Retailers Benefit from Cloud ERP

retail_girl Retail Anywhere has recently published a white paper, “Enhancing POS with Cloud Computing,” on the benefits of cloud ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) to retailers' POS (point of sale) strategies. The study includes ways to apply this technology cost-effectively when multiple applications; for example, accounting, inventory management, HR, CRM and eCommerce, are available on a single platform.

The paper notes the major benefit of cloud ERP: small business owners no longer need to house their data in-house. The cloud’s network of servers is shared with other clients of the provider.

Five primary advantages to retailers who choose cloud ERP are outlined:

1. Costs are contained and predictable because the business owner pays for services as needed. This protects cash flow and avoids large up-front payments, as well as allowing the retailer to scale up or down as needs dictate.

2. Bundling the business applications reduces the maintenance required to keep them synchronized as vendors come out with new updates or entire new versions. Retailers using this format can respond more quickly to changing needs and stay a step ahead of the competition.

3. For new retailers, the rollout is fast since there is no need to install and configure hardware servers or OS software.

4. User application is simple, whether through desktop or mobile access. Data is stored on the Web, available through a dedicated browser; hiring and retaining remote staff is streamlined.

5. Security is enhanced, along with compliance and availability. With cloud ERP, small companies can reap the benefits of large-enterprise performance and security without the high costs of hardware/software rollouts.

The white paper also offers several tips for choosing the best cloud type for retail and then choosing the best provider to meet your needs. While customers may be tempted to “order off the menu” with different vendors for different applications, the study suggests that this is counterproductive to the cost efficiencies and compatibilities of using one vendor.

POS benefits to retailers are also addressed. They include customer purchase history, store performance by sales person or by product line, function integration and automatic order processing.:

The white paper concludes with a Case Study outlining ways Northern Brewer has met challenges with retail POS management software.

About Retail Anywhere

Retail Anywhere delivers an end-to-end, multi-channel retail POS management solution designed to improve profitability and deliver enhanced customer service.

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