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•Case Study: SMRs Get Uptime, Real Time, All The Time

Used with permission from Integrated Solutions For Retailers magazine

Savvy midmarket-focused retail solution vendors and ISVs (independent solution providers) seized on the need for midmarket retail technology functionality in the first half of this decade. That need was brought about by the explosive growth of big-box retail that continues to this day. For SMRs to survive in the land of the behemoth from Bentonville, they can't just best their competition's customer service. They must run more efficient operations on the back end and count pennies carefully. Solutions that help SMRs effectively manage business in the face of these giants have improved dramatically in the early part of the decade. As a result, midsize retailers can match, and in many cases, better the business performance of even their monstrous competitors.

In recent months, we've featured many case studies that showcase the success midmarket retailers have found deploying solutions tailored to their needs. At $150-million National Welder's Supply (NWS), for instance, a hosted architecture gives the company bandwidth, security, connectivity, and backup performance rivaling that of a tier-one specialty shop. Purple Cactus Technologies manages NWS' IT infrastructure. "Server co-location is designed for companies that have the capability and desire to manage a Web server but need enhanced network capacity and performance. Server co-location eliminates the need to build a private infrastructure while providing you with direct backbone connectivity," says Purple Cactus' President Randy Severo.

Co-located, or hosted, solutions are a means for small to midsize retailers to gain functionality they might not otherwise find affordable. The data and application disparity associated with legacy systems, often identified by DOS (disk operating system) POS and little or no customer or inventory database integration, doesn't allow SMRs the flexibility and speed they need to compete. Some retailers have attempted to glue advanced applications onto their legacy systems, but difficult integration has left many with stand-alone data structures for such things as CRM (customer relationship management), gift and loyalty cards, and merchandising. These stand-alone data repositories lead to redundant data entry and result in inaccurate information. "Retailers with multiple databases might even face several versions of a single inventory," warns Severo. Legacy systems are prevalent in the small to midsize space, as new servers are cost prohibitive for many small businesses. But hosted solutions are a viable alternative to huge capital expenditures. The instant upgrade in functionality that hosted solutions offer is often just the shot in the arm these retailers need to face down large-looming competition.

Click Here To Download:
•Case Study: SMRs Get Uptime, Real Time, All The Time