Mobility: Helping Managers And Associates Save Time

By Laura Ravo

Mobile devices not only make customers happy, they can also improve day-to-day store operations.

With the worldwide economy slow to recover from the Great Recession, as it is being called, retailers are being forced to do more with less, operationally. At the same time, these companies are struggling to make the transition to becoming omni-channel retailers and offering the same brand experience for the customer no matter what channel the touch points take place in. Technology is taking the lead in how retailers are making this transition, and no technology has had a greater impact than mobility.

In retail, we have seen a great shift from strictly a product focus to a focus on the customer experience, and in the stores, nothing affects this experience more than the retail associate. Associates have been at a disadvantage, though, as retailers have slashed hours and fallen behind in technology. When customers have more access to information on their smartphones than the associate, it makes the associate and the retailer look bad. The same thing happens when retailers fail to have the right associates on the floor at the right time to serve these customers.

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