It’s a wrap. The final SofTechnics users’ conference took place last week, and guess what? It was a gold-plated event with great speakers and great sessions at a great venue. But now that the banners have been taken down, where does SofTechnics go from here? What does parent company RedPrairie have on tap for one of the most highly admired software vendors in retailing?

Two years ago it was enough for a “twintern” to handle social network functions. Today, they are handled by senior-level decision makers. This evolution implies two things: First, a sense of permanence to the phenomenon, and second, a need to amp up social media analytics. Twinterns operate on instinct. Chief social media officers not so much. Here’s how next-generation analytics tools will revolutionize social retailing.