A brief introduction to Oracle Xstore POS 

Oracle Retail Xstore is a Point of Service (POS) solution that enables Retailers to provide a unified service to customers by offering them a storewide view of their inventory. The full and complete view of the inventory allows store associates to improve efficiency of store pickup, consolidate orders that need to be delivered directly, and minimize shipping charges for customers.  

Build, Test, Release, Repeat  

Typically, Xstore implementations include various configurations, quality assurance tests, and several deployments before going live. A massive implementation of any kind takes time, cost, and effort regardless of whether it is done using the Agile or Waterfall methodology. And then there is the buffer period that needs to be baked into the final go-live projection as well. To reduce these timelines, the Oracle DevOps platform, an accelerator, automates the development cycle for developers. It has been built as a part of the Xstore implementation strategy. This accelerator is the result of a collaborative effort between the Retail and DevOps teams at Aspire Systems. 

One, Two, Many 

Every build cycle has one or more releases. The releases can be either internal or final to the customer. For each release, the cycle includes a build, test, and deploy phase before moving onto the next one. The DevOps module is built on top of this implementation model to enable speedy delivery and completion of the project.  

Oracle Xstore

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Adding Value, and More, to a Business  

So, why go the DevOps way? Here are some benefits to a business:  

  • Make haste before it’s too late  

Automating the build and deployment cycle ensures that there is no deviation, and, therefore, no chance of human errors. Any issues in the code are caught early in the development cycle. The developers have better control and visibility because of the various approvals that are needed in the development, testing, and production environments. The people involved in the project have better control and overall visibility of the project, thereby eliminating any overlaps or mishaps, as everyone involved is aware of every step of the project.  

  • Time and tide wait for none  

Developers and testers need not spend time on manually building and deploying components. Instead, they can focus on making better features for the application, ensuring maximum customer satisfaction. Automated release cycles cut short the time to test new features and allow the tester to evaluate and deploy the release quickly. Getting a single view of customers, inventory and orders, this way, offers additional operational advantages. 

  • It all comes down to money  

Japanese engineer and statistician Genichi Taguchi once said, “Cost is more important than quality, but quality is the best way to reduce cost.”  

Most implementations are heavily influenced by the customer’s budget. However, the quality of the project cannot be compromised at any cost. By automating several steps of the development and testing cycle, not only is the overall time of the project reduced, but the implementation cost comes down significantly too. The accelerator is designed in such a way that it utilizes many open-source tools.  

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