The Advantages of an IT Partner on Retail Operations

The Advantages of an IT Partner on Retail Operations

The retail landscape is more challenging than ever, with increasing pressure to generate revenue and control costs, while balancing the growing reliance on technology by both retailers and their customers. IT support has become indispensable for retailers—from POS to digital displays to guest WiFi, technology is integrated into every facet of retail operations. But beyond the technical aspect, the decision to find an IT partner to manage their IT responsibilities frees retailers to place a greater focus on other areas. Here are just a few of the ways that managed IT can advance business for retailers:

Free up internal resources for other projects

Looking to open additional stores? Searching for new locations? With tech concerns off the table, you’re free to devote time to expansion efforts. And, with an IT partner in place, you can work with them on new store set-up, to ensure that all your hardware and software is secure and PCI compliant.

Better protection of digital assets

Cybersecurity has become one of retail’s biggest concerns, and it’s more important than ever to protect customer information and business data. This is one area that’s definitely better handled by professionals, who can develop customized solutions to protect against viruses, ensure that all security patches are up-to-date, and even monitor the Dark Web for identity theft. With all these safeguards in place, your odds of cybercrime are reduced, and in the event there is a malicious attack, you’ve got technology professionals who have already have backup solutions in place to keep your business files safe and retrievable.

Improved productivity

When your network is down, your POS is running slowly, or you’re experiencing any other unexpected tech problem, your retail store is losing money, And any one of these issues can lead to company downtime, resulting in productivity and financial losses that can quickly spiral out of control. Another benefit of outsourcing your IT responsibilities is that, especially with remote monitoring software in place, most issues are caught before you even realize it, and when there is a software glitch, you have a help desk already on-call, ensuring that downtime is minimized.

Better control over operating costs

With an IT partner, you’re not constantly upgrading systems or paying for unexpected technology repairs. You’ll have a fixed cost associated with IT, so there’s no guesswork as to that budget line item. Plus, you’ll have IT professionals who understand what systems, hardware and software are best for your future change and growth, so you can plan and budget accordingly.

There are many compelling reasons to outsource IT, but for retailers it’s important to find a company who understands the unique challenges of IT in a retail environment. Look for an IT partner who understands your customers and the technologies used to serve them, and who has support staff with experience in the retail sector. Ultimately you want an IT partner that can not only support your existing store, but also support your future strategies for growth and expansion, with new technologies that can deliver a competitive edge.

For information about SYMBITS, and its specialized IT solutions for retailers, visit symbits.com or call

866-422-0511.