In the competitive world of retail, providing excellent customer service is crucial to your survival.
But, to meet evolving consumer demands, your employees not only need the right support but the right digital tools too. This is why retailers are increasingly turning to solutions like Microsoft Office 365 to help deliver faster, more productive results.
When your employees can communicate and connect from anywhere in the world – with the latest information at their fingertips – they can provide the quality of service today’s customers expect.
What is Microsoft 365? A brief introduction for retailers
Microsoft Office 365 is a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution that delivers familiar Microsoft products, along with other productivity tools. These include:
- Excel
- Word
- PowerPoint
- SharePoint
- OneDrive
The suite runs on Microsoft cloud servers and is available via a monthly subscription plan. You can integrate it with on-premise data to ensure continuity across both environments.
As a cloud service, Office 365 is accessible from any device in the world, allowing your retail business to check inventory, track KPIs and share product information on-demand.
With this in mind, let’s take a closer look at the ways Microsoft Office 365 is making a massive difference in the retail industry.
1. Improve internal and customer-facing communication
Eighty-two percent of customers prefer an immediate response to their queries, meaning instant access to data is invaluable to your retail teams. Mobile devices have changed the game for all of us, making it possible to quickly and efficiently respond to your customer’s queries from anywhere in the world.
Microsoft Office 365 makes it easy for your customer-facing staff to access the resources they need to secure a sale or delight a returning shopper. They can also share information with you and your management staff, allowing for more effective two-way communication. Integrated Office tools such as Teams enable your employees to report issues or trends and offer valuable suggestions in real-time.
2. Build a more secure, accessible workspace
Some of the world’s biggest retailers are implementing bring your own device (BYOD) policies. With your frontline staff now able to access company apps from their own smartphone or tablet, it’s becoming easier than ever to sell on the shop floor.
But, with great flexibility comes an even greater need for watertight IT security.
To help your growing retail business avoid potential data breaches, Microsoft builds Enterprise Mobility + Security into all its Office 365 software.
This helps unify security management across users, devices, apps, and services, protecting data and intellectual property wherever it resides. The enterprise-grade security of Microsoft Office 365 allows you to provide access to critical resources on employee-owned devices, without compromising their integrity.
3. Enjoy more flexible user management
Flexibility is key in the modern workplace. Retailers must adapt to changing demands overnight and, often, they don’t have the technology or the mindset to keep pace. Seasonal fluctuations in activity are particularly difficult to navigate, with many retail businesses wasting hard-earned money on inflexible onboarding systems.
As a subscription-based service, Microsoft Office 365 is perfect for retailers who need to employ additional staff, at peak times. It’s easy to add or remove a user from your system, replacing the need to buy and manage multiple licences, identities, and devices for each of your employees.
4. Provide a familiar and intuitive toolkit
The beauty of Microsoft Office 365 is its familiarity to enterprise desktop users. With 36 percent of employees admitting they waste time resolving issues with unfamiliar software, there’s a clear need for intuitive tools.
Speeding up the adoption of new technology is essential for a number of reasons:
- Less time and money spent on training
- Greater levels of employee retention
- Increased focus and productivity
The more comfortable your retail staff are with the technology you use, the easier it will be for them to turn your investment into tangible ROI.
Fast-track your journey to the modern workspace
A staggering 96 percent of consumers say they’d stop interacting with a retailer if the service was unsatisfactory. In today’s industry, that means stepping up your digital transformation efforts to provide a more appealing customer experience.
The modern workspace thrives on flexibility, accessibility and speed – qualities you no longer get from a traditional desktop and server set-up. While a complete IT overhaul can feel like a gamble, upgrading to cloud-based services such as Microsoft Office 365 is a fantastic first step.
To learn more about deploying Office 365 in your business today, contact our team today.
