Understanding Total Cost of Ownership in Building an Advanced Store Systems Business Case

This IDC Global Retail Insights Opinion paper provides a detailed view of the considerations required to evaluate advanced store systems platforms and how to ensure that the retailer's business priorities are fully addressed in the business value analysis. It examines the importance of using a Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) model as a more accurate reflection of investment cost and benefit than mere asset purchase. It analyzes research results that show the different store systems evaluation priorities used by different retail industry segments and provides sample retailer models and financial metrics to use as guides, concluding with a review of the full value proposition that can result from a broad, strategic investment in new retail POS technologies.