Smart technology is everywhere. In the last decade, the Internet of Things has grown to encompass every aspect of our lives. Our homes have become smart tech hubs, and retail isn’t far behind.
Stores are on the cusp of a smart revolution, and we’re here to guide you through it. Our system offers unlimited integrations with smart devices, letting you keep track of all your tech in one place. Here’s how it works.
The smart money is on smart tech
British internet use has increased hugely over the last decade, paving the way for a whole host of internet-enabled devices. UK households are some of the smartest in the world, and this trend shows no sign of slowing:
- 57% of Brits now have at least one smart device in their home.
- UK consumers spent over £33 billion on smart devices during the first year of the pandemic
- A quarter of the UK’s internet users also own smart devices. This is almost double the global average.
The retail industry was slow to embrace the smart revolution, but this is beginning to change. As the public gets used to smart devices at home, customers are beginning to expect the same level of technology in stores. Colleagues are also more likely to have their own smart devices, making it easier for them to use smart tech at work. Slowly but surely, UK stores are getting on board:
- Almost half of UK retailers now use visual search technology in some capacity.
- Earlier this year, Tesco opened a fully smart supermarket called GetGo. Instead of checkouts, the store uses smart cameras, weighted shelves and AI to keep track of items and charge shoppers for what they take.
- Lidl recently launched a smart refill station for laundry detergent. It allows customers to refill plastic detergent bottles rather than purchasing new ones, thanks to a smart chip embedded in the bottles.
Information overload?
From smart cameras to smart shelving, stores are beginning to see the benefits of internet-enabled devices. This technology is a huge help for colleagues, but it comes with a catch. Smart devices generate a mountain of information, and somebody needs to keep track of it all.
Smart devices have the power to notify colleagues whenever an action is required. This could be anything from a smart camera spotting suspicious customer behaviour to a smart fridge exceeding its ideal temperature. This is vital information, but all of these notifications can become unmanageable. This is where we can help.
Our notification API allows you to integrate your VoCoVo system with an unlimited number of smart devices. Once integrated, notifications can be redirected straight to your headsets. This allows colleagues to focus on their work, safe in the knowledge that they won’t miss any important updates:
- Smart CCTV cameras can send alerts to your security team as soon as they spot something suspicious.
- Smart fridges can warn colleagues if a door is left open, allowing you to intervene before food is spoiled.
- Alarms can send automated reminders to colleagues at home time, ensuring that you don’t forget to set them before leaving.
- You can set up conditional notifications, such as alerting colleagues to open a new checkout if queuing times exceed a certain threshold.
- You can control which notifications go to which colleagues so that nobody is distracted by irrelevant information.
VoCoVo is the only system that offers smart integration on this scale, and these examples are just the beginning. Our API is designed to be compatible with almost anything. Not just devices that are currently on the market, but the devices of the future too. Whatever tomorrow’s smart tech looks like, we’re confident that it will have no trouble connecting to our system.