Technology Shift: Identifying the Gaps

Industries worldwide are getting better at keeping up with the demands in today’s digital economy. However, more innovation is required to streamline the in-store shopping experience, according to our partners at Zebra Technologies.

Their annual Shopper Study surveyed nearly 7,500 consumers from North America, Latin America, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East to gain a deeper understanding of shopper satisfaction and retail technology trends that are reshaping everything from the warehouse shop floor to brick and mortar and online stores. The conclusion? Today’s shoppers demand technology – enabled experiences.

Minding the Gaps

The demand for mobile technology is soaring, and for some retailers and fulfillment businesses, the shift has been from a wholesale or distribution model to a direct-to-consumer model. As a result, warehouses are adjusting to a pick, pack and ship individual items process rather than a fulfillment of whole pallets process. Retailers and warehouses now understand that investing in mobile technologies is the key to combat this gap. The shift to direct-to-consumer fulfillment means there is less need for traditional racking and forklifts and more need to connect the warehouse workforce to digital systems to improve efficiency. Warehouses across the country are taking a big first step and putting mobile devices in the hands of its workers. By doing so, employers are equipping their workforce with the power to access critical information and data in real-time.

Our last blog post discussed how Android devices allow for a warehouse function more smoothly by itself, in addition, a well performing mobile program can support the people working in the warehouse. These programs ultimately allow organizations to make better data-driven decisions by collecting data on movement, work performed, and other repetitive tasks that can be streamlined. Many of the insights received ultimately help save businesses time and money.

According to Zebra, nearly 60 percent of retailers plan to increase their spend on handheld mobile computers by more than six percent, and more than one-in-five retailers (21 percent) plan to spend greater than 10 percent on rugged tablets over the next three years. This solution is one that will hopefully match the speed and volume of today’s on-demand economy in both warehouse and retail environments. Only time will tell.

Let SMS Group Help

As system designers and integrators, The SMS Group works with Zebra’s high-quality and cost-effective technologies to enable real-time data capture, visibility, and workflow efficiency. We leverage Zebra’s unmatched innovation and extensive product portfolio, along with our software solutions to solve your unique retail challenges, so you can stop struggling with manual processes and data blindness and start getting real bottom-line results. Contact us online to learn more about custom app development.