Retail industry is always looked upon as a sector that offers ample business opportunities and massive growth. The key feature of this sector is that the businesses will grow, irrespective of its size and market.

However, the biggest challenge for the retail segment is 'synchronizing' every part of the businesses with seamlessness as per market conditions. As it's a tough challenge, today the retail industry is looking at IT not just for 'synchronizing' its business components but also as a 'business enabler'.

Marsha Blakeslee, the general manager of UST Global's Industry Practices, talks to Pankaj Maru of CyberMedia News about the company's green initiatives, IT's role in retail sector with new technologies, Indian retail industry's needs and challenges for IT services providers and much more. Excerpts:

How exactly do you translate (in market and products) the presence of UST Global in lists like top 50 green outsourcing suppliers?

In this context, 'green' relates more to our operating practices and our corporate desire to be a responsible corporate citizen in this world we all share. A 'green company' finds itself among the 'top 50 green outsourcing suppliers' by taking steps to encourage environmental participation throughout the company.

For example, on email signatures company-wide, you are likely to see a graphic of a tree with the message: "Help to save the environment by printing this email only when necessary".

As a company, we plant trees to help re-build forests; we encourage saving energy by turning off laptops and printers at close of business each day and on weekends; we've replaced standard light switches with those that respond to room movement; and are replacing paper coffee cups with standard mugs. And that's just the beginning.

How are new technologies like RFID integration, mobile syncs, Business Intelligence (BI) app layers and new inventory tools evolving in retail solutions?

For RFID, the technology is proven and there is a specific business value and potential, but there is a cost hurdle for implementation that many retailers find a barrier to entry. BI is also a clearly recognized value, again with a high cost of entry, but the promise of big returns as retailers get more sophisticated in its use.

Mobile commerce, in contrast, has a relatively low cost of entry and can provide immediate value in both customer communication and logistics support. New inventory tools will work best in companies which have a high degree of discipline in their business process compliance. Certainly, we conduct an in-depth analysis of each new technology before we make any client recommendation.

Is IT playing its role good enough on revenue optimization in tough times like today for retail enterprises?

My personal view is that IT is a business enabler, and capable of assisting with specific solutions to enhance business performance. IT executives can move to a 'trusted advisor' role in the business by developing the IT staffs' subject matter expertise in combination with analytical skills, so that IT can be more consultative to the business on opportunities for revenue optimization. Particularly, since IT has a pervasive view of business systems across the organization by virtue of its role in the organization.

What solutions, and by when, would they be available for the non-organized format of Indian retail industry?

That's a difficult question to answer. The biggest discussion in the market right now is the need for a 'pay-as-you-go' option, which appears not to have emerged from the vendor community yet. Cloud computing is an available infrastructure for this, but the market will have a difficult time taking advantage of any solution until it gets organized from both a process and standards perspective. The time frame for developing such a service could be accelerated if the India Retail community could sponsor some collaborative definition of their IT requirements.

How does India work for UST Global on the retail domain?

UST Global has many retail clients around the world. For each client there is a dedicated account team working on IT business solutions, knowledgeable in the client's specific market strategies, and aligned with client goals. We also have people dedicated to staying in touch with the overall trends and emerging solutions for the retail domain. With a strong understanding of each client, our teams in India provide thought leadership in addition to a wealth of IT talent.

How demanding is the retail industry for the ITES solution in India compared to globally?

Each retail market has its own unique challenges and opportunities. The ITES solutions required in India are as challenging as solutions required in other areas of the globe. We certainly see the emergence of Open Source, SaaS and the growing number of integrated solution suites changing the retail systems landscape but not for any one region, it is changing globally. UST Global works on all types of engagements in direct response to the IT strategies of its clients.