Five Reasons Retailers Need an MDM Solution in the Supply Chain Sector
Written by Michael Dyson, VP of Sales, APAC at SOTI
Today, retail is facing new external pressures and feeling the impact of global events. Rising inflation rates, the supply chain crisis, and a rise in the cost of living has impacted the global economy. Consumer behaviours have shifted, and retailers need to meet heightened expectations to keep brand loyalty. Retailers are required to master both online and in-store experiences while rapidly adopting technologies to enhance the relationship between the two.
These cost factors inflate consumer expectations of goods and increase pressures on a retailer’s supply chain to perform optimally. In turn, business-critical mobile devices are becoming more strategic than ever, from handheld point of sale (POS) devices, mobile printers and barcode scanners to new app development and rollout. Retailers need to provide accurate information throughout the entire supply chain and ultimately into the hands of the customers.
In such an environment, technology and devices must be managed to ensure they are working as expected, protected against the latest security threats, and delivering a positive return on investment (ROI). Here are five key reasons why a Mobile Device Management (MDM) solution is required in the supply chain sector today.
Enhance Security
The amount of personal and business data stored on devices used in the logistics and retail sector is staggering, including names and addresses, payment or credit card details, inventory information, delivery schedules and more. Customers trust retailers to keep their personal information safe. When a credit card data breach occurs, for example, it costs a business an average of $4.24 million USD. However, the loss of trust is even more devastating, as 83% of U.S. consumers would stop spending with a retailer immediately after a security breach.
Reduce Downtime
Self-serve kiosks, scanners, smart shopping carts and mPOS devices only benefit customers when they work. When they go down – and nobody onsite can fix the issue – the result is a poor customer experience. However, even keeping surplus replacement parts on hand can be costly.
Consumers want to get in and out of stores as quickly as possible. When the average downtime incident for 87% of retailers lasts approximately four hours, customers won’t wait around for it to be resolved. They will abandon their purchase, especially if they’re waiting in the checkout line. Retailers have lost $555 billion USD because of shoppers leaving due to long checkout lines.
Integrate Systems
The retail supply chain stretches from the warehouse to the customer’s front door and all points in between, including the delivery truck, the distribution centre, and the store shelf. The technologies required to manage these different systems must communicate properly to ensure access to the latest data is always available.
Customer data can be found everywhere. It’s estimated that 62% of U.S. retailers have over 50 different systems containing customer data, and it’s imperative that data across all systems is consistent and up to date. It would be disastrous for a retailer if, say, their website has the customer’s correct address for delivery but the warehouse where the order is shipped from doesn’t.
Prevent Device Misuse
Whether it’s a mounted tablet customers can use to look up product information in-store or a mobile device warehouse workers access to check available inventory levels, there’s always a possibility that the device could be used for something other than its intended purpose. In fact, 80% of organisations have discovered employees misusing device and data access.
That could mean downloading apps, playing games, or browsing websites. Although it sounds innocuous, it can lead to big problems. Employees can be distracted from the task at hand, and device security can be put at risk if something malicious is downloaded on the device – creating a security risk.
Boost Your Brand
An MDM solution can help your organisation boost its business and make it instantly memorable and identifiable. That could mean ensuring logos and colours appear consistently on all brand assets or that digital signage is constantly updated with the latest and greatest information customers need to know.
It’s equally important that companies can build the seamless, personalised shopping experiences that 50% of customers are asking for across the omnichannel. This could mean providing multiple delivery, pick-up options or making product recommendations based on a customer’s previous purchases.
The Need to Manage Devices in the Supply Chain Sector
To meet consumer expectations, retailers should be investing in solutions and software partnerships that ensure smooth logistics and warehousing operations. Supply chain technologies that enhance levels of inventory forecasting are a must in warehouses to scan and record available stock as it comes and goes – with the help of barcode scanners and mobile computers. Following the process through to deliveries, tablets should be used to navigate routes and the dispatching of goods along the way. Delivery drivers should also update their logistics tracker applications as they go. This information must be accurate across all channels at all times and made available to consumers in real-time to satisfy their purchasing decisions.
However, the proliferation of mobile devices in the supply chain sector to enhance logistics processes means MDM solutions are needed now more than ever. Properly managed devices can reduce worker downtime, enhance security protocols, and create logistics efficiencies that help meet customer expectations.
For more information on how MDM solutions can help enhance your supply chain processes, please visit: soti.net/products/soti-mobicontrol