstartedhiring supportpeoplefornon-sales-relatedroles.Paulisabigfan ofhiringpeopletodospecificjobs,soeachteammember canfocusontheircorerole.Astheygrow,whatPaulseesis simplymorespecializationofwork.Everyhirechangesthe dynamicofthecompany,andluckilyforthem,everyone whohascomeonboardhasprovidedanimmensely positiveimpactontheteamasawhole.
Paul Cooney Founder&CEO
Through new product solutions and more formalized processes, Shamrock expects continued growth and success in 2018 and beyond.
PaulCooney,TheManbehind ShamrockConsultingGroup Paulgrewupinthesmalltownof Pleasantville,NYandgraduatedfrom theUniversityofRichmond.After movingtoBoston,hefoundearly successsellingfixedwirelessfor Teligent,Inc.(adot-comcasualty)in thelate90’sandearly2000’s.Seeking stabilityduringthetumultuousburstof thedot-comsandubiquitoustelecom bankruptcies,heheadedoutWestto HermosaBeach,CAandworkedfor AT&Tasanenterprisesales representative.Paulworkedhiswayup tothetoprepinthecountrybefore takingoverthestrugglingLosAngeles salesteam.AccordingtoPaul,the turnaroundfortheLAsalesteamwas lengthyyetrewarding. “It took me 6 months to turn the team around,” Paul says, “But we eventually went from the worst team in the country to consistently one of the best.”
ShamrockSeesIndustryChallenges asOpportunitiestoExcel
Thebiggestchallengesare,inPaul’s opinion,typicallyagoodthingfor Shamrock.It’sachallengefor customerstokeepupwitheverchangingtechnologytrends,but fortunatelythat’ssomethingShamrock doeswell.Theyhaveafluidbusiness modelandcanconstantlybringonnew partnershipstomeettheneedsofthe changingtechnologytrends.Afew yearsago,nobodywassellingcloud services,andnowthey’renotonly sellingcloud,butarealsoproviding cloudmanagementapplicationstohelp withcostanalyticsandprojections. Companymergersareaconstant,new competitorswillalwayspopup,and technologieswillalwaysevolve.That’s thewaytheirindustrymoves,andPaul believesthatcompetitionand challengesacrossanindustryhelpsto separatethetopagentsfromtherest.
TheFutureisBrightforShamrock
Continuedgrowth,newproduct solutionsandmoreformalized processesareallinthenearfuturefor Shamrock.Theyarehiringmore superstars,whichisalwaysamixof stressandexcitement–thecompany reallywantseveryonetofitintothe “family.”Theyareopeninguptwonew officessoon,andthatwillbringitsown setofnaturalchallenges,butinagood way–theyknowthattheyneedto expand,andthey’reexcitedaboutthe opportunitytotakeovernewmarkets. Inthepastfewyearstheyhavebeen implementingformalprocessesand systems,whichhavehelpedthemto keeptrackofeverything,fromorders tocontractstocommissions.Thefuture forShamrockisexpansionbywayof doingmoreofthesame,withmore people,inmoreplaces.
