REMOTE TECHNOLOGY
By Angela Altass
Reaping the Benefits of Remote Technology
Remote technology, and the benefits that come with it, can help with the management and operation of businesses in today’s environment.
“Modern technology has a high focus on benefits for the end user and customer experience but remote technology captures all of the ways technology can benefit site owners,” says Jen Threlkeld, senior product marketing manager, Dover Fueling Solutions (DFS). “Remote technology is how we can leverage the cloud and connectivity to solve problems that are not physically in front of us. This saves retailers service calls, diagnoses quick fixes, highlights inefficiencies, and reduces downtime from a 24/7 accessible dashboard. The big benefit is saving our clients their most important resources, time and money, while driving efficiencies across their forecourt.”
Threlkeld advises convenience store and fueling station retailers to leverage remote technology by leaning into the opportunities it presents.
“The fueling industry was overdue for a digital transformation so this is a time to be excited and not a time to be intimidated,” stresses Threlkeld. “Remote capabilities are designed to benefit retailers and are great opportunities to level the playing field across the entire industry, regardless of oil brand or retail chain.”
“Staying ahead of technology is our company’s responsibility as we work to provide world-class products and services for our customers,” states Threlkeld. “Harnessing the power of the cloud to enhance remote productivity and visibility will be incredibly important to DFS and our customer base. We are constantly seeking new ways to innovate and deliver tools to maximize each customer interaction. Technology is constantly evolving and as a partner to retailers across the globe, we are committed to staying ahead of technology so our customers can focus on their top priority, which is their business.”
Remote technology allows retailers to offer the most personalized experiences in the history of the industry, notes Threlkeld.
“The term remote can have a distant connotation but the power of remote technology lies in capturing data from remote points and cohesively presenting a uniquely formulated experience to each customer,” says Threlkeld. “Capturing customer data and leveraging that data to customize every interaction from fueling on the forecourt to shopping in-store is what can elevate customer experience from good to great.”
Business owners cannot physically manage their stores 24/7 by themselves, notes Threlkeld.
“Alerts and notifications are how we empower retailers to be in multiple places at one time, manage multiple assets, multiple stores, and multiple vendors, from one screen,” says Threlkeld. “The world transformed in March 2020 and remote technology is how we rose to unprecedented challenges, as businesses and as individuals. Being a part of this cultural shift to remote interactions, remote working, and remote socializing means we all understand the power of connectedness. Remote technology is a powerful tool to keep us connected.”
The pandemic has accelerated the adoption of digital workplace technology for frontline employees, says Will Eadie, chief revenue officer, WorkJam, noting the following as the largest drivers of this change:
1) A labour shortage is driving businesses to figure out how to improve labour utilization.
2) Businesses are changing as a result of digital transformation and these changes are causing them to think differently and redesign frontline worker processes.
3) The pandemic highlighted the need for better communication with the frontline, especially given the agility with which they had to operate.
4) Frontline workers are more visible than they were before the pandemic as the pandemic highlighted just how essential these roles, and the people in them, are.
Frontline digital workplace technology impacts virtually every stakeholder inside of a business, including customers, frontline workers, human resources, IT, and operations, with the stakeholders reaping the benefits of an aligned workforce, says Eadie.
WorkJam is a frontline digital workplace platform that enables businesses to orchestrate frontline operations through task management, learning, communication, ExpressPay, and simplified self-service tools.
“At WorkJam, we aim to help businesses improve the management of their workplace while simultaneously improving the lives of their hourly workers,” explains Eadie. “Convenience store operators, including Shell, Alimentation Couche-Tard, Kwik Trip, and more, all enjoy the ability to orchestrate day-to-day operations across their many locations with WorkJam. Both carwash businesses and c-stores are able to operate within flexible workflows and build engagement with their employees, aligning task management with staffing to drive productivity and compliance.”
WorkJam is modular and can be configured based on any business need and cost is based on company size and employer use, adds Eadie.
“Typical agreements are mutli-year and are billed monthly,” explains Eadie. “WorkJam commissioned Forrester Consulting to conduct a total economic impact study and objectively examine the return on investment (ROI) that organizations realize by deploying WorkJam’s digital workplace. The study concluded that WorkJam customers achieve an average ROI of 410 per cent and have an investment payback period of less than six months.”
WorkJam recently announced the next evolution of its frontline digital workplace platform with the release of WorkJam Everywhere. As part of the launch, WorkJam Everywhere is now available on Microsoft Teams and can be found on the Teams app store.
“Ultimately, the WorkJam Everywhere integration with Microsoft Teams enables customers to access the frontline worker orchestration capabilities of WorkJam directly within the Microsoft Teams experience,” says Eadie. “Through the Teams platform, users can enjoy all the benefits that the WorkJam application has to offer and businesses utilizing Teams can now scale their workforce operations using WorkJam integration.”
Further information on WorkJam Everywhere is available at www.workjam.com.
