“Omni-channel” retailing has become a buzzword lately, and Microsoft wisely responded with its take on the subject . For those who are unaware, omni-channel retailing is about taking things beyond a mere multi-channel approach. It is about not just being available through various mediums, but by being perceived as a single, cohesive entity by consumers so that they don't see the various channels; they only see the brand.

Since most purchases still take place in the store, Microsoft argues that the hub of all of these channels is your physical location. And unfortunately, this is where most retailers fall short when it comes to unifying their channels. The retailer that appears one way online or through mobile apps looks different to a  customer who walks into the store.

This is often because software solutions are easier than hardware solutions. It's simpler to set up a website or an app and get it to thousands or millions of customers than it is to set up in-store hardware to handle all the attribution and data sharing necessary for a unified brand experience.

Thankfully, Dynamics offers cloud-based solutions that eliminate this conflict. Retailers need not purchase expensive servers to manage their data. They can store their data in the cloud, using a system that interfaces perfectly with well known Microsoft systems like Office.

As an example of success with Dynamics, Microsoft points to a retailer called David's Tea. The 70-store Canadian company expanded into New York City successfully, in part, by leveraging Dynamics' support for local tax laws, and a point of service system that simultaneously tracked transactions in US and Canadian dollars, pounds and kilograms.

ERP Software Blog Editors, www.erpsoftwareblog.com