The retail industry is a dynamic sector that adopts technological improvements to accommodate changing consumer needs. As a result, many retailers rely on printers to enhance customer experience and streamline operations.
Printers are responsible for the efficiency and accuracy of transactions, inventory tracking and more. To keep retail stores working properly, there are common retail printer problems that must be overcome:
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| Printer vulnerability to cyberattacks | Unexpected downtime | Inefficient printer deployments |
One way to overcome these challenges is with remote printer management. SOTI sat down with Joe Gordon – Vice President of Product Innovation and Product Manager of SOTI Connect – to discuss the importance of enterprise-grade printer management for the retail industry and the value of SOTI Connect. Dive into our conversation!
How do printers affect the productivity and efficiency of retail businesses?
Many printer types are used by retail businesses to fulfill day-to-day tasks and keep operations running smoothly. As a result, from start to finish, a customer’s retail experience is influenced by the productivity of printers.
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Customers can shop effectively when the shelves are stocked with accurate price tag stickers and inventory remains up to date and organized with barcode labels. |
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When the customer is ready to buy, a point of sale (POS) printer finalizes the purchase with a detailed receipt. |
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If online shopping is preferred, a label printer creates shipping labels that can be scanned at various transfer points along the way. |
Each step of the retail process is made possible by a variety of printers that need to be managed to keep businesses productive and customers happy. This variety can cause workload challenges for IT. For example, the POS printer may have a different management console than the barcode printer that keeps inventory up to date. This introduces the need for a unified printer management solution.
Why is remote printer management important? What happens if printers are not managed properly?
Remote printer management helps businesses take control of and optimize their retail printers from a single console. Update settings, visualize performance indicators and manage software and firmware updates as if you were standing in front of the printer – but using your monitor, keyboard and mouse instead of the printer’s smaller interface.
Imagine a thermal receipt printhead overheats during peak hours, delaying all POS transactions. The result for customers? Longer lines, abandoned purchases and negative brand experiences. The result for the retail organization? Lost revenue, elevated maintenance and repair costs and reputational damage.
With printer management, a remote technician could identify and remediate the issue, addressing disruptions and relieving in-person staff from resolving the printer issue themselves or waiting for a technician to visit the store. They could even prevent these disruptions from occurring with proactive maintenance and repairs.
66% of IT professionals believe their printers may contain malware and 75% of CIOs predict that printers will be a prominent focus for data breaches in the future. Printer security protects your retail business with timely firmware and patch updates, managing access control and the ability to audit printers on the network.
How can SOTI Connect address the challenges faced by retail businesses?
As an enterprise-grade printer management solution, SOTI Connect provides organizations with remote access to the complete lifecycle management of their mobile and industrial printers. In other words, using one console, your retail business can update, troubleshoot and protect your retail printer fleet of market leading printer manufacturers.
Let’s break down how common retail printer problems are solved by SOTI Connect:
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Vulnerability to Cyberattacks: SOTI Connect empowers IT departments to remotely enforce corporate security policies for certificates and software updates, and control access to printers.
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Costly Maintenance & Repairs: Visualize key performance indicators and proactively address issues before they cause downtime. Replaceable parts such as printheads can be managed to extend their life and planned maintenance can be scheduled for off-peak hours. This allows you to make data-driven decisions that boost productivity, reduce costs and drive revenue.
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Slow and Expensive Deployments: Reduce the time and cost needed to stage and provision printers. Take advantage of the Device Registry to automatically detect and enroll devices in minutes instead of days.
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Asset Management: Remotely inventory your printer fleet for a complete view of your printer assets and eliminate the risk of human error.
To discover even more about how SOTI Connect can solve common printer problems, check out our eBook.
Learn More about SOTI Connect Today
With 60% of businesses globally having experienced a printer-related data breach, at a cost of over $400,000 USD, finding effective ways to secure your printers is essential. With SOTI Connect, you can manage and monitor your printers to best support your retail business.
Check out our Retail Industry Report to keep the conversation going. To learn more about SOTI Connect, visit our website or reach out to us today:
