Yes, mobile devices are fast becoming the critical tool for store associates. Arming store associates with access to the same information as customers (and more) just makes sense in so many ways. The benefits are undeniable, despite some retail executives’ concerns about misuse and the distraction mobile devices can cause. Beyond the many client-facing applications for mobile, we have begun to deliver store traffic and conversion insights to store personnel via mobile and we have seen an impact in usage levels and results by managers who have access to mobile insights compared to managers who don’t have access to the same information.

Giving associates an iPad to ring people up is hardly a way-forward strategy. What do they do with it besides look up inventory which may or may not be right? Most POS systems do as much.

What do they do while someone runs to the back to get the stock? Yes there are aspects that can help but many will add a barrier between customer and purchase as much as “please hold while I check that” did when retailers were looking for items a few years ago.

If you’re going to give them shiny objects, don’t stop at giving them sales training or you’ve just got more warehouse workers. And the more checking they do on a laptop, the more their pitiful customer service skills will atrophy — mark my words.

It is a definite yes for specialty retail stores. The ability for associates to have all the information about products, inventory, pricing and to complete the sale with MPOS is going to be a must in order to compete with online retail and all the information online to the consumer. In today’s market, mobile devices play an important role in all applications for inventory management, customer service and management applications, however the greatest focus needs to be on customer service. Mobile gives the store associates the ability to engage the customer and not run away from them. They would have any and all the information needed to respond to the customer. And if the product is not in the store or in a nearby store, they can still make the sale online. It is the right thing to do for in-store associates within the specialty retail space.

Yes. Empowering associates with knowledge at their fingertips to better engage shoppers is essential. And offering mobile in-aisle POS will become ubiquitous.

It seems to me that in-store technology, including mobile devices for associates, needs to be deployed as quickly as possible to improve the shopping experience, deliver more efficiency, encourage basket-building in the aisle, provide access to relevant information and compete more effectively with online options.

Given retail associate demographics, it is safe to say that 100 percent of retail associates already rely on mobile devices to make their non-work lives more interesting and efficient, so why should work be any different?

Every aspect of an associate’s day — interacting with customers and building personalized offers, processing payments, receiving tailored training and merchandising instructions on new offers/products, interacting with colleagues in other locations and performing store maintenance — can be greatly improved through the adoption of mobile devices.

If the associates use the devices as a crutch, it will be a failure. If they use the devices to embrace customer engagement, it will be a big winner. Even if the associate knows a quick answer for the customer, imagine if they use the device to draw the customer into a dialogue and help explore similar items or associated items they might be interested in.

When reading a book to a child, the child moves closer, their head focuses on the book and they become engaged as one with you. The mobile device could do the very same thing for a retail associate in capturing the customer.

An associate who is engaging with a customer without a mobile device is flying blind. Customers are coming into the store with an intention based on research and if they need to engage with an associate, it’s for a deal-closing inquiry like: “Where is it in-store?” or “What does it cost?” or “Can I get it at another store?” If an associate is unable to answer those sorts of questions, that research kicks in and the customer moves on to the retailer’s competitor. Mobility gives associates access to line-of-business applications, scanning, voice communications, payment and more — empowering them in the moment.

Simply putting a mobile device in the hands of associates is not the answer. Just like any other display-based technology, it is imperative to create a meaningful and sustainable content strategy. Every shopper already has a mobile device. The other half of the equation is the sales associate holding the mobile device. Do they know how to interact with the shopper? Are they empowered to do the right thing? Are they qualified? What’s in it for them? Does the shopper in a specific category want to take the time to talk to them? In short, is the workflow designed to help sell more stuff? And is a mobile device needed to deliver on the promise? I believe there are other technologies and processes that are far more valuable in furthering the value of the in-store experience than putting a mobile device in the hands of sales associates.

Mobile devices in the hands of associates will be great IF (big if) those devices are enabled with excellent tools to help customers better navigate the shopping experience. Those tools increasingly exist, so retailers just need to use them.

There is no question that this capability helps greatly, as we can think of a couple very prominent examples of where this is happening today … and has been happening for several years now. It’s time for all retailers to leverage technologies in ways they couldn’t only a few years ago. This will be huge … it kinda already is.