Using a centralized and real-time architecture, access to information throughout the retail enterprise is both instantaneous and error-free. Users at all levels gain access to the holistic information they need to make critical business decisions. Maintenance and upgrades also become much leaner, faster and more cost-effective processes. Centralized deployment can be used for regions with reliable connectivity, whereby stores connect with a regionally centralized server. Standalone stores can be set up in regions with limited or no connectivity, whereby devices in each store connect to local computing resources on the POS register(s) or a store server. Failover deployments are recommended in regions with occasional connectivity disruptions, whereby stores can run in centralized mode with a failover to run standalone and synchronize automatically when connectivity is restored. For a worldwide deployment, different regions can adopt the model best suited to local connectivity and all regions can be synchronized with a centralized instance (database and/or data warehouse). For more information, visit www.raymark.com.

1. Centralized Retail Solutions
with Standalone and Failover
Capabilities
White Paper

2. 01 | Centralized Retail Solutions with Standalone and Failover Capabilities
With more and more elements of retail business becoming optimized with software, today’s retail IT teams are managing an increasingly wide portfolio of solutions across more retail channels than ever before.
Technology is evolving at a rapid pace, and retailers are expanding into new geographies, new business models and reaching out to customers in new ways. Retailers realize that they need more centralized control and capabilities in order to remain competitive and keep costs down.
Centralized Retail Solutions
with Standalone and Failover Capabilities
Copyright 2014 Raymark Xpert Business Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
What if some of my stores have limited or no connectivity?
Because we’ve been developing retail enterprise software since before the internet was commonly used in retail, Raymark truly understands how to do business in a disconnected mode.
Some of our current customers operate retail businesses in very remote geographic areas where getting reliable internet connectivity is not cost effective or simply not possible. Even in urban centers, a building’s architecture sometimes makes it difficult for retailers to obtain affordable and reliable internet connectivity.
Retailers work hard to drive traffic and close sales, so losing the ability to process transactions due to connectivity issues is NEVER an option.
For these reasons, Raymark recognizes that there is more than one way to do business, and has architected our retail solutions to support multiple deployment models, or a hybrid approach.

3. 02 | Centralized Retail Solutions with Standalone and Failover Capabilities
Visibility and Control
Using a centralized and real-time architecture, access to information throughout the retail enterprise is both instantaneous and error-free. Users at all levels gain access to the holistic information they need to make critical business decisions.
Maintenance and upgrades also become much leaner, faster and more cost-effective processes.
No Polling
Centralized point of sale solutions do not require any window of down time in order to communicate with the back office, since they are online all day. There are no nightly polling procedures needed.
Polling is known to cause errors and major losses in productivity, both at the store level and head office.
The elimination of polling also eliminates a lot of related paperwork, making this a positive change for business productivity, cost reduction and the planet.
Managed Flexibility
Raymark’s centralized architecture allows retailers to centrally manage multiple banners, channels and even owned or franchise store operations. The solution provides the ability to configure custom business workflows and role-based preferences, while still offering a unified and consistent view of retail data and information.
Reduced Costs
With centralized retail enterprise software, the hardware costs in each store can be greatly reduced. Both the upfront investment and the recurring costs to maintain and keep local hardware up-to-date are reduced with a smaller software footprint in each store.
Accuracy
With real-time, centralized data, buyers and merchandisers can make more accurate purchasing and allocations decisions based on the most current sales and inventory data, enabling them to deliver the right products at the right place and the right time.
Copyright 2014 Raymark Xpert Business Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
BENEFITS
of centralized retail solutions

4. 03 | Centralized Retail Solutions with Standalone and Failover Capabilities
Copyright 2014 Raymark Xpert Business Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
1
CENTRALIZED
Centralized deployment can be used for regions with reliable connectivity, whereby stores connect with a regionally centralized server.
The data center can be hosted in the cloud or in the retailer’s server infrastructure. Only a thin client is deployed to stores, and no data is housed locally, making this a highly secure and lean option.
There is no store polling or data synchronization needed. This model is ideal for stores with 100% internet uptime, such as locations with a failover internet provider.
Centralized deployment has the benefit of connecting multiple stores in real-time with a single database, so head office users have an accurate picture of what’s happening in the stores at any given moment.
2
STANDALONE STORES
Standalone stores can be set up in regions with limited or no connectivity, whereby devices in each store connect to local computing resources on the POS register(s) or a store server.
In this model, computing occurs locally with a database on the POS or a store server. Mobile devices can be configured to connect to a machine operating as a store server, however it is important to note that no sensitive data will ever be housed on any mobile device.
The data model is the same for centralized and standalone deployments, and the scope of data records housed in the local store is configurable. Data synchronization can happen on any retailer- definable schedule: for example, hourly, nightly, etc.
3
FAILOVER
Failover deployments are recommended in regions with occasional connectivity disruptions, whereby stores can run in centralized mode with a failover to run standalone and synchronize automatically when connectivity is restored.
Retailers can centralize failover to a single POS or store server, or install the failover on all POS terminals. Applications can be configured to connect to the appropriate failover instance in the store when connection to central instance is lost, whether on the same device (in the case of POS registers), another POS, or a store server.
To the user, the application remains the same. What’s more, the scope of data records housed in each failover instance is configurable.
All three models described below can be used harmoniously in different geographic regions according to local needs and synchronized with a centralized instance.
For a worldwide deployment, different regions can adopt the model best suited to local connectivity and all regions can be synchronized with a centralized instance (database and/or data warehouse).

5. Raymark
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Montréal, Québec
Canada H4P 1A5
T: 1-800-346-7296
F: 1-514-737-0014
E: info@raymark.com
W: www.raymark.com
For 25 years, Raymark has been empowering retail with leading-edge enterprise software solutions that help the world’s most prestigious international retailers optimize stock turns, build customer loyalty, and increase sales. Raymark develops and markets the ultimate suite of flexible and interconnected applications deployed in a centralized environment and offers professional turnkey solutions including implementation, training and customer support. www.raymark.com