The speed at which the retail landscape may evolve could be anybody’s guess, given the unprecedented changes that have occurred over the past few years. However, it’s clear that modern retailers must aspire to stay ahead of the curve – especially concerning front-line customer-facing systems. It’s why traditional point-of-sale interfaces have already started to become passé, as solutions like Oracle Retail Xstore POS have emerged.

Oracle Retail Xstore Point-of-Service (PoS) makes it easy to modernize business-critical operations like check-outs, payments, and more. So, retailers can enable their workforce to deliver high levels of customer satisfaction while ensuring more operational efficiency. However, switching to Oracle Xstore Point-of-Service (POS) is a big decision. It requires a lot of planning, and it comes with caveats, as well. So, before choosing this unique POS solution for your business – here are four factors you should consider. 

4 factors to consider before migrating to Oracle Xstore POS

1) Uncompromising compatibility

Oracle Retail Xstore POS is compatible with many popular operating systems, databases, and applications. You can most likely continue using your existing infrastructure and tools when you migrate. But it’s pertinent to confirm that all your applications and systems are fully compatible. If they require modifications to ensure this, you should complete it before migration starts. After all, Oracle Xstore POS can be a challenging solution to implement if your technology ecosystem is unprepared for it.

2) Performance vs. complexity

Oracle Retail Xstore POS certainly provides high performance and scalability, which can be a significant advantage, especially if you are looking to expand your business in the near future. But, due to the complexity of Oracle Xstore, adequate training is crucial for anyone who will be working with the platform. So, without the right set of skills, your business users won’t be able to maximize this POS solution – thereby stagnating customer satisfaction levels.

3) Short-term costs vs. long-term savings 

While Oracle Xstore POS is a powerful POS solution, it can also be quite costly. Therefore, retailers need to be sure they have the budget to cover the initial costs of migrating. Furthermore, they should also be cognizant of the ongoing costs of using this POS solution. On the flip side, the initial investments may be little higher than other options, but the long-term costs are often lower. It is because Oracle Retail Xstore POS comes equipped with cutting-edge features that help trigger future cost savings.

4) All about data security

As mentioned earlier, business-wide compatibility is key to migrating to Oracle Retail Xstore POS. It rings especially true with data migration. It includes product data, customer data, order data, and other data essential to your business. If any of this data is lost or corrupted during the migration process, it could severely impact the business. 

Now, having gone through the must-consider factors, let’s look at the benefits that Oracle Retail Xstore POS offers.

What are the benefits of migrating to Oracle Xstore POS?

Oracle Xstore is a state-of-the-art POS solution that arms retail staff with the necessary tools and data insights to provide astounding in-store and omnichannel customer experiences. It equips them with automated workflows and 360-degree data visibility to incubate a proactive and personalized service culture. Some of its key benefits are:

  • Highly scalable and reliable database that can handle large amounts of transactions
  • Robust data warehousing solution to help improve decision-making with deep-dive insights 
  • Security protocols to protect data from unauthorized access 
  • Easy-to-use features and functionalities (Relative to other POS solutions in the market)
  • Direct positive impact on staff productivity and revenue
  • Quick access to contextual customer insights
  • Unified omnichannel experiences
  • Smarter inventory management

10 simple steps to enable a smooth migration to Oracle Xstore POS

  1. Have a compatible version of Oracle Xstore
  2. Export your data from your current database
  3. Make sure you have the required privileges to import data
  4. Import your data
  5. Convert your data to the new format
  6. Ensure you have a backup of your data
  7. Test your data in the latest environment
  8. Migrate your applications
  9. Update your documentation
  10. Train your staff on the latest features

Final thoughts

With out-of-the-box features, the Oracle Xstore Point of Sale solution automates a huge chunk of retail operations, such as payments, sales, work orders, and warranties. It is also a highly flexible solution that comes with Oracle’s back office suite – meaning that retailers don’t have to incur further licensing costs. 

In today’s hyper-competitive retail marketplace, Oracle Xstore POS can be a game-changer – despite requiring trained resources to operate and maximize. It brings together staff and customers to better communicate, collaborate, and take action – accelerating and simplifying important steps in the retail journey. It also helps retailers save time and money – both of which can be reinvested in growth areas instead of spending them on carrying out mundane daily tasks.