Implementing the right technologies offers retailers an opportunity to be more efficient—and gain a competitive edge. You can keep working the same way you are today to try to keep pace, or you can use technology to work smarter.

During the NACS Webinar “A Retailer's Story: Using Technology for Efficiency and Growth,” John Coyle, vice president of sales at ADD Systems and Taylor Sutton, chief operating officer of Tiger Fuel, a diversified company with c-stores, wholesale fuel delivery, home heating oil, propane and service, discussed how technology can:

• Offer automation to increase efficiency and accuracy, which will free up staff to grow your business and offer more customer support.
• Utilize mobile tools to run an efficient fuel delivery operation and offer streamlined HVAC service.
• Help your wholesale staff with automation that can handle pricing, quoting and tax reporting to help protect your margins.
• Free your c-store employees from time-consuming paperwork and expensive errors, and enable them to stay out on the floor giving better customer service.
• Enable informed decision making across your business with business intelligence reporting, including automatic reporting and exception notifications.

During the webinar, Coyle and Sutton discussed how integrated technology has helped Tiger’s stores and employees be as efficient as possible. “When you look at your employees in these stores, it’s important to see how they have adapted to your adoption of this technology. Has it been easier for your employees? Have some of them struggled?” Coyle asked.

“For the most part, the tech is making [employees’] lives easier. As long as they’re trained well, then it’s a net improvement,” Sutton responded.

When technology can free employees up from other tasks, the experts said, there can be an improvement in customer service. “Shrink is one of the biggest issues in stores. But if you’re freeing up your people in other areas because you are using technology, it gives employees more time to work with customers and keep an eye out on those things,” said Coyle.

“The more freedom you give them to keep their eyes open the better,” agreed Sutton.

To watch the full webinar “A Retailer's Story: Using Technology for Efficiency and Growth,” click here. To learn more about other upcoming NACS webinars, click here.