Retailers who know how to play digital game have long realized that new techs open the door to new business opportunities. Implementation of software applications is no longer optional simply because the future of retail has become inextricably linked to digital savviness. To maintain their presence on the market, retailers have to redefine the ways in which apps are designed and brought into action.

Far from flexible, old-time big-scale and monolithic applications designed for a specific functionality (for example, warehouse management system) make it impossible for retailers to quickly react to dynamically changing digital-physical world.
How to stay attractive to consumers who feel at home both in the virtual reality and offline world? With multiple channels in play, competing for a client’s attention has become trickier than ever. Investment in IT capabilities, with special focus on apps, seems the right way to go. Below are three key strategies that may help retail players woo digitally fluent consumers.

Liquid Software Development

New techs speed up business dynamics, getting ahead by leaps and bounds of existing application methods. Unless they want to lag behind, firms must adopt a fundamentally new way to build software. With agility and speed as key priorities, businesses need to let go of complex, lengthy and expensive coding of applications, or monolithic systems built from the ground up. Instead, they should develop software faster and in a more flexible and liquid manner.

Software Intelligence

To be able to manage increasing volume, velocity and complexity, as well as maximize the business value of internal and external data, businesses have to embed software intelligence everywhere.

Pushing the limits with app connectivity

With an increasing number of businesses operating in IoT environment, connectivity is no longer a novelty for software- driven businesses. That said, it now goes beyond application integration by using software to push boundaries. To boost their revenues and reinforce market presence, companies have no other choice than venture into new dimensions of application connectivity.

Source: https://www.accenture.com