To achieve these goals, retailers have long acknowledged that it's critical to get store managers out of the office and onto the selling floor. However, few enterprise-class mobility solutions targeted store managers and executives in the past. These mobile retail professionals are typically equipped with consumer-grade personal digital assistants (PDAs) that fall short of the capabilities needed for many of today's business applications. Until now, the lack of enterprise-level mobility presented a barrier to getting managers and supervisors back into the selling environment.

The small, lightweight MC50 is the ideal handheld for mobile managers. It's packed with capabilities that include data capture, voice telephony, smart battery, device-level management, wireless and security options. The MC50 delivers support for a host of applications:  e-mail, phone, scheduling/calendar, signature capture, CRM and more. 

Distinctive elements of its design make the MC50 easy to integrate into new or existing enterprise IT infrastructures. It's designed to be more durable than consumer-grade PDAs, so extra reliability is featured in every aspect of the MC50 – from battery contacts to keypads to acoustics. This enhanced durability ensures that the MC50 exceeds the performance demands of daily, high-volume usage. An intuitive, Web-based interface improves deployment and manageability with instant visibility and control over all of these mobile computers plus wireless networks and applications. All of these attributes combine to provide a lower cost of ownership (TCO) for the maximum return on investment (ROI).

Getting managers back onto the sales floor means giving them access to the typical enterprise applications they use every day.  The MC50 provides a solution for everything a store manager may need while out of the office.

• Integration with enterprise-level business applications
• Data capture options with linear and two-dimensional (2D) scanning or imaging
• Wireless local area networking (LAN) – IEEE^® 802.11b – for on-the-go data and voice communications
• Voice telephony for push-to-talk (PTT), peer-to-peer (P2P), private branch exchange (PBX), one-to-one or one-to-many communications
• Video-ready for security and merchandising applications
• Familiar Microsoft^® Windows Mobile^™-based operating system
• Durable design to ensure maximum uptime

Information Management

In addition to having access to information, store managers can utilize plan-o-gram applications to maximize category profits and optimize merchandise displays. With access to these applications and special features in the MC50, checking shelf labels, locating stock or expired product, identifying returns, resets and facings are easily facilitated. If one product is doing poorly but has many facings, managers can make on-the-spot decisions to effectively utilize selling space and determine better ways to ensure that product continues to move off the shelves. Whether product is displayed on shelves, racks, counters, sidekicks or floor displays, merchandising takes on an entirely new meaning when it's performed in real time.

Using the MC50's imaging feature, photos or bar codes are quickly and accurately captured to identify quantities for re-stocking, locate recalls and immediately respond to expired product scenarios. Inventory information is current and access to the volume of sales per square foot of retail space is readily available. Having up-to-date information management keeps you ahead of your competition.

Benefits:

• Maximize merchandising space
• Analyze sales history and patterns
• Streamline store operations
• Increase sales and profitability
• Improve productivity
• Provide a competitive advantage

Customer Service

Customers frequently wait on long, slow-moving lines to return or exchange merchandise. Because the returns process is fairly complex, many retailers have dedicated point-of-sales (POS) stations or wrap stands. This means that valuable selling space is under-utilized. In addition, many customer service activities require management approval. Managers using the MC50 deliver on-demand service to keep lines moving for a better overall shopping experience. 

Equipped with the MC50, store managers can access data on customer preferences, purchase history and even special occasions.    

Benefits:

• Improve efficiency of store operations
• Assure ongoing customer satisfaction using detailed marketing surveys
• Leverage one- and two-way voice messaging for managers' assistance and overrides 

Point of Sale (POS) Manager

Retail has experienced an influx of wireless POS applications for transactions. Self-checkout and electronic signature capture devices join these to enhance the customer experience at the point of sale. Using the MC50, store managers get online, real-time access to POS reports from the store systems. What's more, store managers can monitor the POS system from the MC50 to get current information about the movement of merchandise throughout the store. 

Benefits:

• Receive instant notification for manager approvals
• Monitor terminals to make on-the-spot adjustments
• Use one- and two-way messaging for real-time decision-making
• Monitor new cashiers for training

Security Management

Benefits:

• Increase effectiveness of store operations
• Enhance security efforts
• Respond in real time to problems

More Mobile Applications

The MC50 is more than a manager's tool; it's effective for customer relationship management (CRM) applications. Specialized sales associates perform a variety of functions including escorted shopping, clienteling and locating merchandise.  These features give these retail associates the ability to work on a one-to-one basis with top customers to improve relationships and gain customer loyalty.  With a fully functioning clienteling application, sales associates are prepared to deliver on customer requests using contact tools, making recommendations and leveraging upsell strategies – all from the MC50.   

Benefits:

• Deliver a superior customer shopping experience
• Grow sales from top customers
• Cultivate stronger customer loyalty

As for the technology ROI, easy integration into existing networks and systems, a robust feature set and an open operating system combine to deliver a lower TCO. 

To further reduce costs, the MC50 is Symbol Mobility Services Platform (MSP)-ready.  Adding MSP delivers the power to manage the entire enterprise mobility solution – MC50 mobile computers, data capture devices, wireless networks (switches, access ports/points) – from one centralized, intuitive Web-based interface.    

Symbol MSP Benefits:

• Faster, easier deployments
• Increased visibility into mobile assets and performance
• Reduced downtime and support costs
• Rapid implementation and extensibility  

From a business and technology perspective, enterprise mobility tools like the MC50 gives managers and supervisors the ability to focus entirely on the customer experience.  Informed decisions are made expeditiously regarding sales, merchandising, customer and operational issues.  In short, the velocity of the retailer's business improves for new competitive advantage.

• Microsoft^® Business Solutions CRM Sales and Customer Service Modules
• Oracle^®
• Siebel^® Mobile Service Handheld
• SAP^®  
• IBM^® WebSphere® Everyplace^™  Access

All of these benefits create a more memorable, distinctive shopping experience for your best customers.  With these improvements, retailers can realize increased productivity, sales and customer satisfaction.