Tablet computers make a run at the lumber business

7fteer-er coMpurERS such as the t iPad have taken the consumer world by storm and now have their sights on the business world, including the lumber and building materials industry.

According to Gartner Inc., tablet sales worldwide rose from 17.6 million in 2010 to 63.6 million unirs in 20ll -a 26l.4Vo jump. Tabler sales are forecast to reach 326.3 million by the end of 20 I 5.

Tablets offer most of the best business advantages of both a smarlphone (touchscreen functionality, electronic communications, social media marketing) and a laptop (larger online viewing screen, business process and intelligence software).

Yet, as a hybrid between the two devices, tablets do something more. They can basically act as a mobile point of sale. Tablets conceivably can bring all facets of the sales process directly to the customers-whether they're working in their office, walking a trade-show hall or a construction site, or even waiting, parked, in your drive-thru lumberyard.

Equipped with a tablet, salespeople can...

. ...help customers quickly search for and select products using vendor websites, interactive catalogues, and inventory lists (with instant access to specs and prices). Never again need your sales force say, "I'll need to get back to you on that...."

...deliver elaborate sales presentations and product demonstrations, all on the go.

. ...input and retrieve customer account data. Tablets can remotely and securely access a business's primary account information.

...arrange delivery, financing and payment. A receipt can be emailed to the customer or printed out via wireless signal.

. ...review or track past orders.

Although there have been no reports thus far of LBM businesses incorporating tablet computers into their POS processes, Epicor (formerly Activant) is among the industry software vendors that recently introduced a tablet-compatible POS app.

"We've experienced an incredible amount of interest from more than 30 retailers who are anxious to mobilize their Epicor Retail deployments-in particular to iPad and iPod devices," said Ian Rawlins, v.p.-retail product marketing. "We're having conversations with a great number of retailers who are anxious to leverage the power and performance of these new devices to drive transaction efficiencies, improve operational visibility, and customer engagement."

In the meantime, LBM businesses will discover that serving customers in other ways with a tablet computer should give at least their image a high-tech upgrade.

By fohn Barco Sr., NCornputing