Retail Device Management Doesn’t Have to Be Hard 

Omnichannel retail is driven by a clearly defined goal: to deliver the seamless shopping experience customers crave and demand. Nothing less will do with consumers now able to shop anywhere, at any time. If it’s difficult or clunky, they’ll go to where it’s easier to get what they want. 

Retail device management, and Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) in general, supports this effort by maintaining, optimizing and maximizing the fleet of devices used to ensure customers have smooth sailing on their individual buyer’s journey.  

Reaching customers across every channel, using technology to gain clear visibility into inventory and empowering working associates are all key aspects of implementing a comprehensive omnichannel retail strategy. And these facets all rely on properly operating systems and hardware.  

Without the support to keep your technology and devices in good working order, gaps could appear in the experience you’re offering to your customers. If your network is down, or off-line devices impact the ability to serve the customer, all of your planning and effort could go to waste.  

Let’s examine how retail device management reinforces your ability to deliver that seamless shopping experience consistently and reliably. 

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A Seamless Shopping Experience Relies on Functioning Devices 

Omnichannel is all about delivering seamlessness. If that’s not present in how you support your technology, it will be evident to customers. This can take shape in many different forms. 

Maybe the in-store WiFi is down and onsite consumers can’t easily access online reviews of a product on your shelves. If an associate’s mobile device is malfunctioning or lacks connectivity, the customer could be frustrated by their inability to help. Inconsistent or poor device performance can lead to longer lines or wait times, the inability to find the exact product (or where to get it) and added friction in the entire experience.  

Erasing these friction points and containing the disruption they might cause allows retailers to capitalize more fully on their investments in omnichannel strategy. Proper omnichannel support means customers are less likely to experience the frustration of not being served properly due to technical issues. They won’t see the details needed to ensure a smooth experience — they’ll just enjoy the process.  

Ongoing retail device management centers around a three-pronged approach: 

• Preventive/Proactive Maintenance — The best way to avoid unexpected downtime from device failures is to monitor their performance in an ongoing fashion. Tracking expected battery life, using a management partner to handle software updates, and tapping into analytics can head off major problems before they develop. 

• Repair — Inevitably some devices will experience breakdowns. Also, accidents happen. Do you have a gameplan to expedite repairs or a partner that makes it easy to ship in replacements? Have you developed a spares pool you can lean on in the meantime?  

• Troubleshooting — Does your UEM partner have robust self-help or on-call technical support that can alleviate unforeseen problems? Finding solutions for inadequate device performance on site or intermittent network issues could be as simple as conducting an audit. Does your strategy include these options? 

Working with the right UEM partner supports each of these pillars of retail device management. This smooths out potential problems before or as they happen and makes maintaining omnichannel momentum easier. 

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Seamless Shopping Experiences? We Do That 

Creating seamless shopping experiences isn’t easy, but with TRG you can make it look that way. A frictionless customer journey requires cohesion of strategy and a commitment of resources — and ongoing support to make any inconsistencies appear on the back-end of operations only. No retailer can afford downtime or subpar device performance when implementing an omnichannel strategy.  

We’re the largest third-party service provider in the industry, so you know we’ve got you covered. TRG’s comprehensive managed services for the repair, maintenance and logistical support of retail devices encompass a vast range of device types. We also work with the major brands in the space — you name it, we cover it. 

Connect with our team today to maximize your fleet of retail devices and for all things omnichannel. And if you want to stay ahead of the curve, load up on our expert analysis in Beyond Retail — an extensive report on the trends that will shape the industry in the months ahead.