Stephen Duncan
Stephen Duncan is the Retail Product Manager for ERP vendor Pronto Software. @duncs_pronto
Website URL: http://www.pronto.com.au
When it comes to choosing retail software is ‘best of breed’ really the best option? Sure if it was a perfect IT world then having the best option of anything would seem to be the obvious preference. The problem is it’s not that straight forward. There are so many touch points that must be taken into consideration on top of purely the applications. These include integration, implementation, training, future upgrades and support just to name a few.
If we’ve learned anything in from the recent GFC it has to be that our customers are not simply looking for discounts as an incentive to continue spending. While it was great for the last few years there’s now a sense that the industry has played that card and it’s now become an expectation not the exception.
So is retail dead? This humble blogger thinks not.
In an age where there is more choice then ever and less clarity between form and function, how does one stand out from the crowd. This means that with plenty on offer only a few retailers seem to be penetrating through the noise.
One emerging technology that may assist in achieving that point of differentiation through generating interest and intrigue is the QR Code. In short a QR Code or Quick Response Code is a two-dimensional code designed to hold multiple pieces of data such as text or a URL. Companies for example can use a QR to provide contact details or a gateway to enter a competition.


