In the last few decades, consumer shopping habits evolved radically. Moving fluidly between physical stores, online platforms, and mobile applications, they have changed the way retail operations used to take place. With this shift in consumer purchasing behavior, the retail sector experienced challenges in delivering omnichannel experiences to customers. The foundation of advarics GmbH was a vision to address these dynamic shifts in consumer behavior and retail operations. Having been honored as one of the “Innovators of the Year 2024,” advarics celebrates its achievements in transforming the retail sector.
A Tale of Transforming Retail
advarics GmbH’s unique approach to transforming retail operations in accordance with changing consumer demands is a testament to its unparalleled excellence. Around 15 years ago, the company started offering SaaS-based cloud solutions, moving away from the technical limitations of legacy on-premise solutions. Over time, it rapidly established itself as a pioneer in Europe’s lifestyle retail sector, gaining immense popularity for its innovative approach.
As a progressive web application (PWA), advarics eliminated the need for installations and updates by offering unprecedented flexibility in adoption. As the firm continues to innovate, it is working to break down barriers between online and offline retail with solutions that work anywhere, anytime.
Roland Köhler, CEO
Roland Köhler’s career is attributed to his academic and professional experiences that shaped his role as the co-founder and CEO of advarics GmbH. During his school and university, Roland gained experience in software and database development. Later, he took over sales and project responsibility for a German ERP system during his time at universities in Austria and Italy, directing him to set up his own enterprise resource planning (ERP) system with advarics.
After university, he joined the management board of a Swiss ERP software firm. Gradually, at the end of 2008, he started considering how business software could be built and operated smarter and more efficiently – both as a software provider and a customer. Roland’s extensive career of nine years with on-premise ERP systems in Germany, Austria, Italy, and Switzerland led to the conceptualization of a completely new approach. “Two years before the terms” “cloud software” and “SaaS” were first used in public, we had already successfully implemented technological prototypes under the new project called “advarics” (advanced retail information control solutions),” shares Roland.
advarics GmbH in a nutshell
advarics specializes in innovative ERP and POS software for the lifestyle retail sector. The company primarily focused on creating device-agnostic, cloud-native solutions that unify inventory management, POS, and customer engagement across physical and online sales channels. Recognizing the complexities of modern retail, the firm enables retail businesses to streamline operations, reduce costs, and offer seamless customer experience.
advarics excels in merchandise management solutions, covering a broad spectrum of operations. These include- orchestrating purchase orders and managing inventory to facilitating stock transfers between stores and warehouses. The company’s robust checkout software solutions are another testament to its adaptability. These solutions leverage real-time APIs within its purpose-driven ERP systems for the retail sector by seamlessly integrating with e-commerce platforms like Shopify and Magento.
Service Offerings
advarics excelled in the below-listed offerings-
- Keeping merchandise management at the heart of its offerings, advarics enable retailers to track inventory, manage orders, and maintain product data in real-time.
- The company ensures that businesses always have up-to-date stock and product information at their fingertips, fostering more informed and efficient decision-making.
- It also delivers innovative Point of Sale (POS) systems designed to operate both online and offline. The offline functionality of POS ensures retailers continue sales operations even without an internet connection.
- The advanced interface management of the company through robust APIs allows for smooth integration with third-party systems, such as e-commerce platforms, customer loyalty programs, and personnel planning tools.
- With advarics’ solutions, retailers can reduce hardware costs up to 80%.
New in the Platter
advarics GmbH is launching a new way for brick-and-mortar retailers to generate e-commerce sales in early 2025. With this new and innovative solution from advarics, businesses will no longer need their own web shop or a connection to marketplaces to enhance sales. This will make consumers’ smartphones, tablets, or email inboxes the retailers’ direct and immediate e-shop.
Integrating Innovation
Back in 2008, advarics was developed on an innovative concept, cutting edge in terms of technology and business model. “As a rule, we strive to evolve from ‘within’ rather than being led by ‘outside trends’,” emphasizes Roland. His visionary approach directed the company towards innovation. Collaboration with over 800 customers across various geographical regions provides advarics ample inspiration and opportunity to evolve internally.
Teambuilding at the Core
Roland believes the team is king and self-responsibility is master. Teamwork combined with a high degree of personal responsibility characterizes the basic way advarics work. The company tries to help its colleagues achieve their desired goals as independently and responsibly as possible. Defining goals and keeping solutions along the way are the two guiding principles of advarics’s teambuilding approach. This allows the ideas and solutions of colleagues to fuel the imagination and innovative strength of others.
Cultivating a Culture of Innovation
To ‘fan the flames,’ Roland encourages organizational people to leave the ‘comfort zone of the known.’ He believes innovation always has something to do with the unknown, the arduous, and the uncertain that results from a willingness to take risks. Thus, to foster a culture of innovation, the company must have people with such personality traits. In Roland’s view, innovation only prevails if it serves people and represents an overall gain.
Embracing Future Trends
Roland foresees software to play an increasingly active role in the interaction between users and technology. Likely, the software will soon take over and control the users instead of users controlling them. He believes increasing the integration of AI into broad areas of life will be the next evolutionary step.
Guiding Future Innovators
Roland advises future innovators to be curious and think ‘out of the box.’ According to him, ‘How does this benefit the people or companies that should benefit from your idea?’ should be their mission statement to succeed.
A team should also ensure a healthy balance between employees who push new ideas and employees who view new ideas with skepticism.
