No one doubts that office managers and supervisors should like merchandising software. The reasons are obvious: live monitoring of merchandising activities on the map, quick automated scheduling, great analytic features and streamlined retail data workflow allow managers to effectively manage their daily routines, freeing up time to make strategic decisions.
When it comes to the adoption of a merchandising software solution by field staff, a company may face a number of challenges, due to the need for employees to get used to the new order of things. There are different reasons why your merchandisers may not like the new business solution, including the fear of changes and the unwillingness to be constantly monitored and controlled, or negative attitude to the whole idea of automation. Nevertheless all the issues must be solved as soon as possible; otherwise the whole idea of merchandising automation is at risk.
The best way to overcome merchandisers’ resistance to merchandising software implementation is to explain the benefits and outline the prospects for improving their work that will become less manual, thus persuading them that automation is good for them also. Below you’ll find some arguments that you can use to explain your merchandisers why do they need a merchandising software solution to be installed on their tablets and smartphones.
- Say Goodbye to Paperwork. Merchandising software saves a lot of time for merchandisers due to automated data entry and mobile data collection forms, allowing concentrating on clients, not paperwork. Using just a regular tablet or a smartphone your merchandisers can conduct merchandising audits and customer survey, manage shelves and inventory levels, and even make product orders and returns with just a few clicks. They can even bring their own tablets or smartphones to perform retail visits, to feel extremely confident with the features and the interface, as long as up-to-date merchandising software solutions allow BYOD implementation.
- Have 24/7 mobile access to information. Merchandising software allows companies to built the unique retail data exchange system that provides merchandisers with the real-time access to all the necessary information from their mobile devices. Empowered with a mobile application for merchandising, your merchandisers are always able to get information on the products, price lists, history of previous visits, orders, returns, multimedia, files, presentations, schedule, customers, locations, contacts, and more. Having all the data in a mobile device means your merchandisers will not have to carry a mountain of paper to perform retail visits.
- Get tasks and report back without spending a minute. After merchandising software is adopted, retail data is fully synced between field teams and the office. That means that all the information, collected by your merchandisers, including merchandising audits results, survey data, photos, electronic signatures, orders/returns and etc., is instantly available to the management. Accordingly, all tasks assigned and retail visits scheduled, multimedia attached and notes, made by the managers in the office, become instantly visible in merchandisers’ tablets and smartphones, so your merchandisers have absolutely no need to visit the office.
- Save time to be more efficient. Merchandising software allows performing daily merchandising routines very quickly, saving time for communication with customers. Having more time to negotiate with customers your merchandisers will be able to improve the quality of customer relations, ensure higher level of customer service, providing an increase in sales and the arrival of new customers.
To learn more about merchandising automation or to get a comprehensive merchandising software solution free of charge, register at www.visitbasis.com
To try our data collection software for free register at www.visitbasis.com and download the VisitBasis Retail Audit App FREE on Google Play or App Store. To learn more about how our field merchandising system works request a demo or check the links below to watch the demo videos.
