In the retail industry, IT leaders have long had a focus on workplace modernization. After all, when you implement better technology in retail, everyone benefits – employees have the tools they need to tackle their work more efficiently, and shoppers enjoy greater convenience with every new transaction they complete. It’s a win-win.

That’s only become more true in recent years, as the world adjusts to the COVID-19 pandemic and the many shifts in consumer behaviors that have come with it. Implementing new IT has gone from merely beneficial to absolutely necessary.

Specifically, companies are really stepping up their efforts to automate everyday processes to make retail more efficient. According to a new survey conducted by RetailWire and Brain Corp, 64% of retailers believe it is important to have a clear, executable, and budgeted strategy for robotics and automation, and 73% say that importance has increased during the pandemic. It’s not hard to see why. Times are difficult economically, as a recession looms and the virus causes disruptions to supply chains and labor availability. Automation helps retailers overcome these challenges and get business done consistently and reliably.

“The global pandemic brought the value of robotic automation sharply into focus for many retailers, and we now see them accelerating their deployment timelines to reap the advantages now and into the future,” said Josh Baylin, Brain Corp’s senior director of strategy. “Autonomous robots are versatile productivity partners that help keep stores clean, generate additional hours for employees, and help improve in-store customer experiences.”

Automation isn’t the only driver for retailers to modernize IT. The Brain Corp survey found a number of other motivators – companies are focused on providing a safer and cleaner store experience, enabling easier social distancing, and improving on-shelf inventory availability. Additionally, there is hope that tapping into real-time analytics will help with scanning shelves, filling orders, delivering goods from warehouses, and checking prices for accuracy.

In all of this, Zones is ready to lend a helping hand. We offer a variety of IT tools that are designed to help your employees securely collaborate and keep your supply chain streamlined. We work to enable easy procurement, asset management, tracking, and protection from any location. For instance, our Asset Management solutions provide tracking visibility into devices across your entire organization, and our tools for Lifecycle Management can help you configure, refurbish, and repair IT assets from end to end. And that’s just the beginning.

The bottom line is, we at Zones understand that the modern retail business is becoming more mobile and remote, and we want to help you stay competitive in today’s marketplace. We are keenly focused on delivering Workplace Modernization tools that get results for our clients, and we’re eager to work our magic for your business next. If you’d like to begin that journey, just reach out and ask. A Zones Account Manager would love to hear from you.

[Read More]