More (Omni) Channels, More Problems with John Kirk, President & CEO of RSPA

On this episode, John discusses retail IT innovation in the SMB space, how VARs can help to optimize supply-chain, and what to expect at the upcoming RetailNOW2021 conference.
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ABOUT THE GUEST

After serving as Assistant Vice President of Global Hospitality Marketing for NCR, John Kirk has spent the last 21 years directly serving customers and channel partners in SMB. He served as a General Manager while leading one of the premier Local Offices at Micros, and later led The Americas Distribution channel for Radiant from 2005 to 2011. As President and CEO of the RSPA, John brings passion, conviction, and support for every member. He believes it is a privilege to serve the RSPA and to follow so many that have contributed to the Association since 1948.

This episode features an interview with John Kirk, President & CEO of the Retail Solutions Providers Association, or RSPA. As the head of North America’s largest community of VARs, software developers, and vendors in the retail, restaurant, and grocery verticals, John oversees a member network whose mission is to accelerate growth through connections and education. 

On this episode, John discusses retail IT innovation in the SMB space, how VARs can help to optimize supply-chain, and what to expect at the upcoming RetailNOW2021 conference.

3 Takeaways:

  • Omnichannel means more conduits to the cash drawer, and with that comes a greater challenge to deliver high-level customer experiences across all channels.
  • By providing the right training and technological solutions, value-added resellers (VARs) can help small and medium-sized businesses bridge the gap between overwhelming demand and supply-chain inefficiencies.
  • Unable to attend RSPA’s flagship conference, RetailNOW2021? Winning Retail will be there to cover the latest in emerging markets, NextGen technologies, sales and sales management, cybersecurity, leadership training, and customer service.

Key Quotes: 

  • “You’ve got to mobilize your operation if you’re going to take mobile orders, and we’ve got to help. We can’t just identify the problem as the RSPA – we’ve got to attack that problem full speed ahead.”
  • “Oftentimes when we talk about technologies and innovation, we forget about the ABCs, and you’ve got to have a secure environment.”
  • “If I’m a VAR, I’ve got to have the right alliances with the right vendors, and they’ve got to have the right solutions. Then we can turn a problem that our operators are facing into a great opportunity for us to transform our business.”

This podcast is presented by Dell Technologies and Intel. Together they help you realize digital transformation across retail by driving IT innovation to better engage with today’s connected consumer. Learn more at DellTechnologies.com/retail and Intel.com/retail.

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