Gartner CIO Symposium, held in October in Orlando, is at the epicenter of the latest technology and current business insights. The event consisted of five days of insights from notable IT executives and analysts, their challenges, fears, dreams and plans. There was content relevant to every industry and a full range of discussions on everything from IoT to innovation.
It’s challenging to sum up 5 days of in-depth content, but for retailers, one theme resonated loud and clear: the retail technology race is on and the time for deployment of next generation technologies is now. IT Leaders have been talking about most of the terms and technologies highlighted at the conference for years now: artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), machine learning, and advanced analytics. But over the years, Retailers have spent time understanding applications, building use cases, calculating ROI and preparing for implementation. But the time has come for deployment. As juggernaut, Amazon, continues to raise the bar for retailers, savvy organizations are quickly upping their game with technologies that enhance the consumer experience, offer the flexibility for “click and collect” shopping, and analyze every inch of data collected to connect with consumers in more meaningful ways.
To execute quickly and effectively, retailers will need fully optimized, robust networks, constantly evolving security, scalable Wi-Fi, a connected workforce, real-time access to information, and trained employees who can add value no matter their role. This is a tall order, but just as today’s demands are moving fast, the level of support available is also growing. Identify experienced, capable technology partners to help with planning, piloting, and deployment. If you’re considering assessing your own level of preparedness for this kind of change, partner with experts who understand infrastructure, security, and training. By partnering for expertise, you can move more quickly and stay on course.
The retail technology race is here. It’s more competitive than ever and accompanied by greater expectations from consumers. Retailers are urged to buckle up for the ride and accelerate or plan to be left in the dust. Are you ready?
