January 8, 2021 by Team Zadinga
The retail industry is enormous and generates more jobs than any other industry worldwide, including India.
Now, when it comes to efficient running and management in such an industry, the incorporation of technology is vital. From the retailer’s perspective, effective management and maintenance of infrastructure are essential to long-term success.
The customer’s side expects a clean and well-maintained premise along with a consistent, hassle-free shopping experience. Well, on both counts, it is easier said than done.
Fortunately, technology has kept pace with the retail industry’s demands, and today, the emerging domain of retail automation is going to play a critical role in streamlining processes in this industry.
Contents
What is retail automation?
It’s a broader term that covers a whole list of activities that can set the business on an auto-pilot mode. This means all you must do is set parameters and rules and determine when a specific action should be undertaken.
When the conditions are met, systems and tools will automatically be set in motion for the smooth undertaking of operations. There is a whole range of processes wherein automation can bring in much-needed consistency. This can range from order management to marketing and most of the things in-between.
An inventory management software alone can handle things like stock management, payment collection, ordering fulfilment, etc. With more and more retail stores entering a high-growth phase, it becomes critical for them to embrace retail automation to accommodate the heightened demand.
Benefits of retail automation
1. Increases operational efficiency
First and foremost, by incorporating retail automation – a retailer stands to benefit in terms of streamlined processes that save both time and money. Once automation is in place, you are not required to intervene in the business’s day-to-day running.
By automating tasks and creating efficient workflows, you stand to gain more freedom and are able to focus on tasks that truly deserve attention, which can be integral to increasing the operational effectiveness of the business.
2. Reduces human error
When there is dependence on manual intervention to complete a task, there are increased possibilities of errors. It could be either non-updated work orders or inaccurate budgeting information.
There are a lot of things that can go wrong. In contrast, automation significantly reduces the chance of errors cropping up in operations.
3. Better monitoring of inventory & sales
There are many facets to automation, and Inventory management happens to be one such avenue where automation can do wonders. A retail business no longer would be losing out on customers due to “Out-of-stock” scenarios with better insights on stock and inventory levels.
The system would be robust enough to communicate reduced stock levels beforehand to avoid any kind of “Out-of-Stock” situations.
The same technology can be useful in ensuring there is no overstocking and there is just enough stock as per the existing demand.
4. Seamless insights with better reporting
Automation can significantly improve the business prospects of a retail business by equipping retailers with impactful, visual reports that provide clarity on past and present sales.
Things can reach an advanced level of efficiency when these insights can be provided to you on a single dashboard, allowing you to make informed data-driven decisions in quick time without guesswork.
5. Enhances brand reputation
The manner in which a retail shop operates has a direct impact on the shopping experience they provide. This experience is directly correlated to the reputation of the retail brand.
Hence retail brands that are better managed with automation are more likely to be preferred by customers.
6. Less dependence on manpower & saves cost
By deploying automation, a retail business will be able to significantly cut down on its dependence on manpower. Businesses would no longer need to have staff for doing routine administrative work like processing invoices etc.
The remaining staff can be better employed at achieving other goals. Overall, automation is likely to bring in a lean team that will be able to function efficiently with lesser resources.
7. Improved customer satisfaction
Automation would be able to bring in seamless communication between retailers and the on-ground staff. This way, the customer is not expected to experience any kind of interruptions in their in-store shopping experience.
This kind of positive impact can improve satisfaction levels among customers, and they would have added confidence in continuing with you in the long term.
Conclusion
Zadinga is an app that takes care of all your shop management needs so you can focus on growing your business. From time-saving stock management and billing to real-time sales reports and everything in between — you’re not just going to have a better business, you’re going to have peace of mind, every day.
