IBM White Paper Sample

Changing store technology platforms isn’t easy - ever. Not just because of the broad investment implications or project complexities but also because of the potential risks and business impacts such a transformation can have on literally every facet of retail operations. However, retailers lulled into legacy "status quo" thinking will continue to be passed or lapped by merchant leaders willing to put the consumer first in the shopping experience enabled through advanced store technology platforms. These same leaders will expand their value proposition thinking and vendor selection criteria to include evaluations that are oriented around ways to reduce TCO while delivering an efficient, flexible platform that empowers store employees while satisfying their growing list of profitable shoppers.

Consumers who seek a differentiated shopping experience will ultimately find those retailers that have been willing to make the store technology and process investments necessary to ensure that shoppers benefit from targeted influence and greatly increased system efficiency. The only accurate way for retailers to fully assess their potential store systems investment strategies and vendor options is to employ a TCO methodology - one that ensures all cost components and important sub- segment priorities are properly integrated into platform selection and the overall value proposition. Retailers must organize their store systems TCO thinking around the most impactful influences on cost reduction and their impact on store operations.

Focusing evaluations on retail-oriented usability, service-improving designs, embedded management functions, and the practical metrics of vendor practices around sound environmental thinking will ensure that store systems replacement deliver both improved customer-facing capabilities and costreducing functionality.

View This Now