redPanda Software has launched its Connected Solution – an integrated platform that improves customer experience, operational efficiencies, productivity, and assists traditional retailers with marketing feedback.
Retail customers want the modern brick and mortar store experience to rival their online shopping experience. They expect traditional stores to have faster checkouts and more delivery options, for items to always be in stock, and for staff to recognise them and anticipate their needs.
To assist traditional stores in gaining a competitive edge, redPanda Software can integrate various products and third-party applications into one simple, easily-managed platform that enhances customer engagement and the in-store experience.
“Through our partnerships with industry leading technology experts, we can rapidly onboard, customise, and scale new technologies,” says Leon Coetzer, redPanda Software UK CEO. “What sets it apart is that we have specifically tailored Connected Solution to the retail industry by addressing industry-specific needs and concerns.”
redPanda Software can assist clients in consolidating their data, reducing payment fraud, rewriting legacy systems, providing marketing services, offering predictive analytics, and much more.
MAINTAINING UPTIME EFFORTLESSLY
Third-party ecosystems are monitored to identify issues and provide active support – often before a client is even aware that a problem has arisen.
“Any retailer with a medium to large footprint will have different partners in their ecosystem,” says Coetzer. “Connected Solution acts as a form of middleware, monitoring the whole environment, identifying when things go wrong, and getting to the root cause of the issue.”
Most retailers do not have the in-house technical expertise to perform a root cause analysis, and their partners may not be familiar with their ecosystem. redPanda Software’s offerings, however, provide a holistic view that allows the company to minimise downtime for its clients behind the scenes.
Coetzer offers the following as an example, saying: “Retailers often provide bill payment services, airtime transfers, and TV licence validations. At the point of sale customers expect to know immediately if their bill payments have been successful or their TV licences validated.”
MAKING A DIFFERENCE FOR LOCAL COMPANIES
redPanda Software recently partnered with a major South African bank to integrate the bank’s card payment terminals into points of sale. “By doing this, we were able to ensure that payment reconciliations can happen immediately and automatically, reducing the risk of fraud,” explains Coetzer.
“We also provide a full support team to monitor the terminals for any issues. When problems are identified, the bank is notified, and the terminal is replaced, ensuring that the downtime is minimal,” he adds.
“We have dedicated teams servicing our clients, so we can quickly react to market conditions,” says Coetzer. “A good example of this was the recent change in the VAT rate. A lot of retailers were ill prepared for the change, but we were able to respond immediately to eliminate any downtime.”
Connected Solution is also well-suited for smaller retailers, and can be rolled out fairly quickly. “The software is already written – the different systems simply need to be integrated so that they work together seamlessly,” he explains.
“This offering is also quite cost-effective, as it is charged monthly rather than as one large up-front payment. Being based in South Africa means that our pricing is competitive and doesn’t fluctuate with the Rand-Dollar exchange.”
