Last week Forrester published a report highlighting the benefits and challenges of rolling out a mobile point of service (mPOS) solution. Increasingly, retail professionals are turning to mPOS technology to help bolster customer engagement, lower store expenses, and improve the efficiency of sales-related functions. It’s clear that retailers are eager to implement this capability, but realizing a solid return on investment is not guaranteed.

The report, titled Market Overview: Mobile Point of Service Solutions For Retail, gives an overview of the challenges and opportunities as well as an overview of the enterprise-class mPOS vendors. Before jumping headfirst into mPOS initiatives, eBusiness leaders will need to do the following:

  • Ensure your mPOS solution meets core needs. Tailor your mPOS integration to the needs of your customers and associates while leveraging the strengths of your business model. One-size mPOS does not fit all, and strategically creating a solution that exceeds your customers’ needs while bolstering your existing business model will yield the best results.
  • Expose your data in a scalable way. mPOS will improve customer engagement by combining the benefits of a physical interaction with the robust data of the digital experience if data is exposed correctly.
  • Focus on simplifying tasks first. Deploy initiatives that create efficiencies in store operations first, and then focus on developing strategies and solutions that bolster the customer experience. Today, measurable ROI is easier to define through store efficiencies than through improvements in customer experience.
  • Test and learn, just like your competition. Our data shows rapid adoption of mPOS. Early adopters are learning lessons they will need when mPOS and mCommerce sales reach elevated levels and hit mainstream status.

I’ll be discussing this topic along with other digital capabilities that are shaping the future store in a presentation at our eBusiness & Channel Strategy Forum in Chicago on Tuesday November 5. I hope to see you at this event — and in the meantime, clients can reach out to me to schedule an inquiry to discuss how this research can help you with your eBusiness initiatives.