We all know that the more time that a retail store manager can spend on the floor the better for the store; but a lot of what a store manager needs to accomplish is done in the back office, away from the staff, the floor and the customers. This is just a reality of the modern retail business.

But mobile technologies are changing that reality. More and more back office operations are being accomplished on apps and mobile optimized SAAS platforms. Today a store manager can optimize their time on the floor with the phone already in their pocket or perhaps a company issued tablet.

Today’s mobile empowered manager can handle a number of the everyday functions that used to take them off the floor and into the time-suck vortex of the back office.

And managers are thankful that technology is catching up giving them the tools to better manage their stores. We know. We hear from them!

A lot of the positive comments we hear from store managers using SpendBoss’ mobile app repeat the same thing over and over. “What used to make me stop, go back in the office to do, I can do in a matter of seconds while staying on the floor and working with staff and customers”.

Turns out managers want to be on the floor. The more retailers can look for mobile solutions to back office problems; the more productive stores will be.

Retailers should look to their current solution providers to find out what mobile solutions they offer, and when qualifying potential new vendors, mobility should be an important consideration.

Don’t forget free tools that can jump start your efforts! There are a number of high quality, mobile solutions like Evernote and Trello that have powerful, free versions. Retailers would do well to invest some time in determining ones that might solve real world problems, increase collaboration and keep store managers and employees where they should be.

SpendBoss customers remind us that our commitment to mobile was the right bet, validated by the very users responsible for making stores as successful as they can be.