The right technology can raise a company’s respect and responsiveness.rn Credit: Thinkstock Customer service is an extension of technology. Rather, technology is an example of a company’s ability to deliver excellent customer service. Abercrombie’s CEO on Giving Consumers What They Want https://t.co/BGsm2qwbVv via @wwd — Andre F Bourque ♕ (@SocialMktgFella) March 28, 2017 It highlights the strengths — or exposes the weaknesses — concerning an organization’s renown for reliability. It reveals whether a business with an online presence and a physical storefront can do its job with speed and accuracy, while strengthening the loyalty of existing consumers and attracting the attention of prospective buyers. “We believe technology plays a key role in supporting the needs of our customers,” says Scott Smith, president of CreditRepair.com. “We aim to leverage the latest technology to create simple, effective experiences that make engaging with our service easy and accessible on every device.” All of which underscores the importance of how technology can increase productivity and enhance efficiency. According to the team at SalesWarp, which specializes in retail inventory, order and fulfillment solutions, independent retailers need to understand that technology can just as much prevent success as it can promote it. These experts emphasize, among other things, the power of flexibility. That feature advances creativity and experimentation. It enables executives to conceive different business strategies; to ensure the affordability of various marketing campaigns; and to ensure the fulfillment of inventory with confidence and convenience. Take, for instance, the way an advanced order management system (OMS) can strengthen customer service — and streamline the buying and selling of merchandise — in ways that surpass the resources of even the largest retailers. That union of fast fulfillment and personalized attention is at the center of a revolution involving inventory management. The process depends, however, on applying data across all sales channels. The SalesWarp team says: “Smart investments in technology can help independent retailers — particularly small business owners — do the necessary things well, including sales, purchases, promotion and fulfillment. Launching these features is a matter of weeks, in some cases, allowing companies to verify inventory with absolute confidence. Indeed, total accuracy of what a retailer possesses is more than possible; it is (or should be) the new standard for operations, management, accountability and service.” Independent research substantiates these claims, in terms of how businesses review data to better personalize their relationships with consumers. Achieving that goal is a testament of leadership, on the one hand, and innovative technology, on the other. It comes down to a bond of trust, where retailers can verify the accuracy of the inventory they possess and consumers can depend on the credibility of what they read online. That sense of trust is indispensable to how a company operates, based on the technology it uses, the reports its employees can retrieve, and the assertions that colleagues and co-workers can deploy without delay. Think of how what a store carries can — and does — influence whether that store’s reputation will carry, so to speak. The right inventory management software shapes that perception, raising a company’s standing for respect and responsiveness. That asset is critical to elevating the sort of customer service retailers can — and should — provide. Related content opinion How the right technology can create value for everyone When a tech solution is pleasing, simple, effective and frictionless, it's difficult to stop using. By Andre Bourque Jun 05, 2017 6 mins Consumer Electronics IT Leadership opinion How SaaS abandonment is killing your enterprise bottom line Organizationsu2019 enterprise software infrastructure is so fragmented, business intelligence suffers severely. rn By Andre Bourque May 31, 2017 5 mins SaaS Cloud Computing opinion 7 effective strategies executives use to pick a technology partner Need your project delivered on time and under budget? Use these strategies to get those types of vendor results. By Andre Bourque May 24, 2017 9 mins Technology Industry opinion Creating a global social community for songwriters New platform, Songistry ends the isolation of individual songwriters. By Andre Bourque May 22, 2017 4 mins Enterprise Applications Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe