Creative Director Lynn Furge spoke with Tim Gruver, Director of Technology & Strategy for Microsoft Distribution & Services Business about how such a large corporation takes care of the small business owner step-by-step.
Nolcha's Lynn Furge: With today’s consumer focusing a lot on on-line retail, what initiatives do you have for a young entrepreneur who wants to grow their retail business?
Tim Gruver: At Microsoft we focus just as diligently on the small entrepreneur as we do the large corporation. One thing that differentiates us from competition in the retail space is our deep consumer connection through several channels online through advertising, commerce, and gaming. We not only provide software capabilities to create an online presence, but through our assets in advertising, search, and portals we enable a young retailer to “be found”.
LF: Many independent retailers are savvy when it comes to pulling the hottest looks but confused when using terms “end-to-end business solutions”, “business-critical software” and “better customer connections” can you please explain in simple terms what some of these items are?
TG: To Microsoft when leveraging technology in retail regardless if customer experience or a back office system it must ‘just work’. We work hard to take the challenges out of technology adoption yet while always focused on it must work and be secure.
LF: What have you found is essential for a retailer to consider when looking at the new digital lifestyle?
TG: Two ways I look at it when discussing with a retailer. Really take time to understand your customer and don’t underestimate the power of the customer.
TG: Two ways I look at it when discussing with a retailer. Really take time to understand your customer and don’t underestimate the power of the customer.
LF: Most technology initiatives seem expensive, complicated and something impossible to keep up with as technologies change. How has Microsoft managed to minimize these concerns for the small business owner?
TG: We have empowered the small business owner with easy to use and familiar software that makes running a retail business powerful yet simple. We fundamentally believe that familiar software minimizes the need to learn a new system, in contrast to user interfaces we experience across all Microsoft products.
LF: Why more than ever is globalization important in retail?
TG: With the changing global economy and growing diversity in retailers the ability to sell and deliver products on a global nature is a key area for growth as new emerging markets mature. It is also as critical to understand your global competition as other retailers are moving into new regions annually.
LF: How does Microsoft keep the sales manager/business owner aware of the constant changing preferences of the consumer?
TG: A very important aspect to our retail strategy is this concept of real-time business insight which is about giving the sales manager real-time access to the customer preference and sales data anywhere from any device. With the growing presence of mobile for business applications, Microsoft it positioned well to provide store managers with the access to their data.
LF: Cutting costs, streamlining operations and creating efficiencies is just as important to the individual or small business as it is to the large public corporation… how does Microsoft see the implementation of the above in terms of smaller retail ventures?
TG: You are correct that the size of the organization is not what is important when it comes to operational efficiency vs. that of the organization itself. For Microsoft we’ve always positioned a cost-effective small business platform that provided all the efficiencies that large enterprises enjoyed while yet scaled and priced effective for the small business.
LF: All e-commerce experts talk about lately is virtually connecting to consumers at anytime… anywhere. Please explain Microsoft’s practical application on this concept. Are people really going to be shopping on-line while waiting for the red light to turn green? What impact do you feel these new applications have on impulse buying versus the current economic state?
TG: There is a delicate balance that customers continue to strive towards, as while mobile commerce has worked for a select group of retailers it’s the ability to integrate commerce into several new channels and even at a macro level provide new immersive ways to connect to the consumer. For example, there are millions of people a day playing Xbox Live who are heavily focused on that experience and what a great opportunity to connect. Another great application is a technology Microsoft released in January called Microsoft Tag (www.microsoft.com/tag) which is a technology all about bridging the physical and digital medium from all major mobile platforms.
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