retail business Archives

Move Beyond Win/DSS Limitations With Omnichannel POS

Win/DSS has been an indivisible part of retail point-of-sale systems for decades now. Although it enabled retail businesses to expand beyond the reach of manual operations, Win/DSS itself has started to lag in this age of fast retail market. From outdated technology to security vulnerabilities, retail businesses find themselves at a turning point where they must confront the limitations of their existing infrastructure and opt for an upgrade.

Let us dive deep into the challenges posed by the legacy Win/DSS platform and its solution.

Common challenges faced with legacy Win/DSS platform

Using Win/DSS as a point-of-sale system in this day and age brings a myriad of challenges to a retail business. It includes hurdles with IT, operation flow, and personnel problems. The Win/DSS platform was initially introduced before the age of mobile POS and the digital commerce revolution. As a result, it is simply turned into an outdated system that cannot be tailored to match the growing requirements of retail business expansion.

Outdated technology hinders operational efficiency

Legacy Win/DSS platforms often operate on dated technology stacks that struggle to keep pace with modern demands. These systems lack the agility required to meet the evolving needs of businesses. Outdated technology can source various problems such as slow processing times, limited functionality, and cumbersome user interfaces. These factors collectively affect operational efficiency and impede productivity in general.

Compatibility issues with modern software

Compatibility issues are quite common with legacy Win/DSS platforms, especially when it comes to new-gen software. Newer software solutions are developed using updated frameworks and libraries that are not fully compatible with the outdated architecture of legacy platforms. This incompatibility leads to integration challenges, creating functionality gaps between legacy systems and modern software tools. The most common example of the same would be legacy Win/DSS struggling to integrate cloud-based solutions or other similar web-based services.

Security vulnerabilities and data integrity concerns

Outdated security protocols pose the biggest challenge for retail businesses. Legacy Win/DSS lack the robust security features that are crucial for protecting sensitive data. Moreover, the longer a system remains in operation, the greater the likelihood of unpatched vulnerabilities. Data integrity concerns also arise from data validation, integrity checks, and audit trails that are missing from legacy Win/DSS, making it difficult to ensure the accuracy & reliability of stored information.

Lack of scalability & flexibility for growing businesses

Legacy Win/DSS platform lacks the scalability required to accommodate the evolving needs of growing businesses. Such platforms are built upon rigid architectures that struggle to adapt to changing business needs such as increased transaction volumes or expanding user bases. Additionally, the lack of flexibility makes it challenging to introduce new features & workflow customisations.

Win/DSS migration made easy with Veras CheckOut

While the challenges explained until now may feel overwhelming, the solution is relatively straightforward. With the aim of overcoming the limitations of legacy Win/DSS, Veras Retail acquired the tech in 2016. With access to the core components of the JDA stack, Veras Retail has managed to develop a more secure and robust alternative- Veras CheckOut. Veras CheckOut is a modern omnichannel POS that can single-handedly eliminate the challenges of the legacy Win/DSS platform, offering a future-proof resolution. We offer a clear migration path with Veras CheckOut so that you can easily modernise your retail businesses.

Modularize your systems

Veras CheckOut brings a service-based architecture that allows retail businesses to modularize their systems effectively. By adopting this architecture, you can break down the platform into smaller, independent services, with each service handling a specific functionality such as strike payment processing, promotions, and clienteling. This modular approach significantly enhances flexibility & agility within the retail environment. It makes integration of new services, or removal of obsolete ones very easy, without disrupting the entire system.

Real-time inventory management

With the real-time inventory management feature, retailers can monitor their inventory levels, movements, and availability at any time. It is a crucial requirement for optimising stock levels, primarily to prevent overstocking. By leveraging up-to-date inventory data, businesses can make informed decisions regarding purchasing and replenishment.

Simplified approach to successful promotions

Veras CheckOut simplifies the execution of complex promotional strategies through its range of features aimed at streamlined promotional activities. It allows retailers to manage a wide range of campaigns such as discounts, coupons, loyalty programs, and even targeted offers. With Veras CheckOut, you can segment your customer base, personalise promotions based on customer preferences, and track the effectiveness of each campaign in real-time. This comprehensive approach to promotional strategies enables retailers to drive customer engagement and exponential increase in sales.

Centralised control to monitor key metrics

With any modern solution, there are usually problems that revolve around the control of the system. To eliminate that, Veras CheckOut offers a centralised administration & control approach. It provides retailers with a unified dashboard through which they can monitor key metrics across their entire operation. Veras CheckOut’s central administration and control empower retailers to make data-driven decisions for continuous improvement across the organisation.

Conclusion

The era of legacy Win/DSS platforms is long gone, considering the advancing needs of retail businesses. Right now, Win/DSS platforms struggle immensely while trying to keep up with advanced data collection policies and compatibility with modern technology. So, the time has come for you to consider ideal solutions such as Veras CheckOut to help you transform your POS. Our modern omnichannel POS is the perfect option for a variety of retail businesses looking forward to migrating from a rigid Win/DSS platform to a service-based POS.

Want to know more about Veras CheckOut? Contact us now or visit our website verasretail.com.

Never lose a sale: Explore endless aisle for your retail business

April 21 2023

In today’s highly competitive retail environment, it’s essential for retailers to have a comprehensive omnichannel strategy and endless aisle has emerged as one of the popular solutions for making that happen in-store.

Sarah is a top associate at a higher-end fashion chain. While Sarah loves curating the latest trends for her customers, she often finds herself frustrated by the limitations of her physical stores. The chain can’t carry every size or color of every item in every store, and sometimes customers leave empty-handed because she doesn’t have exactly what they’re looking for.

One day, a customer came into Sarah’s store looking for a specific style and size of shoes that they had seen but couldn’t find in-store. The customer was disappointed and ready to leave when Sarah remembered that the store had recently implemented omnichannel inventory and endless aisle capabilities.

Sarah quickly pulled out her tablet and used the store’s inventory system to check if any of the other locations had the shoes in stock. Sure enough, there was a pair available at a different store. Sarah informed the customer that they could purchase the shoes and have them shipped directly to their home or to the store for pickup.

But Sarah didn’t stop there. She also checked the store’s endless aisle capabilities and found that they had an even wider selection of shoes available online. She showed the customer some similar styles and sizes that were available and offered to place an order for them right then and there. The customer could browse through a virtual catalog of products, complete with images, descriptions, and even customer reviews. From there, they could place an order for any item they wanted, which would then be shipped directly to their homes.

Better shopping experiences for customers

Her customers appreciated this integration too! Thanks to the store’s cross-store inventory and endless aisle capabilities, Sarah was able to save the sale and provide the customer with a great shopping experience. The customer left happy and satisfied, and Sarah felt proud of her ability to leverage the store’s technology to provide excellent customer service. They could now browse through a wider selection of products while conveniently ordering items directly at the store.

Endless aisle helps fulfill every order

The real benefit of using an endless aisle solution became apparent to Sarah when she noticed that she was never losing a sale. Even if a customer came into one of her stores looking for a specific item that she didn’t have in stock, she could still fulfill the order using this tool. This meant that customers were always able to find what they were looking for, which kept them coming back to the store again and again.

Cross-selling and upselling made easy

Sarah also noticed that the endless aisle was helping her boost sales in other ways. Because customers were able to browse through a wider selection of products, they were also discovering new items that they may not have otherwise seen. This meant that she was able to upsell and cross-sell more effectively, which led to higher average order values and increased revenue for the store.

This implementation not only helped Sarah never lose a sale but also improve the overall shopping experience for her customers while driving more revenue.

Sarah’s experience is not unique. Endless aisles have become increasingly popular among retailers of all sizes and industries and for good reason. By offering a wider selection of products to customers, retailers can improve the shopping experience, increase customer loyalty, and boost sales. Plus, with the rise of e-commerce and online shopping, it’s becoming more important than ever for retailers to offer customers a seamless omnichannel experience that combines the convenience of online shopping with the personal touch of in-store interactions.

Check out Veras Extend to explore the endless possibilities an endless aisle can offer. Ensure its smooth integration with features that further power your retail strategy- Search your entire global catalog, and even include vendor catalogs to expand availability, present relevant promotions, and recommend similar items to the customer in the aisle.