It is common knowledge that the retail industry is in the full grip of a digital revolution thanks to the internet. With more people connecting to the internet every day and more communities embedding it into their culture, it is driving an unstoppable retail transformation from which there will be winners and losers.

The winners are likely to have web-based, flexible, adaptable retail management systems that forecast trends, work in real-time and change prices across the board quickly and easily. Winning in the retail world entails exceeding customer demands, delivering orders on time and at the right price, leaving them nothing to think about except how much they love your brand and what they will buy next.

Web-based retail technology also improves back-end systems and refines design manufacturing, inventory management and delivery processes, making for an agile approach to business that drives profitability.

These changes are all triggering a massive shift towards cloud technology. In fact, a recent Gartner study discovered that by 2019, 90% of companies across the full economic spectrum plan to have cloud computing capabilities at some level. With an internet connection and the right software, any member of your organisation can access business critical IT systems such as enterprise order management, point of sale, store inventory, store fulfilment, and customer intelligence from anywhere.

Cloud-native or cloud-enabled?

There is a lot of jargon to navigate when looking to embrace cloud technology. Don’t be led astray by the concept of cloud-enabled, focus on cloud-native solutions; they are specifically built to enjoy the full functionality of cloud infrastructure.

Cloud-enabled technology are often comprised of legacy systems modified to deploy on the cloud, and are often ill-equipped to navigate the digital revolution.

Cloud-native technology on the other hand runs seamlessly in the cloud using componentised micro services and offering agility, scalability and resilience second to none, enabling you to focus on what matters most, retailing.

About Manhattan Associates

Manhattan Associates is a technology leader in supply chain and omni-channel commerce. We unite information across the enterprise, converging front-end sales with back-end supply chain execution. For more information, visit www.manh.com/