According to research by Boston Retail Partners, 84% of retailers intend to implement mPOS (mobile point of sale) in the next three years. Using smartphones, tablets or dedicated wireless devices as mobile cash registers or electronic point of sale terminals, many larger retailers have already begun to deploy these mobile solutions in their stores.
But the evolution of mobile devices, a rise in Cloud usage and the ever-increasingly cyber threat landscape makes managing mobility a challenging area for any business. In order to successfully take control of mobile technology in your retail operations, you need to think about developing a mobile device management (MDM) policy.
If you’re unsure of where to begin, be sure to include the following in your mobile device management strategy:
Device configuration: When considering the number and type of devices you need, think about the size of your retail business, the number of outlets and the size of your workforce. If these numbers are large your mobile device management solution should allow you to configure all of these resources in a central location, allowing IT teams to manage tasks remotely.
Device provisioning: Want some apps to come standard on the mobile devices in your retail outlet and others to be restricted? The right MDM solution makes keeping tabs on this kind of thing simple.
Security: While most apps and devices will have some level of security as standard, be mindful of the fact that having more connections puts your retail outlet at greater risk. This means planning how to handle a situation in the event that a device is lost or stolen and trying to prevent any negative consequences of your business’ information falling into malicious hands.
Support, monitoring and reporting: Keeping tabs on device use is essential. This functionality should cover everything from monitoring device location and tracking usage statistics to offering remote support and troubleshooting when required. A good MDM solution will send alerts and notifications to administrators so that they can quickly respond to any situations that require their attention.
Device decommissioning: Has the lifecycle of an existing mobile device come to end? Managing the decommissioning of this hardware entails auditing, cleansing and decommissioning devices when that time comes.
Not only will this improved visibility boost your retail outlet’s mobile operations, it will also allows business’ to better understand what overall impact these tools are having on your business and can take appropriate action. For more tips and tricks about all things retail, business and telecoms, subscribe to our monthly newsletter below.
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