The 10 Most Recommended Retail Solution Providers 2018 january2018

Ashley Lamer

Founder & Chairman

Chas

Editor’s Note

The Changing Phase of the Retail Industry

n2018,theactofbuyingcommodities(i.e.buyingthingsbecauseweHAVEto)willbecomelessofa

Ichore.PlayerslikeAmazonandsubscriptionbusinesseswillmakethispartofretaileasierthrough offeringslikeauto-renewals,one-tappurchases,andsame-daydelivery.Inotherwords,the“chore”or routinecomponentofshoppingwillbecomemorestreamlined.

Meanwhile,theexperientialsideofretail—thepartthatinvolvesdiscoveringgreatproductsand socializingwithothers—won’tbegoingaway.Peoplewillstillmaketheirwaytophysicalstores,not becausetheywantto“buystuff,”butbecausetheywanttogetexperiencesthattheywon’tfindanywhere else.Personalizationwillstillbeakeyretailtrendin2018andbeyond.We’renotjusttalkingaboutputting someone’snameinanemailsubjectlineorlettingcustomersputtheirinitialsonproducts.We’rereferring topersonalizationthatenablesshopperstobuildproductsandcustomizethemtotheverylastdetail.

ThebigtrendIseeisthatretailersarefinallyrealizingthattheymustchange.Formanyyears,leadersof theretailindustrywereaversetochange–theywantedeverythingtobesmoothandaslongastheybeat “lastyear,”theywerehappy

Thisisnolongerpossible.

Inthepast,itwastheretailerwhodeterminedwhatacustomershouldwanttobuyandhowtheyshould shop.Today,it’sthecustomerwhoaredefiningtheshoppingexperience. Andaretailerismissing opportunitiesforsaleswhenitoperatesinthetraditionalsilosthatkeptmerchandisecategoriesandselling channelsseparateratherthancoordinated.

Theacceptanceofomni-channeltradeanddigitalsavvymerchandisingisimportant.Todayitisa requirementforsuccess.However,itisnotonlyacceptanceofnewideas,butIalsoseetheneedtoreview oldsystemsandprocedures.Storeoperationsandmindsetsmustchange.

SomehaveassumedthatAmazonisgoingtokilltheindustrythateverythingwillbeboughtonline. Well,aswehaverecentlyseen,it’snotthatsimple.Ononeside,weseestoreslikeWalmartwaking upandmovingaggressivelyintothesameonlinearena.And,Amazonisredefiningitselfaswell.I amnotsurprisedthatAmazonisopeningsomestoresandbuyingcompanieslikeWholeFoodsto gaindominance.Idobelievethattheywillbeastrongplayerbutwillnoteliminategood competition.

2017wastheyearofdigitaldiscovery.2018willbetheyearoftechnologyandmoreintegrationofit intomainstreamretail.Itwillbetheyearwhereweseeretailerscreatenewoperatingmodelsthatare lessfocusedontheirstorevs.thewebandmorefocusedoncreatingexperiencesthatgivescustomers morecontrolandconvenientwaystoshop.Ithinkitwillbeanexcitingyearwherecustomerswill findnewnessandcreativity.

Ipredictthatmostwell-fundedretailersanddepartmentstoreswilladjustandsurvive.Theywillslim downfurtherandconcentrateondestinationmega-malls.Theywillattractcustomersbecausethey knowfashion,havethebrandsthatappeal,learntohavequickerturnoveroftheirassortmentandadd innovationsthattakehold.

So,withgreatenthusiasmInsightsSuccesshasselectedsomeofthemostprominentorganizations aroundtheglobeintheissueof“The10MostRecommendedRetailSolutionProviders2018.” Theseorganizationsaretransformingtheretailindustrywiththeirrevolutionaryinnovationsand foremostinitiativesthatmainlyfocusontheproductaccelerationandcustomersatisfaction.

ThejourneystartswiththeCoverStoryTradeLinkRetailSystems(Pty)Ltd.,aleadingSouth AfricanRetailITSolutionsgroup,focusingprimarilyontheretailFastMovingConsumerGoods (FMCG)marketsinRSAandAfrica,aswellasspecializedretailingmarkets.

ThenwehaveourCompanyoftheMonth,PARTechnologyCorporation,whichisanindustry leaderinsystemsandservicesolutionsforthehospitalityindustry

WealsohaveAntivia,aninternationalsoftwarecompanywhoisalsothecreatorofDecisionPoint™, fast,modernbusinessintelligence(BI)platformthatenablesnon-programmerstocreatestunning dashboardapplicationsandinteractivedashboardsformobiledevicesandthedesktop;Celerant TechnologyCorp,whodevelopsinnovativeretailandE-Commercesoftwarewithamissiontohelp retailersgrowtheirbusinessandmanageeveryaspectoftheiroperationswithasingleintegrated platform;InteractiveEdgeLLC,anorganizationwhichhelpsincombiningacommandingdata analysisenginewithflexible,easy-to-usefrontendtools;moreover,theirBIplatformhelpsin improvingthequalityandimprovementinspeedofdatavigorousPowerPointPresentationsand ExcelReports;ShamrockConsultingGroup,whosecoreconsultingfocusistelecom,datacenter, cloudandfiber-related.ShamrockdoeseverythingfromwritingandrunningcomplexRFP’sfor largeropportunities,tosimpleshoppingforsmallerclients;KPSAG,whichisatransformationand managementfirminEurope,thatprovidessolutionsinITmanagementservices.

Also,whileflippingthepagesofthemagazinedon’tforgettogothroughRetailInsights-Customer ExperiencethroughanAgileRetailTechnologyPlatform;DigiPerspective-RetailintheDigital Age:FocusingontheThreeThings.

Wehavealsoincorporated,IndustryTrends-KeyPOSTrendsReshapingtheRetailSector; Actionable-RetailIndustry:Trends,Insights,andBestPractices

Piyush Rishi

Lamer Founder & Chairman

Ashley

TradeLinkRetailSystems (Pty)Ltd(TradeLink)has beenattheforefrontof supplyingtheFast-MovingConsumer Goods(FMCG)industryinSouthern AfricawithtailoredPoint-of-Sale (POS)solutionsforthelast25years, theirexperiencehasallowedthemto growwiththeirclientsandprovide valuableservices,fromPOShardware andsoftwaresystemsandsupport, integratingintotheretailerbackoffice andheadofficefunctions.Drivenby technology,theTradeLinkisableto provideafull-servicesolutionforretail needs,drivingcustomersaleswith integratedbankingande-commerce, loyaltyandrewardsystemsanda seamlessmanagementtooltocoverthe fullbusinesscycle.TradeLinkisable tooffersoftwaredevelopmentand projectmanagementexpertiseallowing theircustomerstoremainatthe forefrontoftheirmarketsthrough serviceexcellence.

DuetoaSouthAfricanrecessionary climate,retailersareexperiencinga realslowdown(growth)intraditional consumerspendingpatternsandare lookingformorereturnonadeclining marketfromtheirITpartners.Trade Linkisnotonlyawareofthisstatistic butensuringthattheretailerclientis receivingmore“bangforbuck” throughinnovativeandcost-efficient systems,relativetocustomerspend. Simplyput,TradeLinkseekstostretch theconsumervalueaddandexperience whilstnotaddingtothebottomline costfortheretailerusinginnovative dataandsystemsanalytics,newage loyaltyandrewardssystems.

FascinatingJourneyofTradeLink

Thestartwasinmid-1994froman existingbusiness;Positronwhichwas acash-registerbasedcompany,based inDurban,KwazuluNataland addressingthegeneralRetailmarket

forcashregisterproducts,solutions andservices.TheywereofferedPOS softwaretotakeTradeLinkintothe POSPC-basedmarket,outoftheold CashRegisterdomain,includingthe abilityforstorestoscanitemsattheir checkouts.

ThePOSsoftware,POSition,from Nixdorfhadbeendevelopedbyan IsraelSoftwarecompany,Retalix,and wasalreadywellestablishedaround theworld.Theywereawardedapilot installationbyTheSPARGroup,using NixdorfHardware,enablingthestore togotheScanningrouteforpricing(as opposedtopricemarkingeachitemin thestore)andthispilotstorewas successfullyinstalledinMay1995. TradeLinkgrewfromthatsmall beginningtoeventuallycoverthe entireSPARgroupofstoresin SouthernAfrica,throughsuccessive versionsoftheoriginalRetalixPOS softwarewithopenPOShardware(any qualifiedandapprovedhardware)to today,withover1500SPARMember storesusing13,000POSsoftware licencesandanowdifferentsoftware productcalled“dStore”developedin AustriaandownedbyOracleUS.

In2000ShopriteCheckerscameon board,usingTradeLinktoinstalland supportthesameoriginalPOS softwaretilltoday,with25000POS softwarelicencesinstalledinSouth AfricaandmanyotherAfrican countries. OthersimilarPOSsolutions havebeeninstalledbyTradeLinkin SA(Clicks)andinZimbabwe(OK Zimbabwe,TMSupermarkets,and Meikles)andinKenya(Uchumi)and Mozambique. FoodLoversMarket havebeenbroughtintothefold.

Bybranchingoutintosoftware Development(maintainingtheoriginal softwaresourcecodeforthe developers)aswellasofferingPOS HardwareMaintenanceservicesand

manyothercomplementaryproducts andservicessurroundingthekeystore checkoutPOSpoint,theyareexporting theirsolutionbeyondAfricaandinto theEuropemarketandeventothe MiddleEast,havingtranslatedthe samePOSsoftwaretoofferanArabic languageversion.

TradeLinkissupportingsome3000 stores,usingaround40000POS softwarelicencesallinstalledand supportedbythem.TradeLinkhas formedseparateservicecompaniesto

beabletofocusoneachoftheirspecificclients’needsand providethemspecializedandtailoredservicesolutions, includingcompaniesinBotswana,Namibia,Zambiaand Zimbabwe.TheyarenowbranchingintoSriLankawiththe SPARgroup,astheyopentheirfirststoresthere.

EnthrallingPersonalityLeadingtheRetailSystem Market

AshleyLattimer,FounderandChairmanstarteditallin 1994,withasmalldedicatedgroupofstaff,somestillwith useventoday. Fromthatsmallbeginningofaround6 peopletheyemploysome250stafftodayandworkclosely withmanyStrategicPartnersemploying100’smorerelated

localstaffonthemanyandvariedPOS-servicesrequiredto serviceamodernhigh-techPOSCheckoutpointin sophisticatedurbanenvironmentsandalsospreadoutinto theruralandfar-flungplacesinAfricawheretheirsolution istickingawaydaily,24/7overthesepast23years.

Ashleycameoutofalife-longITbackgroundmainlyspent atIBMSAandinEuropeandmainlyintheServices business–awayfromthepurehardwaresidewhichusedto bethestrongpointofIBM. Havinggrownupin“Solutions andServices”thisremainsourlifebloodstilltoday,offering POSSolutionsandServicesofCustomerchoiceandonany compatibleHardwareplatforms.

Agilence agilenceinc.com

RussHawkins President&CEO

Antivia antivia.com

CelerantTechnologyCorp celerant.com

InteractiveEdgeLLC interactiveedge.com

MarkHudson CEO&Founder

AgilenceistheleaderinCloud-Based DataAnalyticsforstore operationsandlossprevention.

Antiviaisaninternationalsoftwarecompanyandisthecreator ofDecisionPoint™,fast,modernbusinessintelligence(BI) platformthatenablesnon-programmerstocreatestunning dashboardapplicationsandinteractivedashboardsformobile devicesandthedesktop.

IanGoldman CEO&President

ZelBianco Co-founder,President &CEO

CelerantTechnologydevelopsinnovativeretailandECommercesoftwarewithamissiontohelpretailersgrowtheir businessandmanageeveryaspectoftheiroperationswitha singleintegratedplatform.

InteractiveEdgehelpsincombiningacommandingdata analysisenginewithflexible,easy-to-usefrontendtools; moreover,theirBIplatformhelpsinimprovingthequalityand improvementinspeedofdatavigorousPowerPoint PresentationsandExcelReports.

KPSAG kps.com

PARTechnology Corporation partech.com

LeonardoMusso CEO

KPSAGisatransformationandmanagementfirminEurope, whichprovidessolutionsinITmanagementservices.

ChasWurster ChiefTechnology Officer

Salesboom.com salesboom.com

ShamrockConsulting Group

shamrockconsulting.com

SolidCommerce solidcommerce.com

TroyMuise CEO&Co-founder

PARTechnologyCorporationisanindustryleaderinsystems andservicesolutionsforthehospitalityindustry

Salesboom.comoffersafullyintegratedAffordableBestinclass HostedCRMsoftwaresolutionwithOutlook,QuickBooks, Invoicing,Quoting&ProjectManagement.

PaulCooney Founder&CEO

ErikSimon VP,Marketing

TradeLinkRetail Systems(Pty)Ltd. trade-link.co.za

AshleyLattimer

Founder&Chairman

ShamrockConsultingGroup’scoreconsultingfocusistelecom, datacenter,cloudandfiber-related.Shamrockdoeseverything fromwritingandrunningcomplexRFP’sforlarger opportunities,tosimpleshoppingforsmallerclients

SolidCommercehelpsitsclientstogrowtheirmarketplace salesbyprovidingthemostintegratedSoftwareasaService (SaaS)eCommerce operationsplatformcoupledwith MarketplaceGrowthAdvisorsdedicatedtoyoursuccess.

TradeLinkisoneoftheleadingSouthAfricanRetailIT Solutionsgroup,focusingprimarilyontheretailFastMoving ConsumerGoods(FMCG)marketsinRSAandAfrica,aswell asspecializedretailingmarkets.

PAR Retailers Food

Theretailindustryisinthemiddleofatransformativephasewith changingconsumerbehaviors,arapidlyevolvingsetofenabling technologies,andgrowingcomplexity.Throughallofthis,their customersandpartnersrelyonPARTechnologyCorp.tohelpthemto besuccessfulinthisevermore-challengingenvironment.

PARTechnologyisaconsciouscompanywithastrongculture whereperformancemanagementisawayoflife.Thepeopleof PARaretheinspirationforthecreationoftheirsharedcorevalues: People,Authenticity,Awareness,Perseverance,andDreaming. Thesevaluesaidintalentretentionandemployeeengagement amongMillennials,GenXandBabyBoomers.PARpeople believethattheyaretheservantleaders,andtheirstakeholder responsibilityethosiswellunderstoodacrossthecompany

TheorganizationisonajourneytotransformPARfroma hardwareandserviceprovider,toasoftwareleadsolutions company.Centraltothisjourneyarethecloud-basedBrink POS®SoftwareandtheSureCheck®FoodSafety Platform.Bycombiningtheirlong-standingquality hardwareproductlines,withinnovativeCloudandIoT technologies,PARisabletorapidlyintroducesolutionsto themarkettosupporttheircustomersranginginsizefrom singlelocations,tosomeofthefastest-growingandmost respectedrestaurantchainsandfoodretailersintheworld.

AboutPARTechnologyCorporation

Fornearly40years,PARhasdevelopedtechnology solutionsforfood-basedretailcompaniessuchasrestaurants, grocerychains,conveniencestoresandcontractfood providers.

WithPOSsystemsinmorethan75,000restaurantsandover110 countries,PARisredefiningthepointofsaletobring technologicalinnovationtoallaspectsofthebusiness.PAR’sPOS softwareiscomplementedbyreliablehardwareandisbackedby PAR’sinternationalservicesinfrastructure.

InadditiontoPAR’shospitalitysolutions,itisaleadingproviderof technicalsolutionstothegovernmentsector.PAR’sGovernmentbusiness isawhollyownedsubsidiaryofPARTechnologyCorporationandis comprisedofPARGovernmentSystemsCorporationandRomeResearch Corporation.PAR’sGovernmentbusinessdeliversinnovativeinformation managementsolutionsthroughadvancedtechnologyandprofessionalservicesto Federal,State,andlocalGovernmentagencies,aswellasprivateindustry customersthroughouttheworld.

Company of the Month

PARTechnologyCorporationstockistradedonthe NewYorkStockExchangeunderthesymbolPAR.

Charles“Chas”WursteristheChiefTechnology Officer(CTO)atPAR

ChasjoinedPARin2017asChiefTechnologyOfficer andbringstoPARexperienceandperspectivegained fromworkingasanentrepreneurandatFortune500 companies.AsCTO,Chasleadsthesoftwareand hardwaredevelopmentteams,aswellasproduct management,acrossallproductlines.Beloware Chas’’insightsontheindustryandtheexcitingthings PARisworkingon.

IndustryDisruption

OnthePOSside,paymentsremainanareaof disruption,bothfromthepointofviewofsecurity,as wellasemergingtechnologies.Thereisaconstant streamofpressaroundcompromisedpaymentsystems thatshouldbeconcerningtoanyoneinthespace.On thetechnologyside,PARseeslessthanhalfofthe restaurantswithpaymententrydevices,whichenable notjustApplePayandAndroidPay,butalsoEMV chipcardstobeprocessed.Theimpactsofchanging consumerbehaviorgoeswellbeyondmobile payments.Theyalsoseedisruptionfrommealkits, deliveryoptions,kiosksandotherself-ordering solutions.Thechallengefortherestaurantindustry willbetobalancetheseemergingconsumertrends withtheoverallgoalofproducingexceptionalfood anddelightingthecustomer

Anotherchallengetheindustryfacesiskeepingup withreportingandfoodsafety.Thereisacontinuing proliferationofpenandpaperreportsoutinthe industrythatisripeforthetransitiontodigital.Asold schoolpenandpaperchecklistsmovetodigital,it introducestheabilitytoverifythattheactivitywas performedattherighttimeandintherightplace. Includedinthetransitiontodigitalrecordingarea numberofimprovementstotemperaturemonitoring. PAR’sSureCheckplatformoffersnotjustchecklists, butalsotheabilitytotaketemperaturemeasurements withtheirbestinclass,dedicatedandall-in-one

Chas Wurster Chief Technology Ofcer

devices.ByleveragingCloudtechnologies,allthecompliance andfoodsafetydatacanbesenttotheCloudwhereitcanbe analyzedfortrendsandleveragedtogeneratecompliance reports.

Competitors

Ingeneral,PARhastwotypesofcompetitors–large,mature companiesthatarestillstrugglingtogettotheCloud,and venturebackedstartupstargetedatsmallerorsingleunit conceptsthat,whilewell-funded,donothavealonghistoryof beingabletoscaleanddelivervalueovertime.

Technologysystems,likepointofsaleandfoodsafety,tend tohavearelativelylongexpectedlifespancomparedtothe longevityoftypicalventurebackedofferings.Whilea consumermayenjoytradingouttheiriPadforanewone everyyear,itcanbeincrediblydisruptiveforarestaurantto replaceinfrastructure.

BenefitingClients

PAR'sclientsgetbestinclasshardware,combinedwith industryleadingCloudsystems.Thisuniquecombination allowstheirclientstogeteverythingtheyneedtoruntheir businessfromonetrustedpartner.PARalsohasarobust ecosystemofpartnerswhoprovideadditionalservices throughtheirapplicationprogramminginterfaces(APIs). Withtheentirecustomer’sdataisintheCloud,itis significantlyeasiertoperformupdates,analyzedataand trends,provisionusers,andaddnewfeatures.

StrategizingtheSuccessthroughRisk

Thereareanumberofothercompetitorsinthespace. PAR’sstrategytoaddresscompetitionistofocuson deliveringaqualityproductatacompetitivepricepoint withoutanygimmicksorhiddenfees.Byrenewingtheir focusonquality,providingtheirtechnicalstaffwithawork environmentthatfostersinnovation,andpartneringwith theircustomerstounderstandtheirneeds,theybelievethat theorganizationwouldoutperformtheircompetition.

MakingtheIndustryBetter

AsaproponentofsecureCloudandIoTsolutions,PARis focusedonenablingtheircustomerstodomorewiththe technologytheyhave,whilealsocreatinganenvironment thatallowsnewtechnologytobeseamlesslyintroduced.By providingreal-timeaccesstodataacrossall locations, trendscanbeidentifiedinstantlyandcorrectiveactionscan betakenimmediately Theyalsoworkwiththeircustomers onriskassessmentsandmakerecommendationstoimprove theoverallsecurityoftheirpaymentsystems.Onthefood safetyside,theyareliterallymakingtheindustrysaferby introducingtechnologytoensureproperrefrigerationand foodpreparationacrossanumberofverticals,fromgrocers, toconveniencestoresandeverythinginbetween.

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relations and stories

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LookingAhead

Inthenextfewyears,PARcontinuesitsgrowthin traditionalmarkets,whileintroducingsomeinnovativenew productsandenhancements.TheBrinkPOSSoftwareand PARhardwareteamsareveryexcitedtobeworkingin tandemonarefreshoftheirkitchenoperationsandkitchen videosystems.Astheylooktothefuture,theyseemore demandforself-serviceorderingfrommobile,kiosks,voice recognitionandbeyond.Tofacilitatethis,andintegrations rd with3 partydeliveryservices,PARishighlyfocusedon improvingdeveloperpartnershipprogramsandmaking APIseasiertoleverageandintegratewith.Lastly,PARis excitedtobeworkingonsomepaymentrelatedofferings thatareexpectedtobecommercializedinearly2018.

Antivia: Retail

Enabling Non-Programmers to Create Stunning Dashboard Applications

Retailersoperateinachallengingenvironment.They facemultiplechallengesintheformofintense competition,lowprofitmarginsandeverchanging customerpreferences.Tosurvivefromallthese,theyneed tomakesomesmartdecisionsbasedonup-to-dateand accuratedata,ratherthanjustongutfeel.

Antiviaisaninternationalsoftwarecompany,andisthe creatorofDecisionPoint™,afast,modernbusiness intelligence(BI)platformthatenablesnon-programmersto createstunningdashboardapplicationsandinteractive dashboardsformobiledevicesanddesktop.These dashboardapplicationscanbesharedwithfrontline decisionmakerswhocanpickthemupandusethem withouttrainingtoanswertheirdailyandone-offquestions -wherevertheyarelocated.

Antiviawasfoundedin2007inLeeds,UKandsincethen theirsoftwarehashelped100soforganizationsaroundthe worldtounlockthevaluetrappedintheirbusinessdata. Antiviaispartoftheinsightsoftware.comfamily;theywere acquiredinSeptember2016.

PromisingServicesofAntivia

DecisionPoint™enablesretailerstocreateandshareguided insightswithstoremanagers,categorymanagers,supply chainmanagers,procurementmanagersandanyoneelse whoneedsthem.

• Create and share retail analytics that match your business processes

DecisionPoint™combinesinformationfrommultipledata sourcestoprovidethebigpictureviewoninventorylevels, supplychainmovements,customerdemand,sales,etc. Choosefromover50componentstovisualizethedata. Draganddroptolayout.Calculatekeyperformance indicators.Addsophisticatedfilters,drill,custom workflows,andcolor-codedalerts.Applyacustomcreative

themethatmirrorsthebrandandhelpsdrivehighlevelsof adoption.

• Get guided insights into the hands of the people who need them

Deliveringretailanalyticsthroughcustomizeddashboard appsthataretailor-madeforpeople’srolesgivesthem theflexibilityandautonomytheyarelookingfor.These appsguidepeoplethroughtheKPIsandmetricsthatare mostimportanttotheirsuccess.WithDecisionPoint™,they cananalyzedatabydrillingthroughproducthierarchiesor filteringtocompareindividualstoresormarketsacross selectedtimeperiods.

• Share information with more people across your organization

DecisionPoint™scalescost-effectively,todeliverfast responsetimesforlargenumbersofusersfromamodest hardwarefootprint.Inadistributedretailenvironment,it letsyoushareinformationwitheveryonewhoneedsit. Salesassistantsinstoremaywanttoseehowtheir departmentisperformingagainsttargetonabigwallmountedscreen.

And,DecisionPoint™providescompleteofflineaccessto informationwhentheyhavenonetworkaccess.Itworks acrossWindows,AndroidandAppledevices.So,youcan beconfidentthatyourpeoplewillalwayshaveaccesstothe informationwhichtheyneed.

BackboneofAntivia

MarkHudson,CEOandFounderhasover20years’of vastexperienceinthebusinessintelligenceworldin operational,leadershipandproductmanagementroles. Aserialentrepreneur,Marksoldhisfirstventure,BlueEdge Software,toBusinessObjects(nowownedbySAP)in 2001.Hethenspentanumberofyearsworkingfor BusinessObjectsinseniorroleswithintheProductGroup andlatterlyasBusinessDevelopmentDirectorandmember ofthemanagementteaminAustralia.

Mark Hudson CEO&Founder

AfterleavingBusinessObjects,Mark joinedtheExecutiveTeamat Edgewing,adataintegrationspecialist, asBusinessDevelopmentDirector. AfterEdgewingwasacquiredby BusinessObjects,Marklefttosetup Antivia.

Fromhisearlydaysasabusiness intelligenceconsultantbackinthemid -1990s,Markhasalwaysbelievedthat thevalueofinformationincreasesthe greaterthenumberofpeoplewhohave accesstoit.Yet,manypeoplein organizationsstilllackaccessto timely,relevantinformationdelivered inaformatthatworksforthem.

ThemajorityofBIandanalytic softwarehasbeendevelopedtoserve theneedsofthedataanalystswithin organizations.Yet,dataanalystsonly represent5-10%ofworkerswhoneed accesstoinformation.Otherpeople–includingfront-lineworkerslikestore managersandcategorymanagersin

retail- stilldon’thaveeasyaccessto thedatatheyneedtomakesmart, informeddecisionsandtotakethe mostappropriateaction.Mark establishedAntiviatosupportthe needsofthesepeoplewhohave historicallybeenunderservedby information.

ChallengesFacedbyAntiviaduring theirBusinessDays

WhenAntiviastartedouttheyfocused ontheSAPworld,becausethisisa markettheyknowwell.Atthetime theyaddedvaluetoSAP’sdashboard technology–makingdashboard designersmoreproductiveandmaking iteasierforthemtoworkwith enterprisedatasources.

But,SAPDashboardswasbasedon Adobe’sFlashtechnologyandasthe marketshiftedtomobile,Flashvery quicklybecameyesterday’s technology.Fromthispoint,the writingwasonthewallforSAP Dashboards.That’swhentheytookthe

decisiontobecomeaBIplatformin theirownright,developingtheirown designtooltocreatedashboard applicationsagainsttheirexisting back-endtechnology

Thisallowedthemtodesignaproduct fromgroundupforneedsofthemobile world.And,thatiswhyoneofthekey benefitsofDecisionPoint™isinits offlinecapability Thisisakey requirementformobileworkers.With DecisionPoint™,mobileworkerscan stillinteractwiththeircontent–drillingandfilteringevenwhenthey areoffline.Thereisnoneedforthem tosecondguessthecontenttheywill needbeforetheyhittheroad.

FutureExecutionsbyAntivia

Theorganizationplanstocontinueto helpretailerscreateandshareanalytics thateveryonecanunderstandandact upon.Theypridethemselvesonbeing responsivetotheircustomers’needs andthishasabiginfluenceontheir productroadmap.

When you can’t guarantee network connectivity for mobile workers, allow them to take all the information they need oline with 1-click - giving them fully interactive access to their information whenever they need it‘‘ ‘‘

RetailIndustry

Trends, Insights, and Best Practices

Whenweponderthetraditionalshopping experience,werealizehowfarwehavecomein thecustomerservicewiththedevelopmentsin theretailindustry.Theseevolutionscameintothepicture notonlybecauseofthetechnologicaladvancements,butthe radicalchangesinourthoughts,behavior,anddecisionmakingtowardsshoppingalsobroughtthemin.Today’s retailisaimedtoservetheconsumersinthemost convenientways.“Sorryfortheinconvenience,”neither retailersliketosaythisnorcustomersliketohearthis. Thus,theretailindustryembracesadvancedtechnologies andwowsthecustomerswithinnovativeoptions,widgets, andothermeans.Today’scustomersdemandthatretailers shouldbeabletoimmediatelyfulfillaswellaspredicttheir needs.Withcurrenttrendsintheindustry,this transformationispossible.

Trends

Whenitcomestotheshoppingtrends,Amazonappearsasa gamechanger.Itoffersexceptionalservicestothe

customerssuchasmemberdiscountsandsame-day delivery.Itsgreatcustomerservices,competitivepricing, andreliableuserreviewsandsupportarewell-known worldwide.Amazon’snewfeatureEcho(Alexa)istrending thesedays,whichmakesshoppingvirtuallyeffortless.Echo knowsthecustomers’buyinghistoryandpreferencesbased onwhichAlexaoffersdailypromotionsandspecialdeals.

Althoughonlineshoppingisgettingpopular,brickand mortarshopsstillstayrelevant.Manyshopperswanttotry theproductshands-onbeforetheybuy.Thesecustomerscan befoundsearching“locationsnearme”online.Therefore, brandsareexpandingtheirstorestothenewlocations. Moreover,Locationbasedtargetingisdominatinginthe retail.Geo-fencingandGeo-targetinguseGPStosendout pushnotificationsandmessagestothosewhohavetheapps downloaded.Forinstance,assoonasyouarriveinthe parkinglot,yougetatailoredmessagefromthenearest store.Geo-fencingislikelocation-basedadvertising irrespectiveofthecustomers’interests,whileGeo-targeting involvesdifferentinterestsandneedstotargetusers.

Virtualshoppingiswhatshoppersarewaitingfor.The retailerswillcaterhologramsandvirtualrealitydisplays, enhancingthein-storeexperience.Itwouldbeamazingto tryonanoutfitinthevirtualenvironmentwithoutchanging clothes.TheretailerswillprovideGPStrackingfor shippingordelivery.UsingGPStracker,customerswillget toknowexactlywheretheirproductisontheroute.The retailersareencouragingconsumerstopostreviewsforthe productstheyarepurchasing.Forareason,newbuyersrely ontheproductreviewsmoreandtrustintheconsumers' community

Insights

Areportsaysthatalmostsevenintengetinfluencedby theirfriends’socialmediaposts;83percentpeopletrust recommendationsfromtheirfamilyandpeers.They discovertheproductsonlinebeforegoingouttotheshop. Therefore,theretailersneedtocreateaseamlesschain betweenonlineandon-siteshopping.Virtualreality,social shopping,andotherservicescanhelpconsumersfindthe product,accessreviews,andlocatestorestobuy.

BestPractices

Theretailsectorrequiresdeployingthebestpracticesto copewiththeadvancements.Thesedifferentpracticesare appliedindifferentphases-beforethesale,duringthesale, andafterthesale.

Frontdooranalyticsareneededtounderstandthetrafficand demographics.Inthisphase,retailersshouldcapture conversionrates,thefrequencyofvisit,anddurationof visitforeverystorehourly.Thestaffselectionshouldbe basedontrafficortransactions,andthestaffscheduling shouldbebasedonthedatafrominteractionanalysis. Traffictype(first-timevisitorsorrepeatcustomers)alsocan beanalyzedbeforethesale.

Thetraditionalpurchaseexperiencewascontrolledby retailers’systems(callforwardingsystem)duringthesale. Buttodaycustomerscontrolthepurchaseexperiencewith onlinepayments,mobilePOS,andmobilepayments.The retailersshouldgiveareasontovisitthestorethatcanlead tocustomersatisfaction.Also,askingforfeedbackhelpsin buildinggoodrapportandgaininginsights.

Afterthesalestrategiesplaythecrucialroleinbuilding brands.Therearelotsofwaysavailablethatcanbeutilized forcustomerretentionsuchassocialmedia,CRMsystem, andEmailmarketing.Ratherthanofferingdiscount couponswithlowconversionsandthinmargins,retailers shouldfocusondeliveringoffersbasedoncustomers’ profilesandpurchasehistory.Theseoffersshouldbe deliveredthroughcustomers’preferences(Email,mobile, etc.),anddevelopaverypersonalcustomerexperience.

NewformatsforthestoresarebasedonArtificial Intelligence(AI),helpingtheretailindustrytogainmore insights.Withvideoanalytics,theretailerscanunderstand theshoppingflow,suchashowcustomersshopandengage withtheproducts.Customerslookforthevalueandvariety oftheproductsandexperiencethespeedandeaseof checkoutatthestores,whetheritisonlineoroffline.No wonder,theretailerswhoacceptmorepaymentmethodsget theattentionofmorecustomers.

Alongwiththedevelopmentsintechnology,marketing processesaregettingrefinedandautomated.Marketing automationhastheentirepipelinetoconvertavisitorintoa customerandconsequentlytogeneratemorerevenue.The retailindustrycanusetheseprocessestoresolvethe complexitiesofconsumers’behavior,makingiteasierto predicttheirneeds.Thefocus,whichismajorlyon providingsophisticatedcustomerservice,shouldequallybe ofcustomersatisfactionbyprovidingconvenience.

Legal Practices Providing Real Value to the Clients

Weknowhowagreatclientexperiencefeels.Aquick emailreplyfromabusinessmakesusfeellikeweare theironlycustomer.Theconvenienceofonlinecheckinforaflightprovidesaseamlessairportexperience.Successful companiesprovideagreatclientexperience–Apple,Amazon, AirNewZealand.You’dbeforgiveniflawfirmsdon’tmake yourlist.

In2017,theaverageNetPromoterScoreforclientsatisfaction forlawfirmswas17%.Lawyersaregoodatmeticulously draftinglegaldocumentsandsolvingproblemsfortheir clients.Weviewour‘product’asthelegalcontractoradvice. Buttheproductofanyprofessionalserviceshouldbethe entireexperienceofinteractingwiththeserviceprovider

Alawfirmthatprioritisesdeliveringanexceptional experiencewillattractmoreclientsandearnstronger loyalty.Firmsthatdisregardtheirclients’evolving expectationswillbeleftbehind.

TheDifferenceBetweenClientServiceandClient Experience

Wehearpeopleuseclientserviceandclientexperience interchangeably.Butthereisanimportantdifference.

Whenaclientcallsalawfirm,alawyermaypickup thephone,warmlygreettheclientandlistentotheir issue.Thisisclientservice.Butifalawyertellsthe clienttheywillfollowuplater,andforgetstocall backforamonth,thiswouldsourtheclient’soverall experience.

Clientserviceisthenabouttheindividual interactionsaclienthaswithyourbusiness.Client experienceisthesumofalltheclient’stouch pointswithyourbusiness.

WhatMakesanExceptionalExperience?

We’velikelyencounteredlawfirmmarketing thattoutssomevariationonthesecommon themes:

•Legalexpertiseandindustryknowledge;

•Practicalandcommercialsolutions;and

•Professionalservice.

Butthesetraitssimplymeetthebase expectationsthatclientshavefortheir lawyer Anexceptionalclientexperience shouldexceedtheseexpectations.

Inourshorthistory,focusingonthesefive pillarshasenabledustodeliveran excellentclientexperience.

1.EamdedicatedtotheClientExperience

Inthesamewaythatlawfirmshaveteamsdedicatedto producinglegalworkormarketingcampaigns,sotoodo organisationsneedateamthathastheclientexperience frontofmind.

Theroleoftheclientexperience(CX)teamistoensurethe client’sjourneywithyourorganisationisasconsistentand frictionlessaspossible.ThisrequirestheClientExperience Officer(CXO)toidentifythebarriersthatcouldprevent lawyersdeliveringagreatexperience.

Forinstance,alawyerhascompetingpriorities-speaking withaclientabouttheirlegalmatter,creatingandsending theinvoiceandcompletingthelegalwork.Asaresult,they maybeslowerinrespondingtoaclient’squestions,forget toupdateaclientonnextstepsorsoundrushedonaphone call.

TheCXO,recognisingthatdelaysincommunicationwill impacttheclient’sexperience,canthenworkacrossteams anddesignsolutionstothesedelays,suchas:

•separatingservicedeliveryfunctions;

•trainingspecialistlegalprojectmanagerstorespondto clientenquiries;and

•creatinginvoicetemplatestoincreaseefficiency.

2.PersonalisingService

Historically,lawfirmsviewedtheclient’sjourneyfroma lawyer’sperspective.Thisincludedhowwespokewith clientsonthephone,draftedcorrespondenceandbilledfor legalwork.Lawfirmscanbettertailortheirserviceoffering byworkingwithclientsontheirterms.Thisinvolves:

•Meetingclientswheretheyare(onlineandmobile);

•Mirroringthelanguageandtoneclientsuseinverbaland writtencommunication;

•Listeningtotheirchoiceofwordstogaugetheirlevelof legalandcommercialknowledge;

•Offeringflexiblebillingoptions;and

•Settingoutwhatscopeofworkisincludedintheprice.

Howalawyermakesaclientfeelcaneitheroverwhelmthe clientanddeterthemfromproceedingwiththelegal assistancetheyneed,orenergiseaclientaboutthenext stepsintheirbusiness’journey

3 Askfor-andacton-feedbackwhenit’sprovided Clientscanmoreeasilycheckthereviewsofthelegal serviceyourfirmprovidesonline–thelawyer’sdemeanour, theusefulnessoftheadvice,thespeedoftheirrepliesand

thecost.YourlegalteamandCXteamshouldcollect feedbackatallstagesoftheclient’sjourneywithyourfirm usingNetPromoterScore(NPS)surveys,socialmedia reviewsandphonecallsforqualitativefeedback.

Don’tignorethisfeedback.PartoftheCXteam’sroleisto actionfeedbackfromyourclientstomakeyourprocesses easier,fasterandmoreenjoyable.Sometimes,aclientmay leaveanegativereviewonline.Asafirststep,it’simportant tospeakwiththeclienttobetterunderstandthenatureof theircomplaint.Ifthecomplaintstemsfromaninternal processorprocedure,thismayrequireassessingthe existingframeworkandmakingchangeswithintheteam.

4.

Providerealvalueforclients

Lawfirmsnowtoooftenfocusonprovidinglegalservices atacompetitiveprice.ButaCXINLAWreportfoundthat 60%ofclientssaythequalityofservicemostinformstheir purchase,and25%saythecheapestprice.Whenchoosinga legalservicesprovider,weknowthatcostisafactorfor clients.Butit'snotthedeterminativefactor.

The perception ofvalueandqualityiscentraltoclient satisfactionandloyalty.Valueismultifacetedand encompassestechnicaladvice,theeaseoftheexperience, communicationabouttheprocessandusefulnessofthe advice.Forexample,alawyerwritesanarticleexplaining inplainEnglishthefunctionofashareholders’agreement anditsterms.Thelawyerthensharesthearticlewitha prospectiveclient.Thisaddsvaluebecausetheclientcan readthearticle,intheirowntime,anddecidewhetherthe documentismostappropriatefortheirbusinessand circumstance.Thisgivestheclientcontroloverthe decision-makingprocessanddemonstratesthelawyer’s subject-matterexpertise.

5 Anticipatetheclient’sneeds Lawfirmscannowaccesstoolstocollectandrecord informationabouttheirclients’businesses,industriesand legalenquiries.Thisinformationrevealspatternsabout whataclientlikelyneedsnextintheirbusiness’journey. Forinstance,abusyclientmayengageyourfirmtohelp withbusinessstructuring.Butifyouknowthatotherclients ofasimilarsizeandinasimilarindustrystartedthinking aboutregisteringatrademarkineightmonths,youcan pre-emptaconversationaboutprotectingthebusiness’ intellectualproperty Thismaynotbeatthefrontofthe client’smind,butthey'llappreciateyousharingyour experienceaboutsimilarbusinesses.Youmayalsojustsave themfromlandinginanuncomfortabletrademark dispute.

CelerantTechnologyCorp: Retail

Developing Retail and E-Commerce Software in the Retail World

Formanyyears,retailershavefocusedon personalizingtheexperiencefortheirshoppers onlinebyprovidingseamlesscheckoutprocesses, mobileE-Commerceandbytrackingtheireverymovement online.Withallthisdata,thereisagrowingneedto leveragethisdatatocreatesmarterexperiencesandreduce operatingcosts.Forexample,someretailersareusingtheir datatoautomatepersonalizedemailcampaignsand coupons.Oneofourclientscreateda“personalizedonline shoppingassistant”byusingtheirCRMdatatosuggest productsbasedontheirbrandpreferencesandpast purchases.

CelerantTechnologydevelopsinnovativeretailandECommercesoftwarewithamissiontohelpretailersgrow theirbusinessandmanageeveryaspectoftheiroperations withasingleintegratedplatform.Thecompanyretail systemcombinesPOS,inventoryandordermanagement, warehousing,businessintelligence,E-Commerce, marketplaceintegrationsandintegratedmarketing automation.Theorganizationalsopartnerwitheachoftheir clientstoensuretheirsuccessbyprovidingaseamless implementation,customizations,training,supportand servicessuchasdigitalmarketingtoincreasetraffictotheir storesandwebsite.With18years’experience,theybring theirexpertise,innovationandbestpracticestotheretail industry,andhavebeenrecognizedthisyearasthe#1retail softwareontheRISLeaderBoard.

InnovativeLeadersofCelerantTechnology

Inthe1990s,theybegantoseeashiftfromtheoldstyle cashregisterstocomputer-basedsystems.Bytheendofthe 90s,retailersbegandemandingmore,however,therewasa lackofhigh-endtechnologyespeciallyforsmall-to-mid sizeretailers.IanGoldman,CEO/President,alongwith hisbrother,RobertGoldman,CTO,andJohnHeiser, CFO,foundedCelerantTechnologytoimprovetheretail

industrywithinnovativetechnology.Theirinitialgoalwas todevelopasingle,real-time,databasesystemfortier2and 3retailers.

ImpressiveServicesbyCelerantTechnology

Celerant’sretailsoftwareenablesomnichannelmerchantsto manageandexpandtheirentirebusiness,in-storeand online,withinonesysteminreal-time.Celerantgoesfar beyondyourtypicalretailsoftwarecompany-designing customE-Commercesitesbuiltonasingledatabasewith Celerant’sPOSsoftware,providingseamlessintegrationsto multipleonlinemarketplacesandofferingfull-service digitalmarketingwithSEOandemailautomation, integratedwithCRMandsalesdata.

CelerantTechnologyprovidesretailerswiththetools neededtostreamlinesupplyfromtheirvendors.Through thesetools,retailerscanbrowsevendorcatalogs,importthe productstheywanttosell,andautomaticallyreorder inventorybasedonmin/maxlevels.Withlivevendorfeeds, retailerscansellwiderproductlinesontheirwebsite withoutstockinginventoryorfulfillingtheordersby displayingtheirvendor’savailableinventoryontheir website.Whencustomersmakepurchases,theordersare sentdirectlytothedistributorforfulfillmentviadrop shipping.

Throughtheirintegrationswith3rd-partymarketplacessuch asAmazon,WalmartandeBay–theyallowretailersto easilyexpandsalesvianewoutletsontheweb.Retailers caneasilyuploadandselltheirproductsdirectlyon3rdpartymarketplaces,andtrackthosesales-allinasingle place.Theycanchoosetofulfilltheirownordersorhave themarketplacefulfilltheorders.

Celerantprovidesafully-integratedemailautomation platform,whichtheirclientsusetopromotetheir

businesses.Usingin-storeandonline CRM/salesdata,retailerscanautomate andpersonalizeemailcampaignsbased ontheirshopper’sbuyingpatterns, interestsandbrandpreferences. Personalizedemailmarketingcandrive moretraffictotheirretailstoreand websitebydeliveringupto6xhigher openrates.

WhenRiskBecomesthe OpportunitytoProve Asaleaderintheretailsoftware industry,theyarecontinuously innovatingandintroducingnew technologytothemarket.Themost significantchallengetheyfacewith newadvancementsisslowuser adoption.Forexample,theywereone ofthefirsttointegratethelatestin Radio-FrequencyIdentification(RFID) withtheirPOSaround10yearsago. However,theindustry,includingtheir client-base,wasnotreadytoadoptthis

technology Withtheirnewest innovation,anemailmarketing platformintegratedwithclients’live salesandCRMdatainordertosend therightmessageattherighttime, whiletheyareseeingahigher adoption,ithasbeenataslowerpace thantheyanticipated.

FutureFootstepsofCelerant Technology

Inshort,youcanexpectmoreand moreinnovativefeatures.Retail platformsaredefinedbythefeatures andfunctionsthatusersrequire.The moreCelerantisabletooffer,themore efficientlyuserscanoperate,enabling Celeranttomakeagreaterimpacton theretailindustry

In2018,lookformoreStratusRetail integrationswiththird-partyonline marketplaces,aswellasexpanded digitalmarketingservicestohelp retailerspromoteboththeirin-store

andonlinesales.Celerantispreparing tounveiltheirnewdashboardreporting ontheStratusRetailmainmenuscreen sothatretailerscansee,ataglance, theirmostimportantreportsandhave morevisibilityintheirtopproducts andbrands.Theyareenhancingtheir repairandrentalmodules,aswellas buy/tradeandconsignment.They continuetopartnerwithnewvendorsdistributorsandmanufacturerscreatingintegrationstohelptheir clients’betterleveragetheresources madeavailabletothem,suchas catalogimportsanddropshipping. ThisyearCelerantannouncedthe releaseoftheirnewSaaS,Cloud system-CumulusRetail-throughtheir subsidiary,CAMCommerce,forthe tier3retailers.In2018,thecompanyis lookingforwardtoprovidingtier3 retailerswithtier1technologyand35 yearsretailexperience,allwithtier3 pricing

andsimplicity

Ian Goldman CEO&President

Our in-house team of developers is capable of customizing the system in order to fit any specific operation ‘‘ ‘‘

Key POS Trends POS Trends

Retail Sector Retail Sector the Reshaping

Inrecenttimes,theretailindustryhasn’tseenamore excitinginventionsincetheinventionofcashregister. Withnewandinnovativetechnologieshelpingshape bothonlineandofflineexperiencesforconsumers,the landscapeiscontinuouslychanginginawaywhichwas unimaginableevenfewyearsback.Thebestpartisthat thereseemstobenoendoftheinnovation,whichonly influencingthepurchasedecisionoftheconsumers.

Nowadaysthemainfocusofretailersistocreateasafe, engaging,anduniqueshoppingexperienceforits consumers,it’sveryimportantfortheretailersto understandtheimportanceof Big Data and in-store analytics and adapting to the cloud. Withtheretailindustry atthevergeofmassivetransformation,wearelistingout fewkeytrendsthateveryoneneedstoknowtobe successfulintheecosystemthatistransformingquickly.

Multi-systemIntegration

Multi-systemintegrationwithvariousapplicationsgetsthe utmostpriorityfromtopretailers.Mostoftheretailerslist outPOSintegrationwithotherapplicationsasakeypriority alongsidetheimplementationofdynamicmarketingcontent throughmobiledevices.Thisismostlyduetotheretailer’s interesttostoreallthecustomerinformationandpurchase historyinadatabase,whichiscompletelycentralizedthat couldbeeasilyintegratedwithmultipleapplications. However,inordertodothat,aretailerneedstouseanERP databasethatcanhandleallthese.

Speed

Peoplealwayslookforquicksolutionsforeverything.A clockstartstickingthemomentacustomerenters,nomatter howgoodtheproductis,iftheprocessisslowandthe attentiontodetailsaremissing,thencustomerswillleave

disappointed.Asaretailer,onecannotpleaseeveryone,but withamodernandefficientPOS,theservicecanbe improved.AmodernPOSsimplifiesthecommunication betweenvariousdepartmentsandcansavealotoftimefor boththeretailerandthecustomerrespectively

ManagingStocks

Keepingandmanaginginventoryisanightmareformostof theretailers,andit’squitenatural.Managinginventoryisa never-endingtaskandtakesalotofeffort,time,and manpower.However,itisquiteimportanttomanage inventorieswhenitcomestolong-timesurvival.An efficientPOSsystemalwaysmakestheprocessof managingtheinventorymucheasier ThebestpartofaPOS is,onecanmonitorthestatusofstockeditems,shipped products,andnewordersanytime.Thisisahugetimesaver foracumbersomeandatediousprocess,andeventually helpsretailerstofocusonotherimportantaspectsof runningthebusiness.

CustomizedExperience

WithPOSsystems,retailersjustneedtoprovide personalizationthatscoopsouteveryshopper.Every passingyear,retailersareadaptingtopersonalized technologysolutionsthatallowaninteractiveuser experience.Thankstotheemergenceofallnewmobile POStechnology,nowretailerscanofferitscustomersmore choicestoaccommodatetheirshoppinghabitsbyletting themtocompletetransactionsanywhereinthestore.Now withtheinventionofimprovedPOSmarketersand customerserviceteamscancontactthebuyerateachpoint oftheirpurchasedecision.Withsomuchdataretailersand consumerscanhavebettercustomerservice,quicker paymentprocessesandaccesstobetteroffersandreal-time personalization.

PromotionsandMarketingatitsBest

Nowadayswiththeadventofdigitaltechnology,marketing involvesmaintainingadigitalpresenceaswell.APOScan integratealltheadvertisedofferswithtransactions,making iteasiertokeeptrackofallthecampaigns.Additionally,it canintegratewithCRMandtrackcustomerbehavior When anoffergetspopularamongthemasses,thentheretailer willseeitinhistransactiondata.

UsageofBigDataanalytics

Inordertocompetewithe-commerce,retailersarenow takingthehelpofBig-Dataandinstoreanalyticsjustto haveabetterideaaboutwhat’shappeninginsidethestore. Big-Dataanalyticshelpsretailerstotrackhowfrequentlya specificitemmovesfromshelftoshoppingcartallows retailerstoknowthetrendsthataredominantinthemarket. Analyticshelpstheretailindustryinabigwaytobetter understandconsumerpurchasepatternandbehaviors.

KeepingTrackofEmployees

Torunabusinesssmoothlyaretailer,needfewpeople.A POSsystemenablestomanagethemwithgreataccuracy WithaPointofSalesysteminplace,employeescansignon oroffeasilyandthesystemwillautomaticallylogtheir workhoursandbreakhours.

Security

Aboveall,aPOSsystemoffersgreatsecurityprotections thathelpkeepingcustomerdatasafe.Retailstoresand businessesarealwaysprimetargetsforCyberCriminals, andadatabreachisnotgoodforabusiness.So,byusing standardencryptionandfirewall,businessescanbesecured fromcyber-attacksandcustomerscanswipetheircards withapeaceofmind.

So,herewehavelistedoutfewofthePOStrendsthatwill shapethefutureoftheretailindustry Aswelookahead, thesetrendswillbeonfocusforbothretailersand customers.ThemainadvantageofanadvancedPOSsystem isgreaterefficiencyandoptimization,itlinksallthe departmentstogetherwhicheventuallyallowstohavebetter controlovertheinventory,betterprofitability,andto manageprocessesinanefficientway

KPSAG: Retail

Enriching Business Operations with Priceless Experience and Insights

Anhourglassisafascinatingobjectforthinkers anddreamersalike.Whensanddropsfroman hourglasstomeasuretime,itfillsanemptyvoid intoaflasktocaptureinfinitepossibilitiesthateach momentinlifebrings.Duringeachmomentlivedand breathed—infiniteideas,infiniteefforts,infinite recollectionsandinfiniteintuitionsfillallofustoturn timeonitshead.Awatchchasestimelikeatool;an hourglassfillstheemptyvoidinlifewithanexperience fullofpassion.

Individualsandorganizationsalsospendmillionsof dollars,hoursofcalculatedandfocusedefforts,investin advancedresourcestocapturemaximumefficiency.One companywhichbelievesincapturingthetrueworthof timespentwiththehelpofpureobjectivityand passionateeffortsfortrueinnovationenrichedwith practicalexperienceisKPSAG

ReshapingthePresenttoBuildaBrighterFuture KPSAGisoneofEurope’sleadingconsultingpartner forthedigitaltransformation.KPSworkswithawide varietyofcompanieswhowishtobecomecustomer centriccorporateleadersinashortperiodoftime.Its expertiseliesinthedigitaltransformationofcompanies situatedintheretail,fashion,andconsumermarkets. KPSprovidesitsclientswithend-to-endservicesfrom strategicguidelinesforrealignmentandsector-specific innovative,integratedprocesschainstothe implementationofcutting-edgetechnologies–all throughasinglesource.Intherecentpast,KPShas delivereditsclientswitha50%reductioninproject runtimeandcostallowingthemtointroduceinnovative, digitalbusinessmodelsfasterwhilestayingagile.Based ontheKPSmethodologyandtheextensiveknowledge

ofKPSconsultantsabouteachindividualsector,the successofeveryprojectisguaranteed.

AnAdviceThatMakesMarketLeadersSitUpand TakeNotice

KPShasbecomeamarketleaderveryquicklyasitis trustedbysomeofthemostprestigiousnamesinEurope todeliverimplementation-orientedstrategy,process,and ITconsulting.KPShassimplifieditsapproachand focusedonthreecentralpillarstodeliverresultstothese clients:thein-depthindustryandprocessexperienceof KPSconsultants,theproprietaryKPSRapid Transformationapproachandseparatingitselffromthe competitionwithanoutstandingclientbase.Its prominentclientbaseincludesHugoBoss,Lidl,Dansk Supermarked,Deichmann,PUMAandmanymore.The firmcontinuestotastesuccessateverystepbyleading digitaltransformationandprocessalignmentacross Europe.

AUniqueSolutionChallengingClientstoInnovate everyday

WhenKPSwasfoundedin2000,rapidtransformation solutionswerelargelyunheardof.KPStodayreshapes theentirebusinessandprocessspectrum,fromERPecommerce,throughtodigitalmarketingandsalesandthe successfulmanagementofbigdata.Additionally,it transformstheprocessonalllevels-thestrategic, process,applicationandtechnologylevel.Suchanallencompassingmethodologicalapproachwasnotonly unheardofbutwasoftenunimaginabletoclients.Hence, KPSfacedachallengingsituationofbringingvarious technologyandprocessexpertsonacommonplatformto makethemunderstandthebiggerpictureandworkin

Musso CEO

‘‘

tandemwitheachothertodeliver optimumresults.Today,thecompany hasmovedontosolvingsomeofthe coredigitaltransformation challengesofthedifferentindustries. Today,traditionalbricksandmortar retailersexperiencemanydifficulties inconnectingwiththeincreasingly newdigitalcustomers.KPShelps retailersunderstandtoinitiatea refreshingdialoguewiththeir customerbasewiththehelpof innovativetechnologysolutions.The companyhassuccessfullybrought manyretailersclosertotheir consumersinareal-time Omnichannelbusinessenvironment withthehelpofenrichingbusiness insights.

TranslatingExperiencetoBuilda FuturisticVision

Aconsultantrequiresmore experienceandmorein-depth

understandingofabusinessinorder toguideclients.Therearethreemain thingsthataconsultantmust understandaboutabusiness.These include:theindustry,itsprocesses, andthetechnologythatdrivesits potential.Thisrequiresyearsof trainingandrelevantindustry experience;afactoflifeatKPS.The firmhasinvestedinitspeople, technologyandsolutionstonotonly gainthehighestrelevantexperience buttotranslatethatexperiencein buildingprototypesolutionsthat meettheneedsoftheirclients.

Today,theteamofconsultantsat KPSpridesthemselvesintheir authorityoneverysector

ConsistentlyWavingtheMagic WandofSuccess

LedbyLeonardoMusso,theCEO ofthecompany,KPSdeliverstop notchtransformationprojectstoits clientssinceitsformation.The

companyhasconsistentlydeveloped, optimizedandconstantlyupgraded itsprocesscharacteristicsand functioncataloguestostayontopof itscompetitorsandthelatest technologicaldevelopments.KPSis partofaverysuccessfulpartner network,includingSAPGold,SAP HybrisPlatinum,AdobeBusiness, IntershopPremium,SAPARIBAas wellasSAPConcurPartner With around1,000consultantsacross12 countries,KPSwithitsunique approach,networkanddedicated employeeswillcontinuetoexpand itsglobalmarketpositionthrough ground-breakingprojectsindigital andtechnologicalinnovationand change.

Leonardo

We ensure competent, experienced, and rapid project turnaround ‘‘

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE through an Agile Retail Technology Platform

Muise CEO & Co-Founder Salesboom.com

It’ssimple.WeallknowthatCustomerExperienceis improvedbymanagingtherelationshipthroughthe entirecustomerlifecycle,whileensuringwekeep employeesandcustomersonthesamepageatalltimes.

ToimprovethisCustomerExperienceyoumustgetgoodat closed-loopmarketing.Thisstemofmarketingcontinually measuresthegoodandbadabouteachcampaign,aswellas trackstherelationshipwiththecustomerfromMarketing, Sales,SupportandeCommerce.Thisstemisagileenough tochangecourseasneeded,updateprocesses,andretrain employeesandcustomersseamlessly.

ThecenterofAgileRetailTechnologyhasnowbecomethe CRMsystem(CustomerRelationshipManagement). ImprovingthecustomerexperienceispartoftheCRM system,asitcontainsthemasterprofilerecordofthe Customerduringallstagesofthebuyingrelationship. Not

justthepurchasingstage,butleadmanagementand nurturing,salesopportunitymanagement,andpost-sale stagesareeasilyaccessed.Thiswilldeveloparich customerprofilethatcanbeusedtosegmentexisting ContactsandAccounts,aswelldriveAccount-Based Marketing(ABM)andAccount-BasedSalesactivities.

Retailerstodaymustbereadytocommunicatewith customersonline,atanytime,andself-servicethroughtheir communicationchannelofchoice-Website,Chat,Email, Phone,Onlineformsubmission,Text,Social,andonward. CRMsystemsmanagethecommunicationsand relationshipsandkeepinteractionsfromallchannelsinone place,attachedtotheCustomerprofile.

Forward-thinkingRetailersareimprovingtheircustomer experiencebymakingtheirorganizationsmoreagile,and abletoreactinstantaneouslytochange.Thisisachievedby

Troy

evolvingintoadigitalorganization.Digitaltransformation isachievedbyadoptingaCloud-firststrategytooutsource theheavylifting,andinnovationofthesoftwaretothe CloudCRMvendor,leavingyoutofocusonthecustomer experienceandperfectingthat.

RetailTechnologyplatformsintegratedwiththeCRMcore includePointofSale(POS)joinedwithaCloudCRM system(CustomerRelationshipManagement)andalsoa cohesivebackendERPsystem(EnterpriseResource Planning)sothatyoucanseealltheinteractionswith customersduringtheentireCustomerLifecycle.Various otherappsmaybeintegratedwiththisecosystemaswell includingemail,phone,text,andothers.

Reportsoncustomersfrompre-sales,throughSalesand closing,eCommerce,andonwardthroughsupport,re-ups, cross-sells,upsells,renewals,returnengagementsbythe customerhelpbringinsightintowhatisworkingandwhat isfaltering.Thisallowsonetoquicklyreactandchange course,andretrainallinternalandexternalcustomers,from leadstocustomers,employeesandshareholders,aswellas partnersandotherstakeholders.

BeingAgileinretailcanbethedifferencebetweensurvival andfailureformanyretailorganizations.

ACloud-FirstStrategyisthewaytosuccessandthekeyto beingagileinthisevolvingmarketplace.

Thefutureofretailistobemoreagileandresponsivewith theirexistingcustomerprocesses,toreducefrictionin buyingandtokeepallstakeholders“onthesamepage”in termsofwhattheMarketing,Sales,Support,and Commercedepartmentsarethinking.

Being“onthesamepage”isthelandingpagewherethe leadorcustomer,aswellastheemployeeorpartnercango toreadabouttheprocessforcommunicatingwiththe company.Heretheycanfillouttheonlineform,getan immediateresponse,lettingthemknowtheirrequesthas beensubmittedandanemployeenotified.Inrealtime,an employeeisalertedoftherequestwhichisthen documentedintotheCRMasanitemforfollow-up.

BigDataisanewandhugetrendamongretailersinhopes ofanalyzingallthevariouspurchasesandsocial interactions.Thishelpsmapoutnewopportunitiesandkeep profilesenrichedwiththemostintelligentandup-to-date informationonyourcustomer Thisleadstokeepingloyalty

programsperformingandcustomersreturningformore fromyourbusiness.

Retailorganizationsareallwatchingwhatthe600pound gorillaintheroom,Amazon.com,isdoingwhilealsotrying tomaximizerevenuesfromeachoftheretaillocations.

AmazonisreleasinganautomatedstorenamedAmazonGo, requiringnocheckoutemployees,whereRFIDtagsare placedoneachproduct.Buyersenterthestore,pull productsonandofftheshelf,andcheckoutautomatically bypassingthroughandelectronicgate,muchlikeametal detectorscanner

Thecustomer’scardisbilledautomaticallyandifthereis notenoughfunds,analarmgoesoff.Noemployeesneeded, otherthanoneemployeeatthefrontwatchingand answeringquestions,restockingshelves,etc.Noneedfora checkout.ThismayseemlikeafinalassaultbyAmazonon retailers,butinrealityAmazon’sonlyretailcompetitoris Walmart.OnecouldeasilyseeAmazonleasingtheir technologiestobring“brickandmortar”Retailnewlifeby notonlyreducingexpensesbyreducingstaff,butalsoby taggingyourinventorywithAmazontags.Thismeansyou instantlycanselltheminyourstoreandonAmazon’sestoresimultaneously,withthesameinfrastructureandthe samesoftware.Thisisthe‘offeryoucan’trefuse’that Amazonmaybeputtingforthtoallretailers,inabidtotake overallphysicallocations,whilealreadydominatingthe onlineretailspace,andlettingWalmarttryanddealwith this.

Oneinterestingandbrandnewwayofmonetizingspaceis bycombiningserversthatrunCRMandback-office softwaresystems,butalsocomewithBitcoinMinersthat mineBitcoinandotherCryptocurrencies.Theoverheadina businessincludingleasingthespace,heatingit,electricity, employees,insurance,etc.,needtobepaidwhetheryouare havingaslownightornot,sowhynotbeminingBitcoin on-sitetohelppaythebills?Thejuryisoutonwhetherthis isagreatsolutionforallretailorganizations,andthereare manyriskstoeducateyourselfonaboutCryptocurrencies, howevertheideaofminingcurrencyasanalternateincome strategytoboostlocationperformanceisanothertoolinthe arsenaltokeepinmind.

Interactive Edge: Retail

Transforming Technology for Faster and Deeper Insights

Anindustryleaderindataanalysisandpresentation software,InteractiveEdgehasbeenservingthe consumergoodsindustrytoenhanceproductivity andefficiencyforover20years.InteractiveEdgeprovides shopperandcategorymanagementdataanalysts,marketing andfieldsalesteamswiththeaward-winningXP3® softwaresolutionthathelpsthemdelivercustomized categoryandshopperinsightdatainpresentationformatto retailbuyers.ItsXP3®platformhelpstointegratemultiple datasourcesdirectlyintoMicrosoftPowerPoint®and Excel®tospeeduptheprocessofcreatingdynamic,data richpresentationsanddashboards.Onaverage,itreduces thetimespentbyover80%.

CustomerManagement,VisionaryInnovation,andDemand DataAnalyticsaresomeoftheareaswhereInteractive Edgehasbeenwinningseveralindustryawards.

InitialChallengesleadingtoTriumph

InteractiveEdgewasoneoftheveryfirstcompaniesto createcustomizableCategoryManagementsoftwarecalled CMS-Pro®.Theyhavesuccessfullycompleted implementationsformanyofthelargestCPGcompanies includingJohnson&Johnson,Nestlé,Hormel,Pepsi-Cola andmanymore.CMS-Pro®wasdesignedtorequirevery littleeffortonthepartofthecasualend-userwhoonly neededtomakelimitedselectionssuchasretailer,time periodorproduct/categorytorefreshandupdateanentire presentationorreport.Whilethiswasproventobevery effective,inordertomeettherequirementsofeachretailer, additionalanalyticalslidesneededtobeaddedwhichfell uponInteractiveEdge’ssupportteamtocompletethistask.

AsInteractiveEdgeultimatelywantedtoputallofthe powerintheclient’shands,anewsolutionwasdeveloped thatwouldmeettheneedforadditionalflexibility.XP3® Suitewasdevelopedtomeettheneedsofbothfieldaccount saleswhorequiredasimpleuserinterfaceaswellas analystswhoneededittobepowerfulenoughtoeasily importandflexiblyexploredatatosimplifytheprocessof buildingandmaintainingbusinessintelligenceanalytical presentationsandreports.TheXP3®Suitesoftwarecanbe implementedaseitheradesktoporenterprisesolution.

GroundBreakingServicesofInteractiveEdge

TheInteractiveEdgesupportteamworksverycloselywith theclientorganizationtounderstandtheneedsofthosewho are“power”usersandthesalesorganizationsothatthe softwareisimplementedtodeliverthebusinessbenefits theywerelookingtoachievebyusingXp3®.

Theflexible,scalabledesignofXP3®allowsclientsto deployasmuchoraslittlefunctionalityastheirbusiness environmentrequires.XP3’sfront–endanalysisand automatedpresentationdevelopmenttoolscanbelayered overexistingdatamanagementsolutionstoenhanceand extendtheirvalue,orXP3’sfullfunctionalitycanbe leveragedbyimplementingitsback-enddataloadingand integrateddatawarehousefunctionalitytomeetrobust informationmanagementrequirements.

FutureRoadmapofInteractiveEdge

InteractiveEdgeiscurrentlyworkingonthenextversionof

theirsoftware:acloudbasedsolution thatincorporatestheeasytouse interfaceandrichfeaturestheirclients havecometoexpectfromInteractive Edge.InteractiveEdgeisalso expandingtheirprofessionalservices teamtoprovidemoreservicestomore organizationsasmanyCPG organizationsarefacingsignificant staffreductions.E-commercewillalso beanotherareaoffocusasonline purchasingcontinuestoimpactbrick andmortarretailers.

StrategicLeaderAccelerating Success

ZelBiancoistheCo-founder, PresidentandCEOofInteractive Edge.Asanindustryleaderforover25 years,hehasbeenamemberofthe CategoryManagementAssociation

sinceitsinceptionandhascontributed hisandtheInteractiveEdge’steam’s expertiseintheassociation’sgroundbreakingchangessuchastheupdating ofthecategorymanagementprocessto CategoryManagement2.0,aswellas supportformanyindustrywhitepapers includingCategoryManagement Mastery-theKeytoGrowthandmany others.

ZelisthememberoftheDePaul UniversitySalesLeadershipand CategoryManagementAdvisoryBoard andafrequentspeakerattheCategory ManagementAssociationAnnual Conferenceandotherindustryevents. HeisalsoamemberofRetailWire’s BrainTrustandaregularcontributorto theRetailWiredailyon-linenewsletter andblog.ZelandInteractiveEdgealso wontheprestigiousDemoJamAward

at

Zel’smainfocusisondrivingvaluefor InteractiveEdge’sclientsandtheir retailcustomersbyhelpingclientsto buildbetterconnectionsbetweenraw datasourcesandthecategory managementandshopperinsights professionalswhoneedtogenerate insightsandactionable recommendationstotheirretailbuyers. Healsocontributeshistimeand resourcestohelpstudentsatanumber ofuniversitiesseekacareerinCPGor relatedindustries.

theSAPTechEdSAPPHIREUser Conferenceagainsthundredsof contestants.

Zel Bianco Co-founder,President, &CEO

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Retailin the Digital Age: Focusing on the Three Things

Customerbuyingpatterns,aswellasevolving consumerbehavior,laysthegroundworkastowhy thereal-timemonitoringofoperations,promotions, andfinancialperformancearemissioncriticaltotoday’s modernretailer.Thesebusinesses,withnumerouslocations andlargeworkforces,arechallengedwiththeproblemof ensuringthatemployeesfromthetoptothebottomoftheir organizationarealignedaroundthesamegoalsand objectives.Thisalignmentisespeciallyimportant consideringtheneedtoaddressever-changingobjectives drivenbycustomer,corporate,seasonal,andpromotional mandatesthatimpacttheirbottomline.

Whilethereareendlessinitiativesthatretailerscanfocus theirenergyon,wehavefoundthatadheringto“TheThree Things”isthemostinformedmethodtochannelingtheir transactionaldata.Byfocusingonoptimizingsales, promotionperformanceandimprovingprofits;aretailercan turntheiravailabledataintotangibleactionplans.

SalesOptimization:Streamlineyourrevenue-generating activities

Everytimeacustomervisitsyourstoreandinteractswitha salesassociate,yourorganizationhastheopportunitytonot onlymakeasalebutalsoincreasetheaverageordersize. Forexample,aspecialtyapparelretailercanupsellbelts withslacks,jewelrywithablouse,sockswithshoes,etc. Thisiscommonknowledgebutwhatisn’talwaysknownis whatupsellitemsarethemostlucrativeataregionalor districtlevel.Whatwehavefoundisthatmanyretailers understandtherightproductmixtobundlebutstore

managementisn’talwaysconvincedastowhatshouldbe theA,BorCoptionfortheteamonthefloortofocuson. Thiscanbesolvedbyfocusingwhatisalreadyembeddedin theirenterprise-wideTLogdata.

DrivingmorevaluefromOmni-Channel

Therearemanytimeswhenanomni-channelsalecould leadtoanin-storeupsellbutthisisrarelytracked…until now.Forexample,acustomerbuysaproductonlineand thenreturnsittotheirlocalstore.Byfocusingonhistorical omni-channeldata,someretailershavefoundthatasaleserodingactivityofareturncanactuallydriveanadditional saleifassociatesaretrainedproperly. Becausemanyonline productsarenotpartofastore’sinventoryandaretypically shippedbacktodistributionorsoldasaone-offitem,they canbeviewedasaquicklossbutinrealityifyoucan isolatewhichitemsarebeingreturnedacrossyourentire enterprise,youcanhaveacomplimentaryofferingmade readilyavailabletoyoursalesassociatesasanupsellitem. Nowthelossofareturncanstrategicallyoffsetwiththe righttrainingandoffer.

StoppingRewardsProgramAbuse

Someretailersmaybesurprisedtoknowthatsomeoftheir customersknowtheirpromotionactivitybetterthantheir ownmarketingdepartmentdoes.Forexample,oneretailer putaRewardsPointsPrograminplacetorewardloyal customers,andtheretailer’smarketingdepartmentbelieved theprogramwasverysuccessful.However,theoperational teamanalyzedcomponentsoftheprogramindepthand madesomestartlingdiscoveries.

About the Author

A veteran in the technology space, Russ Hawkins, the President and CEO of Agilence, has shouldered the responsibility of the company and spearheaded its overall strategy to lead it towards success. Formerly, Russ was the President and CEO of two early stage tech companies, SilverStorm Technologies and Paragon Networks. The Boston graduate also boasts 15 years of experience at Lucent Technologies, wherein he helmed various management positions.

Whenfirstrolledout,theRewardsProgramhadnolimits onthepointsacustomercouldcollectandnoticedthat somecustomershadrackedupseveralhundredthousand pointsayear(versustheaveragecustomerwhowouldget 2500pointsayear).Usingadataanalyticssystemto analyzetheirtransactionaldata,theretailerdiscoveredthat thesehigh-reward“customers”wereresellingtheretailer’s merchandiseoneBayandorderingthemerchandisethe eBaycustomersorderedonMr.Rebates.Thismeantthat thehigh-rewardscustomer(e.g.,reseller)wasgettingcash backfromMr.Rebates,andasarewardsmember,was eligibleforfreeshippingaswell,althoughtheresellerstill chargedtheeBaycustomerforshipping.Thereseller carriednoinventoryanddidnothandlereturns,makingthe resellerafulfilmentcenter.

Hawkins President & CEO Agilence

Eventhoughtheretailerwasrecognizingrevenuesonthis typeofactivity,theretailer’smarginsweresignificantly impacted,andtheresellerswerewipingouttheretailer’s inventory Worstyet,theretailer’struecustomers,whowere expectingagoodshoppingexperience,weredeniedthat becausetheresellerswerebuyinguptheinventory.

Oncetheretaileridentifiedthistypeofrewardsprogram abuse,theorganizationdecidedtoputacaponthenumber ofannualpointsaRewardscustomercouldearntoputa stoptothisactivity

However,withoutdataanalysis,thisretailerwouldhave continuedtobelievethattheprogramwassuccessfulwhen infactitwaserodingtheirmarginsanddepletingtheir inventory

Russ

Shamrock Consulting Group: Retail

Offering Reliable Solutions for Telecom, Data Center, Cloud and Fiber Verticals at the Guaranteed Best Price

Theconsultingagentindustryhaschanged considerably,andsohastheproviderindustry-thereareenormous,excitingchangeshappening rightnow Agentsdon’tsurvivelongiftheydon’tknow howtoadviseonnewtechnologieslikeSD-WANandcloud technologiesandstrategy Theindustryhaschangedfroma legacytelecommunicationsindustry(thinklegacyAT&T, Verizon,etc.)withmanyplayersandcompetitors,toa mergingindustrywithfewerlargeplayersvyingforthe samebusinessaroundthecountry.Ifwelookbackafew years,therearemanycompaniesthatjustdon’texist anymore–andnotjustbecauseofbigmergersthatgobbled upgiantslikeLevel3andXO.Consolidationmeansfewer yetlargerproviders,andwhattheyeventuallybecome, asidefromsellinginternetandphoneservice,isessentially alogoandcontractvehicleforemergingtechnologies.All bigtelecomproviderslikeAT&T,VerizonandCenturyLink aresellingSD-WAN,cloudservicesandconsolidated broadband--butthey’retypicallynottheactualcreationsof thosecompanies.So,whatdoesthecustomeractually purchase?Sure,theymaybebuyingVelocloudfromAT&T, butwhatthey’rereallybuyingistheteambehindthe productandthecomfortofabrand.

ShamrockConsultingGroupprovidesexpertsolutionsfor telecom,datacom,colocation,fiberandpublicandprivate cloud.Shamrockdoeseverythingfromwritingandrunning complexRFP’sforlargeropportunities,tosimpleshopping forsmallerclients.

TheyanalyzebillingtocomeupwithanaccurateROIfora project,getthebestpricingandcontractlanguagepossible, makessureeverythingisinstalledinatimelymanner,and managethedealuntiltheclientis100%satisfied.They

haveover150carriersintheirgrowingportfolio,which ensuresthattheirclientsalwaysgetthebestavailable servicesandoptionsforthebestavailableprice.The organizationdoeseverythingfromresearchingfibermaps, todiggingintothefinancesofeachdeal,toworkinginthe bestlegallanguagepossible.Theyworkfrombeginningto endonsolutionsforavarietyofdifferenttechnologies,and theirgoalistoestablishalong-termpartnershipwiththeir clientsbasedontrustwhilecuttingtheirtimeandeffortby anaverageof80%.

FascinatingJourneyofShamrockConsultingGroup

ThejourneyforShamrockhasbeenoneofasingleowner, tothefirstsalesandsupportpeople,toaformalcompany, andit’sbeenafunandrewardingjourney.Presidentand CEOPaulCooney,alongwithhisbusinesspartnerandVP BenFerguson,developedtheirinitialpushtofocuson customeracquisitionandrevenue,whichShamrockhas alwaysdoneverywell.Theyhadverylittlesupportand staff,noprocesses,andifyousoldadeal,youhadtodo everything.

Theinitialstrugglewasjustaboutgettingrevenueatthe door.Itwasprettysimple–theywerenotmanufacturing productsoranythinglikethat–theyhadtosellservicesand keepcustomershappy Thebiggestturningpointwasafter aboutayearandahalfwhenShamrockstartedhiring supportpeoplefornon-sales-relatedroles.Paulisabigfan ofhiringpeopletodospecificjobs,soeachteammember canfocusontheircorerole.Astheygrow,whatPaulseesis simplymorespecializationofwork.Everyhirechangesthe dynamicofthecompany,andluckilyforthem,everyone whohascomeonboardhasprovidedanimmensely positiveimpactontheteamasawhole.

Paul Cooney Founder&CEO

PaulCooney,TheManbehind ShamrockConsultingGroup

Paulgrewupinthesmalltownof Pleasantville,NYandgraduatedfrom theUniversityofRichmond.After movingtoBoston,hefoundearly successsellingfixedwirelessfor Teligent,Inc.(adot-comcasualty)in thelate90’sandearly2000’s.Seeking stabilityduringthetumultuousburstof thedot-comsandubiquitoustelecom bankruptcies,heheadedoutWestto HermosaBeach,CAandworkedfor AT&Tasanenterprisesales representative.Paulworkedhiswayup tothetoprepinthecountrybefore takingoverthestrugglingLosAngeles salesteam.AccordingtoPaul,the turnaroundfortheLAsalesteamwas lengthyyetrewarding. “It took me 6 months to turn the team around,” Paul says, “But we eventually went from the worst team in the country to consistently one of the best.”

ShamrockSeesIndustryChallenges asOpportunitiestoExcel

Thebiggestchallengesare,inPaul’s opinion,typicallyagoodthingfor Shamrock.It’sachallengefor customerstokeepupwitheverchangingtechnologytrends,but fortunatelythat’ssomethingShamrock doeswell.Theyhaveafluidbusiness modelandcanconstantlybringonnew partnershipstomeettheneedsofthe changingtechnologytrends.Afew yearsago,nobodywassellingcloud services,andnowthey’renotonly sellingcloud,butarealsoproviding cloudmanagementapplicationstohelp withcostanalyticsandprojections. Companymergersareaconstant,new competitorswillalwayspopup,and technologieswillalwaysevolve.That’s thewaytheirindustrymoves,andPaul believesthatcompetitionand challengesacrossanindustryhelpsto separatethetopagentsfromtherest.

TheFutureisBrightforShamrock

Continuedgrowth,newproduct solutionsandmoreformalized processesareallinthenearfuturefor Shamrock.Theyarehiringmore superstars,whichisalwaysamixof stressandexcitement–thecompany reallywantseveryonetofitintothe “family.”Theyareopeninguptwonew officessoon,andthatwillbringitsown setofnaturalchallenges,butinagood way–theyknowthattheyneedto expand,andthey’reexcitedaboutthe opportunitytotakeovernewmarkets. Inthepastfewyearstheyhavebeen implementingformalprocessesand systems,whichhavehelpedthemto keeptrackofeverything,fromorders tocontractstocommissions.Thefuture forShamrockisexpansionbywayof doingmoreofthesame,withmore people,inmoreplaces.

Through new product solutions and more formalized processes, Shamrock expects continued growth and success in 2018 and beyond.