Omni Channel Pain Point No. 1

October 2014

Over the past few months the SalesWarp team has been collecting pain points from retailers we speak to on a daily basis. Not just any pain points, but specifically pains they experience managing an online business, more specifically around delivering an omni channel experience. As retailers rise to the challenge of offering a seamless customer experience across sales channels, pain points inevitably arise. So to help you alleviate, and hopefully even avoid some of these altogether, we will be tackling these pain points in this new blog post series.

The first pain point we want to address is one we hear over and over, “Dealing with my outdated system has become a chore.” Due to the nature of SalesWarp, the system referred to is usually a backend management system for handling orders and inventory, but the same pain point can be applied to an eCommerce platform, ERP or POS system. How do retailers know when their current system needs to be replaced? There are some telltale signs to look for:

1. Decreased performance from current system:

If your current system is experiencing slow speeds or unplanned downtime due to complex integrations, your business is likely suffering because of it. As a growing retailer, you might be overtaxing a system that isn’t meant to handle what’s being asked of it. We’ve seen retailers try to use their shopping cart, accounting or even shipping software to manage orders and fulfillment, and while that may work in the beginning, it’s definitely not a long-term solution.

2. Too many workarounds & manual processes:

Are you exporting data from one system only to upload it to another system? Does your current system require you to constantly make manual adjustments? These kinds of workarounds open up your data to possible errors, and the likelihood of discrepancies between systems. Not to mention the amount of time and manpower it takes to execute these manual steps. These resources can be reallocated to focus instead on growing your business. Which leads us to the final sign that you may be outgrowing your current system…

3. Your business is experiencing rapid growth or is on the cusp of growing:

Retailers need technology that will scale with their business. A limitation of outdated systems or even some of the newer cloud-based systems is that they might not be able to handle increasing order volume or a larger product catalog. While you may not have outgrown your current system quite yet, you should look to the future and invest in systems that will grow along with your business.

If these signs sound a lot like your business, it may be time to ditch your current system and start looking for a new one. The search for new retail management software can be long and taxing, but well worth it in the end. Keep these questions from PracticalEcommerce in mind: 7 Questions Before You Buy Software or Services. If dealing with your outdated system has become a chore, don’t do it anymore! Find a system that will streamline your operations, consolidate data and replace the manual processes that are dragging you down.