It's that time of year again. While the rest of the world is thinking about which pair of flip flops to wear to the beach, the retail industry is furiously updating, upgrading and tuning its technology to be sure there are no hiccups come the holiday season. Already in 2011, we're seeing innovative tech trends that will change the way we shop this holiday season including self-service check out technology, mobile payments, electronic shelf labels, digital signage and state-of-the-art point-of-sale (POS) systems. 

 

Getting your store tech-ready has its challenges. You will likely find that in-house IT teams at retail locations can't possibly keep pace with every new technological development — especially in a cut-throat industry like retail. They don't have the training or the time and retailers with tight margins can't afford to hire big, full-time IT teams to cover the 90 day tech push for the holidays.

 

So, how do you strike the right balance?

 

Here are three key tech staffing recommendations that every retailer should have front of mind before the summer retail rush:

 

• Pay as you go: We're only talking about 90 days — so why pay for 365? Investing in a staff technician that specializes in one technology segment may fulfill your immediate need, but ultimately it's incredibly expensive and it leaves that technician gathering dust for nine months out of the year. Bring in a temporary, certified technician — who has a proven performance record — that can do a quality job, with minimal up-front or ongoing investment. 

 

• Get the right talent only when you need it: Technology is constantly changing, making it near impossible and very expensive for retailers to employ an on-staff expert for every new development. And just because mobile payment systems are the new, hot-ticket item in 2011 doesn't mean that they will be next year. Be selective when choosing which technology types will require a full-time staffer and be sure to invest in training your team on new developments in those long-term, stable technologies. When brand new retail technologies are introduced, bring in one or two certified, local technicians who can get your retail locations ready quickly in time for the holidays. If it looks like the new technology is here to stay, then re-evaluate your staffing needs and consider bringing in someone full time.

 

• Match talent according to your key business requirements: Be careful not to let the holiday rush distract you, or your technical team from other, high-priority projects. Yes, the holidays represent a significant portion of retailers' annual revenue, and the timeframe is tight to have everything ship-shape by Black Friday. But, that's no reason to dedicate your top technician to routine, repetitive tasks like installing new software across several work stations. Be sure to match the skill level of the technician to the type of technical work that they are doing, even if that means bringing in outside resources. It will help you manage costs and ensure that you can attend to all of your priority projects. 

 

Every retail location is different and it's difficult to take a "one size fits all" approach to the holiday tech rush. As you think about your tech staffing priorities and all the new retail technology developments this year, make sure that you're considering all your options when staffing your tech team — and avoid over committing valuable resources.