CIO OPINION
CIO
opinion
CIO OPINION
“
IT’S IMPORTANT
TO REMEMBER THAT
CUSTOMERS DON’T SEE
A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
A BRAND’S ONLINE
PRESENCE AND THEIR
PHYSICAL STORE.
//////////////////
Vaughan Rowsell, Founder and Director of South African cloud
software firm Vend
The app economy is
here and it’s making
retail better
The retail environment
is as dynamic today as
it has ever been, with
competition shifting to new
arenas. Vaughan Rowsell,
Founder and Director
of South African cloud
software firm Vend shares
tips on how retailers can
keep up with customers.
T
here has been a huge disruption
coming in retail over the past
few years in the form of mobile
technology; and it’s only just getting
started. This isn’t solely about using
mobile to engage consumers. Cloud-
based technologies are breaking down
traditional barriers and changing the way
retailers do business. Separate systems
for different areas of a business – like
accounting, operations, online and
in-store – are no longer adequate. The
future is all about connectivity.
We’ve seen a tidal wave of new
developments in retail recently, for example
the increase in online shopping, click and
collect, and customers demanding instant
and easy access to products, which mean
that the siloed approach simply isn’t the
best way to run a business anymore. It’s
important to remember that customers
44
INTELLIGENTCIO
don’t see a difference between a brand’s
online presence and their physical store.
They expect the same level of service, the
same brand feel and the same shopping
experience across every channel. So, it’s
important that every touchpoint, from sales
to inventory tracking, loyalty programs and
promotions, are completely in sync.
The growing app ecosystem
Achieving this kind of connectivity is
becoming far easier, due to the rise of
new cloud-based business applications.
Just like the consumer apps we all
use, such as for personal banking or
Facebook, these business apps can be
easily downloaded from an app store
onto an iPad or mobile device. In this
way, retailers can essentially build their
own bespoke enterprise systems – from
business management, to loyalty, finance,
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