Beyond Deployment: A New Mindset

By Jim West, Vice President of Facilities Technology for Velociti

From a project perspective, deployment looks like a tactical, time-limited event. From a strategic standpoint, however, it plays a key role throughout the process of customer-centric technology implementation. For long-term success, smart retailers will weave deployment into their overall technology strategy with the right partner early in the planning process.

For better or worse, retail has become the tip of the spear for consumers and consumer-facing technology. From smartphones to beacons to mobile checkouts, retailers are attempting to meet rising customer expectations for personalized service, compete with online discounters’ aggressive sales strategies, and still increase the bottom line. Down the road are virtual- and augmented-reality displays, smartcarts, and restocking robots.

It’s time to rethink what deployment really means in the dynamic world of retail technology. The traditional mindset treats deployment as a one-off: once the system has been bid out and the equipment purchased, installers set up the hardware and software solution — after which corporate IT does final testing, system cut-over, and training. It has start and end dates.

How To Identify The Right Partner

The new mindset recognizes deployment is just one step within a larger, continuous process and that it needs to be fully woven into that process. In that sense, deployment never ends: by integrating deployment into technology planning, assessment, procurement, rollout, maintenance, and support, retailers create a sustainable and resilient platform for long-term success. To get there, retailers should raise the bar for deployment professionals, choosing partners who convincingly demonstrate that they understand:

• System architecture. WLAN enabling the sales floor seem straightforward, but today it is also used to enable inventory systems, product information management systems, payment networks, omnichannel coordination, fleet traffic, and more. Some of this data is local, some is regional or central, and some is in the cloud. A technology-agnostic deployment partner who is familiar with product functionality and interoperability challenges can recommend viable, robust configurations.
   
• Store operations. Because deployment typically occurs during off-hours, it’s critical the project team facilitates access to the building, utilities, and equipment, and keeps all partners and parties, including store management and corporate IT, in the loop.
   
• Security issues. A contemporary system must be shielded from hackers, backed up automatically, and isolated from consumer-level services such as free Wi-Fi. If and when connections to the home office go down, how will the store function?
   
• Auditing, staging, and testing. A professional deployment methodology ensures no surprises during rollout. Real-world wireless coverage, for example, is often constrained by the kind of merchandise a retailer stocks and how it’s displayed; a physical site audit would catch and adjust for this.
   
• Project management and reporting. Particularly for deployments that roll out in waves over multi-month timeframes, retailers should insist on an overview dashboard for top management that summarizes project status and simplifies data sharing across the enterprise as well as ultra-detailed dashboards and reports for both store operations and project teams, so that potential schedule blockers are identified and resolved.
   
• Support and training. The new technology asks a lot of sales associates. As walkie-talkies evolve into mobile checkout, product lookup, and customer information tools, the deployment partner should provide user assistance and product replacement services. Today, these agreements are often bundled into affordable as-a-service monthly plans that dovetail with operating expense budgets.

Some other ways to spot the ideal partner: network engineers on staff, extensive experience in multi-store retail settings, and a dedicated staging area.

Like it or not, retailers are now technology players who are challenged to equip and maintain customer-centric sales floors in the face of constant change. Top achievers will treat deployment as an ongoing, business-critical process, not an occasional operation.