{"id":17099,"date":"2025-07-02T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-02T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sos-sw.com\/smart-solutions-only-if-they-help-people\/"},"modified":"2025-07-02T09:00:00","modified_gmt":"2025-07-02T08:00:00","slug":"smart-solutions-only-if-they-help-people","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sos-sw.com\/en\/smart-solutions-only-if-they-help-people\/","title":{"rendered":"Smart solutions? Only if they help people."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Recently, I attended an international shopping centre conference in Istanbul. I was invited to join a panel discussion on smart solutions for more effective shopping centre and retail management.<\/em><\/strong> My part focused on loyalty programs, gift cards, system integrations, and how to use data generated from them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When they say \u201csmart solutions\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One of the questions was: \u201cWhen you hear the term \u2018smart solutions,\u2019 what does it mean to you – technology, process, or people?\u201d The answer is simple: all three. But the order matters. First people, then processes, and only then technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you start the other way around, technology works – but it has no real value. It exists for its own sake. Technology is the connector – it helps link processes and people. Think of gift card or loyalty systems like the ones we provide – they digitalize the process, make it faster, clearer, more transparent, and give us the data we need to understand customer behavior better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Technology as a bridge, not the goal<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

At the end of the day, it\u2019s all about people – making their shopping experience easier and understanding them better. That\u2019s the essence. Both for those who manage the system and for end users. Technology should give us time back – time we can invest in building relationships, whether with customers, tenants, or partners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But once a system is in place, it has to be used, tested, and improved when needed. That\u2019s when software adjustments come in. So yes – smart solutions are both technology and process, but they only make sense if they serve people.<\/em><\/strong> And the main challenge – the same across continents – is how to create a better user experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re all facing the same challenges<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The visible difference between countries lies in investment – in construction and digital development. For example, in the UAE or Saudi Arabia, money isn\u2019t a problem. Investments in digitalization, apps, LCDs, and interactive panels come easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But when it comes to understanding the customer and creating better experiences – that\u2019s the same challenge everywhere. We just approach it differently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was happy to see that we\u2019re keeping up when it comes to understanding and providing solutions. But there\u2019s a big difference elsewhere: here, people are still thinking, \u201cWho will be the first to try?\u201d<\/strong> I\u2019m talking about industries like retail, F&B, and hospitality. Everyone watches each other, waiting to see results. Time passes, and they analyze the analyses. They know there are digital tools that could help – but they don\u2019t use them enough. Not as much as they could, to make their work easier, and ultimately to save money. There\u2019s always an initial investment, because nothing comes from nothing, before you can reap what you\u2019ve sown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fear of the first step<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

And what did I realize? Maybe they\u2019d pay for a software solution – but only if it\u2019s as cheap as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The truth is, they don\u2019t really have a problem. Simply put – it doesn\u2019t hurt.<\/strong> Or at least not enough to change. *\u201cThe current situation isn\u2019t that bad, let\u2019s wait a bit, we don\u2019t have the budget right now, let\u2019s see what our neighbor does first.\u201d*<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a pity. Instead of being the first and gaining an advantage, people prefer to wait. That\u2019s how it often is in our region – though not everywhere, of course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A few truths worth repeating:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n