AUTOMATIC DATA
Opinion
CAPTURE
Mobility in retail
– enhancing the
client-facing
service
Craig Backham: Many retailers
have already discovered the
benefits of a mobility platform, By Craig Backham, EMEA retail business development manager, Intermec.
enabling them to step change their
business performance.
roviding availability of the right cent through accurate stock recording and ramifications that can greatly affect the
P
products at the right price, timely and optimal price reduction. business over time. Gartner group
backed up by the right estimates that the Total Cost of Ownership
information to allow customers (TCO) of a mobile device is between
to make an informed choice can
Mobile Retail in-store
US$2000 and $3000 per year, broken
make the difference between success and down in the following way: Technical
failure for retailers. Such truisms, however
applications
support at 13 per cent; administration at
obvious they may be, are far from easy to Mobile retail solutions relate to many of 23 per cent; operations at 40 per cent –
achieve. In-store, the perennial problem the common activities undertaken on totalling 76 per cent (with capital outlay
areas continue to hamper progress, the sale area and backroom: Price and equating to the remaining 24 per cent.).
including availability, shrinkage, compliance, stock management, task store and asset
promotion, service and productivity. management, merchandising, inter-store
transfer, transaction and security
Mobility’s short-term and
applications. The benefits are numerous,
What is mobility in retail in-store
ranging from reduction of revenue loss, to
long-term benefits
applications?
higher availability of stock, or from queue- Addressing the challenges of availability,
busting solutions to product location. One shrinkage, compliance, promotion, service
Mobility of technology is often achieved leading multi-format supermarket chain in and productivity is an ongoing battle and
through the provision of some form of the UK implemented Intermec handheld is one way retail organisations increase
handheld computing device, which can devices for its stock and price control and their sales or reduce costs. Initiatives to
be used to implement a process in software as a result of this the floor staff became introduce improve or remove process
at the point of activity or where the work 40 per cent more effective. in the areas of security, task and store
needs to take place. Such solutions can management, merchandising, transaction,
vary from the simplicity of single application, stock, price and asset management are
standalone technology to wirelessly
Budgeting for mobility
important elements in achieving this goal.
connected multi-tasking computer platform,
complete with printing and automatic data In deciding to deploy a mobile solution, Many retailers have already discovered the
capture (barcode, RFID) capability. one of the many decisions that face retail benefits of a mobility platform, enabling
organisations is whether to integrate them to step change their business
Mobility for retail applications can be industrial grade rugged devices or to performance. Mobility has a role to play
summarised simply by the end results. use commercially available non-rugged in implementing the many activities
Analysis of retail mobility implementations devices. Since budgets are a key influencer involved in these processes in an efficient
since 2004 shows that the benefits of in the decision making process, price and effective way. Whilst not a panacea,
mobility can include: Being 40 per cent is often a major concern. However, price, mobility can ensure that accurate real
more effective at reducing out of stocks; in relation to cost, is one time expenditure time data is collected where the work
improving product availability by 1-2 per and a snap-shot in the business lifecycle. happens and that relevant information
cent; reducing time to take inventory by 84 Retailers must also consider operating to drive decision and action is delivered
per cent; and reducing wastage by 20 per costs, which are ongoing and carry to the point of activity. circlesolid
24
MANUFACTURING
&LOGISTICSIT March 2009
www.logisticsit.com
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