Given that I work in the IT industry, people frequently ask my opinion on the Android vs Apple question, and why I chose an Android phone (Samsung) over a an iPhone and an Android tablet (Lenovo) over an iPad. I always try to respond in a politically correct manner, so as not to say anything offensive to the many friends and colleagues that are Apple owners. A typical response might go something like this, “Apple is great. Great visionary company that undeniably makes great products. Can’t argue that. But I decided on Android because it’s cheaper, more open, yada, yada”. I am no expert, but the truth is, I have had it with Apple and its over-priced ‘i’ products, it’s closed and controlling environment, and the materialistic status symbol it has become. While the i products were revolutionary, they are no longer the only thing available on the market. Does every kid really need an iPhone, iPod, iPad, and maybe soon an iCar? Spending $800+ on a tablet is not necessary. You can purchase an equally capable tablet for under $400. Just like the “Apple vs. Windows” debate over the desktop world, it is now “Apple vs Android” over the mobile world. Like Microsoft, Google provides the ultimate competitive environment, where any hardware vendor can build or adapt their products to the Android operating system. Software, media, and data from any source, are easily used across all Android devices. You don’t have to purchase every device, every piece of software, and all digital content from the Apple Empire.

I am sure this debate will go on for a long time, but for now, I will stick with my Android devices and see how the market further develops. What’s your preferred mobile device?

This list is not intended to be exhaustive, nor is it necessarily the best solution in their respective area of specialty; they are simply the applications that I have selected based on my own research and trial & error.

So here is my list of TOP TEN FREE APPLICATIONS (not in any particular order):

1. LinkedIn - Absolutely the most effective and powerful application I use on a regular basis. No time in history has it been so easy to stay in touch with your business network. LinkedIn provides the perfect medium to keep in touch with my network, stay current with industry news, be involved in group discussions, and instantly share updates and company news. I do pay for a premium account ($249/year).
2. DropBox – Great tool for backing up and sharing files. All of my files are stored centrally in Dropbox. I can access these files anywhere, even my Android phone. I am able to share specific folders with colleagues or clients as needed. I do pay for additional storage space which costs $99/year for 50 GB of storage.
3. FreshBooks – Another killer app. Incredibly easy to use and saves me a whack of time each month. I do all of my invoicing using FreshBooks. Tracks all time, activities, comments, and rates for all team members. Subcontractors use their own FreshBooks account, linking their time to the owner’s project, making it simple to reconcile their invoices. I pay $20/month, which is the cost once you have more than 3 customers.
4. Ace of Sales - A great tool for contact management. For $20/month, you can send unlimited  e-greetings, e-zines, and branded emails. Includes great tools and analytics for tracking open and click-through rates.
5. WordPress – Website, blog all created with WordPress at no cost!!
6. Skype – IM, calls to other skype users, video conference calls, Skype to land lines (small fee). Incredible tool when working in a virtual office.
7. FreeConferencePro – for those that prefer land lines, this is a great free service to initiate and schedule free conference calls (just long distance charges apply).
8. Join.Me – This is the simplest and most effective tool for connecting to other PCs remotely. Since most of the work I do is remote and I work as part of a virtual team, I use this tool ALL the time for support, demos, and team collaboration.
9. Google Analytics – Another great free tool. Google provides so much information on web-site visits. Some of the key metrics I look at on a regular basis; number of site/page visits, location (where they are from), content (which pages, landing and exit page), network (sometimes indicates company name), time on site, etc.
10. Google Reader/Twitter – These are the tools I rely on for a daily review of my all news feeds and blogs. I follow many blogs, news organizations, and people of interest for both personal and business use.

Regardless of the type of work you do there are free (or almost free) applications for almost anything you need. What are your favorite free applications?

ERP systems are built for the masses. In order to meet the needs of many it must include many options and many features. And these can slow you down! Every retailer is different and everyone’s workflow is varied. How can a system designed for the masses possibly meet the needs of every retailer? It can’t. This is why we are seeing an explosion of Custom or Specialized Apps. It is such specialization that can make you more efficient and give you an edge.

We have already seen this trend in the consumer world. It was not long ago, that consumers did not have much choice, they used a few major applications and had to work within these constraints to get things done. Not always the most productive way of doing things.  Now we live in the world of Apps, thanks to Apple and Google, and as a result, you can find an App for almost anything!! Apps are now so highly customized and so specific, that every consumer can have their own customized experience based on the array of Apps they download. We are starting to see a similar trend in business. Retailers want to get the most out of their ERP system, and sometimes that means purchasing specialized apps that can work with their ERP System. Systems are more standard and more open today, therefore opening up the possibilities of developing highly customized apps and “plugging” them in to your ERP system. Need sophisticated Price Optimization? In-depth forecasting capability? Intelligent promotions engine? You no longer have to rely solely on your ERP vendor for specialized functionality. Highly specialized solutions are available on the market or “Custom Apps” can be designed and developed, while being fully and tightly integrated with your ERP system. Now any retailer can afford to build, rent, or buy their own customized apps.

How do we know? We know, because at RIBA Retail, we have built a number of such highly customized business apps, integrated with the Retailers’ back office system, such as our speedy web-based PO Entry system (POExpress). Do you see it the same way? What specialized apps can your retail operations benefit from?

What I came to realize is that people want to know what’s in it for them? They have probably seen these codes all over the place, maybe even scanned a few out of interest, but it resulted simply in a link to a web-site or youtube video. So their value in scanning was almost nil. Ultimately, I believe these codes are largely ignored.

QR Codes, short for Quick Response Code, have been around since the mid 90′s. Originally developed and designed for the car industry as a way to track vehicles through the manufacturing process, they have been used mostly for commercial use because of their quick readability and storage capacity (far greater than traditional UPC codes). With the recent explosion of smartphones, we are now seeing QR codes being used for consumer purposes, since smartphones with cameras can easily scan these codes and deliver some actual information or functionality to the consumer. But until the consumer sees value in scanning these codes, most will be ignored. So how can retailers make us of these codes and have an impact with their consumers.This article shows three ways that Retailers can make effective use of QR codes. But ultimately, people must be creative and devise new ways to engage the consumers with use of these codes, and then consumers will start to notice them and use them.

What has your experience been with QR codes?

From sessions to Expo Hall, I think Mobile and Customer Service were on the minds of most retailers. I think this makes sense and the 2 are very much related. As competition increases between E-commerce and Brick & Mortar, retailers must deliver even better customer service, and ‘MOBILE’ is all about Customer Service. We have been hearing “mobile” for a very long time, and now that we are well into the 2nd generation of the iPad revolution, things are starting to take off. Believe me, I do not think the iPad is the answer to ALL mobile, there are many other tablets, mobile devices, operating systems, and solutions that do not require Apple’s pricey footprint. But the iPad has made this new technology accessible and desired universally. It has made what seemed like a pipe dream for Retailers only a couple of years back, a reality today. Retailers now understand that today’s mobile technology is ready for prime-time – it is easily developed/integrated, it is affordable, it is widely accessible, and fully accepted. In a flash, every retailer now MUST have a Mobile Strategy. As a result, vendors were strutting all their new wares in this area. Real or not, it was being discussed, demo’d, and even sold.

On another note, Montreal’s very own Mitch Joel from Twist Image, was a keynote speaker on everything Digital, which you can read more about here. Visit the NRF Blog where you will find more discussions on other sessions regarding customer service and mobile.

If I saw you at NRF, it was nice to catch up.  You can continue to stay up to date with RIBA Retail by following me on LinkedIn, Twitter, and this Blog.

Being in the Retail IT industry for over 25 years now, and having my own business for the last 9 years, this once-a-year mega event is critical for my small business. Last year, there were over 22,000 attendees from over 84 countries, over 500 exhibitors using 500,000 sq ft of expo space, and 100+ sessions to choose from. Big Show 2012 will be bigger. It’s a lot to take in over a 3-day period. You can’t do everything, there’s not enough time. Planning is critical. Over the years, I have developed a strategy for getting the most accomplished in this tight timeframe. Here are a few tips you might find useful when planning your visit to NRF this year:

1. Plan travel arrangements well in advance – Booking flights and hotel rooms will be a lot cheaper if this is taken care of early. I always book 2-3 hotels that offer a good price in different locations, so that I can choose what will suit me best as the convention approaches. You don’t have to stay at an NRF hotel; you can simply walk a few blocks to the lobby of one of these hotels to catch a shuttle. While I usually prefer to stay somewhere central, near all the NRF hotels/events, you can also stay closer to the Javits center and simply walk to the convention.
2. Register ahead of time – Take care of your registration ahead of time. Registration lines at the convention can be very long. If just attending the Expo, then retailers can register at no cost. For non-retailers, you can easily find free passes online from exhibiting vendors. If you arrive to NYC on Sunday, it is best to pick up your badge Sunday afternoon.
3. Plan your sessions – Plan which sessions you are attending ahead of time, because this will affect the rest of your schedule. There are a lot of good sessions to attend, so planning is critical. Review this year’s agenda ahead of time and allot the time for the sessions you MUST attend.
4. Layout your Expo Plan – The Expo is huge. Map out ahead of time which vendors you want to visit. NRF provides a great mapping tool that allows you to locate where each booth is. Plan your schedule of booth visits to minimize floor-walking. While you want to allow some time to walk the floor and see what’s new, you don’t want to leave it to chance to finding the booths/vendors you need to see.
5. Schedule meetings ahead of time – Whether meeting with vendors, prospective clients, colleagues, or friends, plan all of your meetings ahead of time. This all has to be coordinated with any sessions you are planning to attend. Try to maximize your time available, and plan meetings during available off-hours. Early breakfast, end of day cocktails, shuttle rides back to the hotel, or late night snacks are good times to squeeze in a few extra meetings.
6. Pick appropriate gatherings – There are lots of after hour cocktail parties, dinners, and gatherings to choose from. Aside from letting loose and having some fun, make sure you choose the events that work best for you, where you have the best chance to make new relevant contacts and create business opportunities.
7. Eat a hearty breakfast – This is probably the best advice I can give. Make sure you eat a hearty breakfast and pack a few healthy snacks for the day. Aside from exorbitant convention prices, food lines are long and seats are hard to find during peak lunch-time hours. This will waste too much time! The food court and other convention eateries are a great place to grab a coffee/snack or coordinate a brief meeting during off hours. Also, the Expo is less busy during lunch hours, making it easier to move around the floor and meet with vendors.

I hope you find these tips useful. Let me know if you have any of your own tips that you can share. Are you planning to attend NRF this year? Maybe we can meet for breakfast

1. ONE-TIME – A data conversion happens only once when implementing a new system or module. There is a large learning curve. We do this all the time, we are familiar with the APIs, we understand the underlying data structures, and we know the expected results. Why spend time training staff for this one-time process?
2. Retail Experience - We will have to work with your IT team to determine the appropriate data sources, data mappings, and business rules. We understand retail and retail data. Our analysts have decades of retail IT experience. We speak the same language. No time will be lost explaining terminology and concepts. We get it!
3. Proven Process – Over the years, we have developed and refined a methodology and powerful set of tools that works. Requirements are documented, conversions are configured, results are verified and documented. We can repeat this process numerous times with the same expected results
4. Resources - Why tie up your valuable resources on this ‘one-time’ project? Your resources are already busy with their current tasks supporting existing systems or preparing for the new system to be implemented. This is just one piece that can be removed from their plate and you can rest assured it will get done.
5. Cost-savings - While there will be a cost associated with outsourcing this work, the savings will be greater. A lot of time, with numerous iterations, can be wasted on a project of this nature, possibly taking 2-3 times more time/effort than would be required by us. Any bad data or results of your effort can cause unending support costs down the road. And lastly, reaching your project’s end more quickly will allow you to realize your return on investment that much quicker. And after all, isn’t that why you are implementing a new system to begin with?

So there’s the compelling list. This is the result of years of experience in doing such projects. Implementing a new system/module does not happen every day. The new system/module must be fully implemented as quickly as possible, so that you can start to realize the value and return from this significant investment. Outsourcing your data conversion will help you achieve this goal more quickly.

What do you think? Do you see this the same way?

Here are just a few problems I see with this model:

• Lack of Creativity - first and foremost is the sheer lack of originality. How many copycat sites offering similar daily promotions do we need?
• Lack of Novelty – most in the RetailWire discussion agreed that the novelty of such deals quickly wore-off. With the constant barrage of 50-90% deals, the excitement is quickly lost, especially knowing that another deal was always available around the corner.
• Non-Targeted - getting a daily deal for nail salons, massages, and cupcakes really does not meet my needs. After awhile, these emails are simply ignored. Daily deals need to be much more targeted towards the individual consumer’s needs/desires. Companies, like KoalaDeal seem to be doing a much better job of this.
• Purchase in Advance – I have never been a fan of making purchases prior to the use of a given product/service. This will cause you to buy things you never would have bought in the first place, and may forget to use in the future.
• Spend More – you usually end up spending more than the coupon purchased. If dining out, then the tab is likely to exceed the amount of the coupon, which does not cover tax/tips. Of course, this is what the Retailer hopes for, that you will spend more higher margin dollars once you’re in their establishment.
• More Spam – do I really need more email/spam?
• Bad for Retailer – In many cases this is not even good for the Retailer. Expensive fees charged by Daily Deal vendors, along with a sudden dramatic increase in customers can have a negative impact on small businesses. There have been numerous horror stories recorded, where such deals hurt a Retailer’s bottom line. A sudden surge of customers can negatively affect their service and normal business operations. Sure, they have the opportunity to attract new customers, but may not be the most cost effective or efficient way to do so.
• Too easy to Compete – Larger retailers can easily offer their own high discount offerings; either daily or via more targeted means such as Facebook. Using an expensive service like Groupon, will not be beneficial to the large retailer. Smaller retailers may benefit by gaining access to a large pool of potential customers, but they too can probably generate more buzz at a more targeted audience with a little creativity and use of social media.

Bottom line, it is just another method for offering a discount and trying to generate some excitement and interest for new customers. Daily Deals are not even that unique. We have seen these type of coupons/services for decades (e.g. Entertainment Books, which provide you with a suite of coupons for a pre-paid price). In the end, the plethora of Daily Deal sites will eventually fade away, as their business model no longer makes sense and we will be left with a few that do it really well, and can offer more targeted, unique, and exciting offers.

What do you think? Do you see any other problems/benefits with this model?

PS – Unsubscribing from Groupon offered the best experience of all, where they showed the following video:

• Increased Sales
• Reduced Expenses
• Improved Productivity
• Improved Return on Assets
• Increased Return on Inventory
• Better business relations
• More knowledge

In application integration we are beset with a range of middle-ware that, in one way or another, transfers data and commands between incompatible systems.  Our conversation gets lost in message brokers, queuing, transport protocols, business rules, and formatting engines.  It is easy to lose track of the business value. Where is our benefit?

In our experience over the years, we can see the benefits in two areas using Robinson’s model; improved productivity and improved return on assets.  It is possible that Application Integration enables improvement in sales, expenses, or inventory, but we can’t really claim that, because they are behind the scenes.

But we can most certainly claim improved productivity for both users and IT.  By coupling applications, the user community is frequently relieved of many redundant and repetitive tasks.  IT gains a productivity boost too.  IT can do a better job in far less time using middle-ware and an applied approach to ALL application integration, or using specialized outside resources like RIBA Retail, rather than the old fashioned approach of throwing more bodies at tedious programming, manual processes, or never-ending trouble-shooting activities.

We can also claim that application integration improves return on assets, namely the applications themselves.  This can be measured by either extending the life of assets that might otherwise be retired or improving the overall use of an application by better (more meaningful) integration.  In effect, this is free cash flow, the CFO’s favorite metric.  Essentially, we are talking about avoiding the expensive purchase of a theoretically integrated application suite and the disruption of its implementation.  This is normally a significant cost, dwarfing the cost of the application integration project.

We are hoping this blog will stimulate you to carefully examine the business value you can create with Application Integration.

The top ten technologies for 2011 listed here require extensive integration:  loading of history records, exposing master files, tracking transactions.  As we’ve pointed out in this blog, this integration work almost never gets the attention it deserves.  It’s the Achilles Heel of our field.

Here is the RIS chart of top technologies for 2011, where I have added the most obvious points of integration:

The RIS/Gartner Survey goes on to measure the top IT challenges for the next 3 years.  The top three all imply very heavy integration:  application rationalization/retiring legacy, developing consumer-facing apps, and application integration.  Each of these was north of 37% of the respondents.

The survey also noted a pronounced downturn in the popularity of integrated application suites.  The bloom is off the rose.  Best of breed has reclaimed the ascendancy.  High reward best of breed applications means high risk application integration.

What do these trends mean for the retailer? One would hope that these initiatives would cry out for retail IT shops to realistically appraise their capability to perform the necessary application integration.  Because of the magnitude of the challenge, many shops will embrace, I expect, an architectural rather than a one-off approach.  Every shop needs a common/centralized place from which to pull the most frequently needed content, such as calendar, product, and location.  Strong testing methodology is required as well as domain enterprise.  We’ve seen time and again how resource-starved, time-critical application integration projects can poison an otherwise well-intended and well-run initiative.

What new best of breed initiatives are you considering? What approach/methodology will you take to ensure successful application integration? What are some of the pitfalls you anticipate?