Sep 03, 2026

I’ve spent nearly 30 years in the retail and automatic identification and data capture (AIDC) industry, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that we tend to make technology much more complicated than it needs to be. We talk about scan engines, processors, operating systems, artificial intelligence, device management and connectivity. We build impressive presentations around them, comparing features and specifications. And then an associate walks onto the sales floor and asks the only question that really matters: Will this device help me do my job?

That question has shaped my perspective more than any product launch, industry conference or technology trend I’ve experienced over the years. I’ve had the opportunity to see retail technology from multiple perspectives: The retailer using it, the manufacturer building it and the technology partner helping put it all together. Those experiences have given me a pretty simple view of what makes technology successful. It isn't ultimately determined by what the technology can do. It's determined by what people can do with it.

I’ve spent nearly 30 years in the retail and automatic identification and data capture (AIDC) industry, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that we tend to make technology much more complicated than it needs to be. We talk about scan engines, processors, operating systems, artificial intelligence, device management and connectivity. We build impressive presentations around them, comparing features and specifications. And then an associate walks onto the sales floor and asks the only question that really matters: Will this device help me do my job?

That question has shaped my perspective more than any product launch, industry conference or technology trend I’ve experienced over the years. I’ve had the opportunity to see retail technology from multiple perspectives: The retailer using it, the manufacturer building it and the technology partner helping put it all together. Those experiences have given me a pretty simple view of what makes technology successful. It isn't ultimately determined by what the technology can do. It's determined by what people can do with it.

Retail Doesn’t Care About Your Spec Sheet

I learned this lesson early in my career on the retail side. When you're responsible for store operations, technology isn't abstract. You don't get to admire it from a PowerPoint slide and move on to the next meeting. You live with it. If a mobile computer dies halfway through a shift, someone has to find another one. If a scanner struggles with a damaged barcode, someone has to manually enter the information. If a printer jams during a busy period, someone has to stop what they're doing and fix it.

None of those things usually show up in product datasheet, but they show up immediately on the store floor. They show up as a longer line at checkout, a frustrated associate, a delayed pickup, an inventory discrepancy or a customer who has to wait while someone tries to work around a technology problem. That's why I've always believed a device is only as good as the experience it creates for the person using it. The best technology becomes almost invisible. It helps someone accomplish a task without demanding attention for itself. The worst technology becomes the task.

That distinction is particularly important in retail because associates don't experience technology in terms of product categories. They don't necessarily care whether they're using an enterprise mobile computer, a handheld imager or the latest generation of scanning technology. They care about finding an item, checking inventory, completing a pickup, processing a return or answering a customer's question. If the technology helps them do those things more easily, it's doing its job.

Better Tools, Not More Tools

This matters even more today because retailers are asking their associates to do more. An associate might help a customer, check stockroom inventory, replenish merchandise, fulfill an online order, and process a return, all during the same shift. At the same time, retailers are under constant pressure to control labor costs and operate efficiently with leaner teams.

Of course, technology has an important role to play here, but the answer isn’t simply giving associates more technology. The answer is giving them better tools that remove friction.

If an associate can use a mobile device to quickly locate an item instead of walking around the store looking for it, that's meaningful. If a manager has real-time insights into inventory rather than relying on yesterday's information, that's meaningful. If real-time tracking can tell a retailer where inventory is moving through the operation, that's meaningful. If better inventory visibility allows an associate to answer a customer's question confidently instead of saying, "Let me go check," that's meaningful.

Those aren't really technology outcomes. They're business outcomes. And that's where I think our industry sometimes misses the point.

I've also seen plenty of organizations fall into the trap of thinking that a technology investment automatically creates operational efficiency. It doesn't. You can digitize a bad process. You can automate a complicated workflow. You can give employees a powerful device and still make their jobs harder.

Technology doesn't fix a problem simply because it's technology. In fact, sometimes it can make the problem more expensive.

That's why I always come back to the workflow. Where is the friction? Where are people wasting time? Where are errors happening? Where are customers waiting? Where is information getting lost between systems or between people?

Those are the questions worth answering. Once you understand the problems, the technology conversation becomes much more productive. Maybe you need new hardware. Maybe you need better software. Maybe you need improved connectivity. Or maybe you need an entirely new workflow. The point isn't to find a place for technology. It's to find where technology can make a meaningful difference.

Stop Selling Features. Start Solving Problems.

When I moved to the OEM side of the business at Honeywell, I saw firsthand how much work goes into developing a rugged mobile computer, a scanner or an imaging solution. I also saw how easy it is for the conversation to become focused on what the product does rather than why it matters.

That's understandable. Technology companies are built around the devices they sell. But retailers aren't. Retailers are built around customers, employees, inventory and the ability to make money. The conversation has to connect the two.

A faster scanner isn't valuable because it scans faster. It's valuable if it helps an associate process transactions more efficiently, reduces errors or keeps a line moving. An RFID solution isn't valuable simply because it uses RFID. It's valuable because it can improve inventory visibility, reduce time spent searching for merchandise and give retailers greater confidence in their inventory data.

The same is true of artificial intelligence. AI isn't valuable simply because it incorporates AI. It's valuable if it can help someone make a better decision, complete a task faster or eliminate unnecessary work. Technology is the mechanism. The real value is in the outcome.

The Best Technology Gives People Time Back

One of my favorite ways to evaluate a technology investment is very simple: What does it give back?

Does it give an associate back five minutes they would have spent searching for an item? Does it give a manager back time they would have spent tracking down inventory discrepancies? Does it give a customer back the ten minutes they would have spent waiting? Does it give a team the ability to streamline operations without adding another complicated process?

That's the kind of value that matters to me because time is one of the few resources retailers can never get back. When you're dealing with thousands of associates across hundreds or thousands of locations, small improvements can become significant very quickly. A few seconds saved on a transaction, a few minutes saved locating inventory, fewer manual data-entry steps, fewer device-related interruptions and better real-time insights can all add up to meaningful improvements across the operation.

That's when technology starts creating real operational efficiency… not because it's new, but because it makes something better.

The Important Role of a Technology Partner

This is also why I believe the role of a technology partner has become more important. At Heartland, I spend a lot of time thinking about the gap between what technology promises and what an operation actually needs. Those aren't always the same thing.

Manufacturers are constantly innovating, and that's a good thing. But retailers don't have the luxury of rebuilding their technology environment every time a new product comes along. They need solutions that fit their people, workflows, budget, and existing infrastructure. They need someone who can look at the entire picture and say, "Here's what I think will actually work, and here’s how we’ll get there."

Sometimes that means recommending the newest technology. Sometimes it means configuring existing technology differently. Sometimes it means addressing connectivity, deployment, training or lifecycle management. And sometimes it means telling a customer that the product they asked about isn't actually the best answer.

I think that's part of the responsibility of being a good technology partner. We're not there to sell a device. We're there to help make the operation better. That means our loyalty isn’t to a specific brand or manufacturer who gives the best sales incentive. It has to be to the customer, and the solution that best fits the need.

My Advice After 30 Years

If I could give retailers one piece of advice based on everything I've seen, it would be this: Start with the person, not the product.

Don't start with the latest device. Don't start with the features list. Don't start with the technology everyone is talking about at the latest industry conference. Start with the person doing the work.

Ask what they're trying to accomplish, what gets in their way, and where they're losing time. Get curious about what information they're missing or what frustrates customers. Then work backward toward the technology.

That approach changes the conversation. Instead of asking, "What can this device do?" you start asking, "What problem can we solve with it?" That's how technology becomes useful.

Technology Will Change, But the Principle Won’t

I have no doubt that the future will bring retail technologies that are difficult for me to imagine today. AI will get smarter. Automation will become more common. Devices will become more capable. Real-time tracking, real-time insights and inventory visibility will continue to evolve.

But I don't think the fundamental questions will change. Does this make someone's job easier? Does it reduce friction? Does it improve operational efficiency? Does it improve the customer experience?

If the answer is yes, then we're on the right track. If the answer is no, I don't care how impressive the technology is. It's just expensive noise.

The most important part has never really changed. There is always a person standing on the other end of the technology; an associate trying to get something done, a manager trying to make a decision or a customer trying to get help. That's where technology earns its value. And that's where I believe we should always start.

About the Author:

Tony Boncore has spent over 30 years in AIDC and retail technology as a retail operator, an OEM leader at Honeywell Productivity Solutions and Services. He is now the Vice President of Sales & Marketing overseeing revenue growth, market expansion, and strategic go‑to‑market execution for Heartland.