Offer A Mobile POS Solution You Can Be Proud Of

By The Business Solutions Network

About a month ago, I recorded a video blog on the rising interest in iPads from your customers. More interesting than anything I had to say were the comments from readers. It's clear that, due to customers asking for such solutions so often, many of you have already been forced to devise strategies to either offer -- or steer your customers away from -- mobile POS (point of sale) solutions.

However, based on follow-up conversations with some of those commenters, I was left wondering if their strategies weren't missing some key elements. In the current (May 2012) issue of Business Solutions, we interviewed industry experts from a variety (hardware, software, loyalty) of companies to combine their learnings on mobile POS and create a great resource for VARs interested in leveraging this opportunity in both the retail and hospitality segments.

What I find most interesting about the article is that both sides of common mobile POS arguments are examined. For example, John Giles, president of Future POS, provides some information on why using nonrugged/consumer-grade devices is a bad thing. Barry Wise, senior marketing consultant for Epson, counters with some ways nonrugged devices can be used effectively. In the end, both sides provide compelling arguments.

As with all of our articles, it's our hope to provide you with information you find actionable. If mobile POS is going to be a part of your future (I'm not sure how it couldn't be), then do yourself a favor and check out the article.

EDIT: Shortly after hitting the Publish button on this article, I came across some research Motorola conducted on mobile POS. Here are the key findings, ripped right from a Motorola press release on the study. Certainly, some great proof that mobile POS is in demand.

• Sixty-six percent of retail respondents are interested in mPOS, while 42 percent of retail respondents are currently piloting or starting trials within the next 36 months, and the majority is focused on using mPOS for sales associates on the store floor or line-busting.
• More than seven in 10 (71 percent) retailers that indicated interest in mPOS are using or planning to use it to improve customer service and also intend to provide access to inventory management (51 percent), pricing (48 percent) and merchandise returns (42 percent) applications.
• In December 2011, Motorola's holiday shopper survey found that one-third of store visits ended with an average of $125 unspent due to missed opportunities to purchase. The survey also found that inefficient payment processes were one of the leading contributors to those lost sales. More than 43 percent of shoppers agreed that their shopping experience improved when store associates used mPOS devices.
• Sixteen percent of surveyed retailers currently have an mPOS solution deployed, while less than 9 percent have completely mobile or portable checkout systems.
• On average, retail respondents anticipated replacing more than 36 percent of their fixed POS as a result of migrating to an mPOS.