In the retail world, emergencies happen all the time. It could be an inventory shortage on a hot-selling product. Or it might be an issue with a vendor who sends a crate of defective products. A competitor could drop their prices to an unmatchable level.
Retail work often means moving from one crisis to the next. Sometimes, those crises involve the tech platform. Today’s retailers are heavily dependent on a wide-ranging and varied suite of tech products. Payment gateways and terminals, interactive kiosks and displays, automated supply chain systems, and e-commerce solutions — they all play a role in a diverse tech ecosystem.
As you know all too well, issues can arise in these systems. Sometimes they’re minor; other times, they’re catastrophic. As an IT support provider for retailers, it’s your job to fix the problem as soon as possible.
That task is challenging enough when the retailer is located in your backyard. But what happens when the retailer is on the other side of the planet? That’s the reality many retailers and IT support companies face these days as retailers expand into new, far-flung markets.
You face competing challenges in your efforts to provide high-level support. You likely need to resolve the issue quickly. However, you also want contractors who meet your standards for service and quality. How do you do that in an international market where you don’t even speak the language, let alone know the available contractors?
There are two paths you can take to provide rapid international retail IT support. Below are descriptions for each approach. As you will see, it’s important to have a process and strategy in place before the next emergency arises.
Option #1: Reach Out Directly to Local Contractors and Techs
Your instinct may be to hop on the internet, research contractors in the specific market, and start placing calls and sending emails. After all, you need someone onsite fast to resolve the issue. The fastest way to get a tech in the retailer’s location may be to get on the phone and schedule a deployment.
However, there are challenges to this approach. The first may be the language barrier. Do they speak English? Do you speak their local language? If not, how can you vet them properly and make sure they have the experience and skills to do the job?
Even if there is no language barrier, there’s also the challenge of efficiently communicating the information the tech will need to do the job. Communication is always critical in project management, even when there isn’t a language issue. Will they need diagrams or a schematic of hardware? What about passwords or authentication for software? Are there internal processes they’ll need to understand to complete the work?
Finally, there’s the risk that the tech won’t represent your company in the way you would like. Remember, the tech may be a contractor, but they’re the face of your company when they arrive at the retail location. If you’ve hired them on the fly and overcome a language barrier in the process, they may not fully understand your culture, standards, or expectations. If their service isn’t up to par, they could threaten your relationship with the retailer.
Option #2: Work with a Global IT Dispatch Partner
The alternative approach is to work with a global IT dispatch partner who already has existing relationships with local tech talent. A company that offers global IT dispatches maintains relationships with contractors around the world. The dispatcher is then able to deploy the right talent to the right job at a moment’s notice.
Make sure you understand the depth of this provider’s vendor development process, as urgent dispatches are only met when the talent pool is deep and true partnerships exist. Getting someone to respond quickly in a country where the provider is unknown results in poor performance or the inability to fill tickets
Many global dispatchers use field service management (FSM) software to manage their talent pool. That means they can quickly search and sort local techs to find the right combination of skills and experience. They will also know which techs best align with your service standards. Each country, region, or city can have very unique regulations and challenges. Having a partner who understands these elements are key.
The main benefit of working with a global IT partner is that the relationship gives you confidence that you’ll be able to service and resolve any issue that your retail customer faces. You gain the resources to meet a wide range of IT challenges globally, without having to scout and hire your own global support team.
Many global dispatch providers offer limited trial periods for you to test their services. You may want to utilize those trials now and determine if a global IT dispatcher is the right approach for you. Then you’ll be prepared when the next international retail tech emergency hits.
