The retail industry is a fast-paced environment, which requires a business management solution that is flexible enough to adapt, easy enough to integrate and customisable as and where needed, even for the smallest of retailers.

The latest trends in retail business management software indicate a switch to capable mobile technology and seamless third-party app integration. Consider these options for your retail operation to stay ahead of the curve.

System Integration

Small businesses usually work in silos, relying on multiple stand-alone applications to run their daily operations. There are various challenges with this setup, including miscommunication, misalignment, data duplication, costs and effort to manage several systems.

Retailers should reconsider the use of multiple or ineffective systems. The integration of various solutions in to one platform or even the replacement of outdated non-communicative systems with one single ERP solution might be the most cost effective and viable option.

Nowadays, this integration can refer to built-in apps to improve the employee and shareholder interaction, or daily processes such as point-of-sale (POS), payroll, inventory management and so forth.

Consider other third-party integration with external platforms such as social media applications to interact with customers, payment platforms, and barcode and QR code scanner applications.

Mobile Technology

The new digital landscape requires retailers to adapt their operations to meet both customer demands and stakeholders’ goals through mobile-friendly solutions. It enables them to access, analyse, and share vital operational and financial data on mobile devices.

For example, logistics companies and couriers can employ mobile technology to get a real-time view of their delivery operations and scheduling, which includes data collection, tracking, analysis, and monitoring.

An Electronic Proof of Delivery solution, such as IQ Retail’s ePOD mobile delivery app, can be installed on a driver’s smartphone or other mobile devices, offering real-time data access in a portable and user-friendly interface.

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