Comparative Analysis of Lightspeed Retail vs. Vend for Macey's Retail

This report, presented as an investigation proposal, compares Lightspeed Retail and Vend software for Macey's, a retail organization. The T&D representative, after experiencing Vend's limitations, advocates for Lightspeed Retail, a cloud-based point-of-sale system. The proposal outlines Lightspeed Retail's advantages, including its comprehensive e-commerce capabilities, customer management tools, sales and inventory monitoring, and advanced reporting features. It also discusses the software's ease of use and website development capabilities, while acknowledging its cost considerations. The report contrasts these benefits with Vend's drawbacks, such as its inability to handle cash accounts and limited data reporting. The investigation will utilize a survey and literature review, referencing experiences from various enterprises using Lightspeed Retail. The report, to be delivered via email, aims to provide Macey, the manager, with the information needed to make an informed decision about retail software adoption.

Investigation Proposal
Date, 7 January 2018
From, T&D representative
To, Macey, Manager of Macey’s
Hypothesis
The proposal here suggests usage of the best retail software for the retail
organization which is called "Macey's". The T&D team has decided to use the
retail software named Vend. Macey, the manager of the organization has
approved the proposal. However, I have used the software before and have a
bitter experience. Therefore, being a T&D representative it is my responsibility to
let her know the flaws of the Vend software. According to me, Lightspeed Retail
is the best choice1. Lightspeed Retail offers a cloud-based point-of-sale platform
and this platform can be accessed anywhere anytime, the software is used for
varied retailers including footwear retailers and clothing retailers. Thus this
proposal will showcase why Lightspeed Retail is better compared to Vend
software.
Issues to explore
Lightspeed Retail, the cloud-based point-of-sale retail software can be
accessed anytime anywhere. There are multiple advantages of the software.
The software comes with numerous functionalities which involve ordering
tools, data reporting, quoting, and management. Macey’s can use it as a fully
functional e-commerce tool to handle all online as well as offline inventory.
Macey’s can manage their customers well with the aid of this software. The
workers of the organization can be able to serve their customers better in each
step of the sales cycle with the assistance of Lightspeed Retail.
Lightspeed retail has the capability to monitor sales as well as the
inventory numbers. The workers and the management staff can notice changes
in profits, in productivity and in sales with the help of the software2. Lightspeed
Retails assists in generating high-level sales reports as well as custom in-depth
1 Adewumi, Adewole, Stanley Ogbuchi, and Sanjay Misra. "A Cloud-Based Retail Management System."
In Intelligence in the Era of Big Data: 4th International Conference on Soft Computing, Intelligent Systems, and
Information Technology, ICSIIT 2015, Bali, Indonesia, March 11-14, 2015. Proceedings, vol. 516, p. 446.
Springer, 2015.
2 Mooi, Erik, Marko Sarstedt, and Irma Mooi-Reci. "Getting Data." In Market Research, pp. 51-93. Springer,
Singapore, 2018.
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data reports. All these reports provide them with high-quality information and
this information helps in taking important business decisions.
The software is able to develop highly functional and professional-looking
website for Macey’s. Macey’s can use their logo; can choose page layout,
colours and fonts. The attractive website can attract customers all over the
world. Besides, the software can assist in boosting the Yahoo, Google and Bing
ranking. All these factors can help the company to increase productivity.
Macey will not have to take any hassle to train their workers. The
software is relatively easy to use. Macey's will have to link the software to the
Google account.
Lightspeed Retails usage limitations
Lightspeed Retails has some advanced features as well. If they want
advanced features they have to pay for to avail those extra benefits. Besides
that, they have to pay charges on the monthly or yearly basis to use the
software3. Though the charges they have to pay is quite high compared to the
other retail software or Vend software, they can be assured that their
productivity will get increased and they can get long-term benefits.
Drawbacks of Vend software
Vend has multiple drawbacks, it cannot handle cash account; data
reporting is not possible via Vend software. The inventory request cannot be
sent to the suppliers, there are no employee management functionalities, the
software processes sales if the item is not available in the stock.
Investigative Technique
The hypothesis will be proved with the aid of the survey and literature
review. There are numerous enterprises that are using the Lightspeed Retails4.
The reviews from the enterprises’ representatives will help to know the benefits
that Macey’s can get adopting the Lightspeed Retails software.
People and Resources
The manager and CEO of the enterprises all around the world have
reviewed Lightspeed Retails out of which reviews of five representatives from
five different enterprises have been taken into consideration here. Helen Benge,
manager of Niche Food and Drink, Chris Durkin, General Manager of Leica Store,
Norbert Swierad, Operations Manager of Absurd Bird, Philip Start, founder of Mr
Start and Jason Rowe, Managing Director of Rub Smokehouse have been
chosen.
3 Carey, T., 2014. The best online brokers of 2014. Barron’s. Accessed: January, 26, p.2016.
4 Sood, Tulika. "Services Marketing: A Sector of the Current Millennium." In Strategic Marketing Management
and Tactics in the Service Industry, pp. 15-42. IGI Global, 2017.
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Reporting method and Timeline
The report will be delivered to Macey, the manager of Macey’s via email
by the T&D representative.
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Sign off
T&D representative signature and the date
References
Adewumi, Adewole, Stanley Ogbuchi, and Sanjay Misra. "A Cloud-Based Retail
Management System." In Intelligence in the Era of Big Data: 4th International
Conference on Soft Computing, Intelligent Systems, and Information Technology,
ICSIIT 2015, Bali, Indonesia, March 11-14, 2015. Proceedings, vol. 516, p. 446.
Springer, 2015.
Carey, T., 2014. The best online brokers of 2014. Barron’s. Accessed:
January, 26, p.2016.
Mooi, Erik, Marko Sarstedt, and Irma Mooi-Reci. "Getting Data." In Market
Research, pp. 51-93. Springer, Singapore, 2018.
Sood, Tulika. "Services Marketing: A Sector of the Current Millennium."
In Strategic Marketing Management and Tactics in the Service Industry, pp. 15-
42. IGI Global, 2017.
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