From Dubai to Melbourne, from New Delhi to New York, from that standalone neighborhood IKEA to a glittery LVMH exclusive, we are surrounded by retail outlets. Despite the e-commerce, m-commerce and q-commerce upsurge, brick-and-mortar stores hold their own. In modern retail device environments, technology connects both in-store and online business activities and operations.
With a breakneck competitive ecosystem, retail organizations must not miss any productivity pulse. Sysadmins in retail are tasked with managing various employee devices based on the role these devices and employees play day-to-day. As it’s a mobile-first world, a large number of employee devices in retail are mobile devices. So, is there a magical orb somewhere for retail sysadmins?
Mobile devices of many retail frontline and backline workforces need effective management, and therefore, it’s time for sysadmins in retail to embrace shared devices and leverage the power of a SaaS solution like Mobile Device Management (MDM) to manage these shared devices.
MDM for shared devices in retail can be the magical orb for sysadmins and retail organizations seeking high workforce productivity. Let’s find out how and why!
Shared Device Mode for Retail Workforce
It’s true that autonomous retail with fully automated self-check-in/out kiosk capabilities will reduce retail jobs in the future. Yet, we are a long way away from the possibility of 100% robots and 0% humans in brick-and-mortar stores.
Also, don’t let some of those wee-hour shutters or locks lure you into thinking that retail isn’t a 24×7 business. Yes, some of the frontline staff don’t need to be in-store at 4 am. But only some. Urban spaces around the world have many retail chains that operate round-the-clock, including frontline staff that works in two or even three shifts. Meanwhile, the backend action never stops in retail.
| As per Gartner1, by 2025, 70% of all new endpoint or device investments will be for frontline workforces |
Shared device mode entails that sysadmins in retail setups are responsible for managing corporate devices shared among two or more employees working different shifts. And with an MDM solution, managing shared devices is not just hassle-free but also encompasses many efficiency-boosting elements.
Explore the benefits of using MDM for shared devices in healthcare
Shared Devices in Retail: Getting Started
Enrolling and configuring shared devices using MDM software is simple and easy. Sysadmins must create shared device profiles and configure policies and other settings based on the employees and the intended purposes of these devices. The shared devices are then enrolled in the MDM solution, and the required shared device profile and policies are applied. Thus, shared devices are ready for use at the earliest.
Why Retail Sysadmins Need MDM for Shared Devices
Once enrolled, deployed and ready for use, an MDM solution lets retail sysadmins do a lot more on the shared device management front. All of the following benefits are critical to the efficiency of retail device environments.
Switch & Verify with Ease
An MDM lets sysadmins ascertain that user switching on shared devices is fast and secure. Email credentials, followed by an OTP, and the shared device is ready for the user. As the end of the shift approaches, sysadmins can alert the user with a customized message set from the MDM dashboard. This leads to efficient switching without any unnecessary time consumption. Once the current user is logged out after the predefined shift interval, the shared device is ready to welcome its next user.
Keep Sessions Private
Sysadmins can use an MDM solution to enable the auto-deletion of app data before every single new log-in session on shared devices. Thus, no retail employees can sneak into the app data of their colleagues. Be it customer information or user data, managing shared devices with MDM protects sensitive corporate and personal data at all times.
Private sessions offer another advantage for shared devices that store app information of interactions between frontline employees and customers. As data of allowed apps is cleared with each new session, there’s no overlapping of information on devices, which means zero confusion. This leads to more effective interactions and better decision-making.
Streamline Content & App Management
Retail sysadmins deal with a lot of apps and content because of the highly customer-facing nature of the industry. Feedback forms and surveys, price catalogs, product upgrades, new launches, and plenty more. The same shared device might need a completely different set of apps for different frontline employees. For example, apps required for in-store customer-facing employees and those for backend functions like RFID scanning are poles apart.
This is where an MDM solution makes the life of sysadmins easier. Sysadmins can streamline the management of apps and content on shared devices with MDM software. Apps and content can be pushed in and out of shared devices as and when required. New app installations or essential updates on existing apps are executed seamlessly and silently as well. All of this remotely and without any end-user intervention—that’s E for efficiency.
Set Workflows & Access Reports
Shared devices in retail need constant and timely monitoring and analysis in terms of both device usage and user actions. An MDM dashboard helps sysadmins keep a close track of what’s happening with shared devices and how they are being used. It also allows for quick notifications and alerts via workflows. For example, a frontline employee can be alerted that the shared device in use is about to run out of storage space. This impedes unwanted situations like a customer being unable to submit a form.
In addition, device reports help retail organizations analyze how employees use shared corporate devices. Any unusual activities or sources of distraction can be noticed immediately. Thus, there’s no room for inefficiencies while using corporate devices at work.
Manage Shared Devices in Retail with Scalefusion
In any retail organization, there’s no substitute for efficiency. Thus, the stakes and efficiency standards are high in the retail industry. With shared devices, organizations will be able to maintain an efficient retail device environment. However, effective management of these shared devices is of equal importance.
Scalefusion MDM is a powerful solution that assists retail sysadmins in shared device management. Contact our experts to schedule a demo or try Scalefusion’s shared device features with a 14-day free trial.
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