Contactless Shopping And 3 More Ways Retail Is Surviving COVID-19 – Part II

Given the tumult that the retail industry is experiencing, there is no such thing as being too thorough in considering what retail firms need to do to survive COVID-19. In Part I of this series, we considered contactless shopping and the value of MDM for retail in that context. In Part II, we will look at several additional sides of contactless shopping, in order to understand what technology the retail industry needs to be efficient and safe- including how MDM for retail (in particular, 42Gears’ software) can make a difference. 

Contactless App-Based Delivery (From the Perspective of the Contractor)

In countries in quarantine worldwide, app-based delivery services (such as Instacart in the United States and Bigbasket in India) serve an essential role in bringing necessities to people who are not comfortable leaving their homes. Part I considered what retail firms needed to do to facilitate interactions with app-based contractors- the people who assemble and deliver goods to customers- and here we will consider what app-based delivery firms need to do for their contractors to make contactless shopping possible. 

If app-based delivery companies provide contractors with devices for contactless shopping, there are several necessary best practices to ensure that contractors stay safe and customers remain satisfied. Contractors need devices to be locked-down to stay focused. If contractors use their own devices for contactless shopping, there is a risk that contractors could save sensitive customer data (such as addresses) on personal apps. MDM for retail can help mitigate this risk; for example, SureMDM’s bring-your-own-device (BYOD) program puts business data in a “container,” so contractors are not allowed to put business data in personal apps in any form. 

Once customers’ orders are assembled, contractors need to navigate roads to reach customers. Given the enormous demand placed on contractors in contactless shopping, they may be tempted to multitask while driving at top speed- calling customers, opening maps, and so on. When driving quickly, this can be disastrous. On company-owned devices, SureMDM’s Driver Safety Mode locks devices down when vehicles exceed a certain speed, keeping contractors from endangering themselves and others. 

Inventory Management and Store Replenishment

Contactless shopping relies on the assumption that stores are fully stocked- but stocking stores is a massive undertaking during the pandemic. Maintaining social distancing while unpacking goods is absolutely a challenge, and retail firms need to use every tool at their disposal to track and unpack goods. 

An emerging trend in retail outlet management is smart shelves– weight-sensitive shelves that can detect when goods are placed on them or removed from them. Especially when social distancing is paramount, it’s important to monitor shelves from a distance using MDM for retail. 42Gears’ Things Management Technology lets managers keep Internet of Things (IoT) devices like smart shelves safe, using custom extensions to view and troubleshoot IoT devices from the central SureMDM console. 

Store employees may be equipped with scanners with which to track inventory via barcodes. If any of these devices were to go down and no kind of MDM for retail was in place, it would bring inventory management to a halt. SureMDM supports all sorts of rugged devices for frontline workers, including Zebra and Datalogic devices, so IT admins can repair devices quickly if any issues do occur. 

Customer Service

Customer service representatives may not be directly involved in contactless shopping, but the role they play is essential. Store employees and contractors cannot handle every logistical query or concern themselves, and having robust customer service is essential to letting on-the-ground workers do what they need to do without being overwhelmed. 

In fact, at least some organizations have needed to expand their customer service workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic. This poses a challenge; during the pandemic, in-person on-boarding of new hires may be impossible- at least, without MDM for retail. SureMDM helps firms work around this by letting new hires securely onboard with their own personal devices, without any in-person contact required. 

Thanks to SureMDM’s BYOD support, new customer service representatives can use their own devices to get started with their work. Employers can rest easy, as they can push compliance policies to devices to ensure corporate data is not jeopardized. If new employees do endanger work data, the employer can simply remove all business data from the device in an instant. 

Hiring customer service workers is where MDM for retail plays a key role. As SureMDM can manage phones, tablets, laptops, wearables, and more, new employees can participate in the BYOD program no matter what kind of customer service they provide (over-the-phone, live chat via laptop, and so on). 

Conclusion

From an outside perspective, retail may seem to be dormant during the pandemic, but this is far from the truth. A huge network of managers, workers, contractors, and support staff labors tirelessly to make contactless shopping possible in conjunction with MDM for retail- and SureMDM is there to help every step of the way. Visit this link to learn more about SureMDM and register for a free trial.