Are Two-Way Radios STILL Relevant in a Smartphone World?

In our inaugural episode of the Connected Technologies podcast, hosted by Paul Norford, guests Keith Liddell and Mark Barnes explore the evolving role of two-way radios in retail and emergency services, highlighting their continued relevance despite the rise of smartphones.  The discussion covers the integration of communication technologies, the impact on safety and customer experience, and the future of retail communication, including the use of AI and body-worn cameras. Both speakers emphasize the importance of instant communication and the benefits of creating a connected store environment.

Connected Technologies Podcast, by Peak Technologies.

Transcript

Paul 0:04

Hello and welcome to the Connected Technologies podcast by Peak Technologies, where supply chain meets innovation. My name is Paul Norford and in this series we'll explore how technology is reshaping the way critical operations run every day. From warehouses and delivery routes to inventory management through to retail and the customer experience. The pace of change across the supply chain and logistics landscape is accelerating. We'll be speaking to the people living that change firsthand. Supply chain leaders, IT specialists and mobility experts who understand what digital transformation really looks like on the ground. Today we'll explore the technology trends that matter, the strategies that keep operations moving, and why the areas like data security and sustainability are fast becoming essential foundations for modern supply chains. You'll also hear the real stories, the challenges, the breakthroughs, and the partnerships that turn complex problems into smarter operations. In this episode, we're looking at something really interesting. Why 2-A radios still matter in a world obsessed with smartphones. We'll explore how they support safety, teamwork, and the customer experience on the shop floor, and how they're evolving alongside technologies like AI, body warm cameras, and smarter store systems. On the show today, I'm joined by Keith Liddell and Mark Barnes. Let's now dive into episode two of the Connected Technologies podcast by Peak Technologies. Welcome to the podcast. I am so pleased that both of these gentlemen are here. So Keith, Mark, great to have you on. Keith, if I could just start with you first, please. Could you tell me your name, where you reside, who you work for, and what you do, please?

Keith 1:55

Absolutely. My name is Keith Liddell. I reside in the UK. Our head office is based in Southampton and I work for Syndico. We are a communications distributor for all things comms.

Paul 2:08

Great, great to have you here, Keith. And Mark, if you could do the same as well, please.

Mark 2:12

Yeah, Mark Barnes. I'm uh over here on the other side of the pond here in the United States and uh working for Peak Technologies, and I'm responsible for uh business development on our communications products and and solutions.

Paul 2:26

Communications. Everybody talks about communications, and like I'm I'm sure this is the case, but Keith, I want you to correct me if I'm wrong, please. I I haven't seen anyone use one of these for quite a while. So I believe that two-way radios are dead. Is that the case?

Keith 2:43

No, no, I can't stress this enough. I think there's always going to be a home for two-way radios in the in the industry. I think while technology is moving forward, you know, things like push to talk over cellulars, taking over, connected and stores, etc., two-way radios are always going to have a place. And you know, if you think back to you know, a warehouse operative or warehouse manager, everybody had a two-way radio. But if that warehouse manager left the store or left the warehouse and went somewhere else, communications was unreliable. Moving that person, that manager to a push-the-talk solution just widens the scope. You're not limited to coverage like you are with it with a two-way radio.

Paul 3:26

And kinda, speaking of two-way radios, like most people have smartphones these days, right? So would would you not think that people would just put down their two-way radios and just stick with their smartphones for communication?

Keith 3:38

Yeah, you could do. I mean, the nice thing about a two-way radio or a push-to-talk device is it's instant communications. You push a button, you talk, it's instantly coming through on the other end. A mobile phone, you know, I know it sounds sounds long-winded, but you've got to take it out of your pocket, you've got to open it up, you've got to find the person you want to speak to, you've got to dial that person's number. It, you know, we've tested it, and it it it's it's at least 10 to 15 seconds as an absolute minimum per call. So if you want if you wanted to put the phone down and phone you and then speak to Mark and then phone you back, you can imagine how much time that takes up in a day.

Paul 4:13

So I I hadn't even thought of that. And and actually, Mark, coming to you now, so I I hadn't considered that kind of 15-second interval between even switching calls or looking to make a call. Now I know in the US, two-way radios are quite a big thing, not just for emergency services, but also I've I've been to a few retail stores where they have two-way radios. Are they still a thing in the US?

Mark 4:39

Yeah, it's it's amazing. We get that question a lot, uh Paul. So thanks. Um, you know, as technology is moving forward and and certainly there's other things coming into play, soft uh soft phones which allow you to do push to talk. Um, but a simple two-way radio that uh there's no software to manage, no IP addresses, works out of the box, and with high turnover in retail, uh, we're finding that retailers still want a low-cost communication device. So the two-way radios uh I think are here to stay. They'll they'll have their own place. Maybe there'll be some uh integration into push to talk devices, but uh but certainly the low-cost, easy to use, easy to um uh integrate two-way radios are are here to stay.

Paul 5:28

So are you are you seeing that there's many statistics with regard to two-way radio integration into retail stores? Are you are you seeing that from your perspective, Mark?

Mark 5:39

Yeah, well, one of the one of the great things is um Motorola in particular did some studies years ago, which really I think got the um the radio started in retail. They found that um you can save associate saves about five minutes per hour per day utilizing the two-way radio. So uh you just think about price checks. If a customer asks you what's the price of a of a product, instead of having to walk all the way back to uh to the shelf, you just instantly ask another associate, maybe in that area. Um so customer service, customer experience is is greatly enhanced with being able to have instant communication. So um it's truly a uh productivity tool, but then also uh helps with customer service as well.

Paul 6:28

Wow, okay. So I I used to work in retail back in the day. I used to work for a clothing store um in in the UK, and I I remember some of the people used to walk around with what looked like a utility belt. Yeah, and they had all sorts of devices and bits and pieces on their belt. So, Mark, I'm gonna stick with you. With associates in in the US, do they still have that kind of utility belt mentality where they'd have a two-way radio and a smartphone as well? Are you seeing that?

Mark 6:58

Yeah, and um it's funny you say that because they they do call it a utility belt uh because you could have a two-way radio, a mobile device, a portable phone. So I think what we are seeing is um there is technology now that enables the mobile devices that associates are using for inventory receiving. Um there's some soft phone clients that you can use to uh be able to communicate with other associates on those mobile devices and also integrate it with a phone system. So now that mobile device can be an extension of your phone system and you can take calls while you're out on the sales floor. But you know, those devices are still really expensive. So we're seeing you know, we uh at peak what we try to do is get the right device for the uh for the right associate. So if you're a manager, maybe a small lightweight mobile device um it works out great and and you still have some push-to-talk capability, but for the frontline associate, they may not need a mobile device, so a less expensive uh two-way radio still does the job and uh it works well.

Paul 8:10

So whilst we were kind of setting this up, Keith, you you'd mentioned about the integration between two-way radios and kind of enterprise grade smartphones. So anything that you would get from you know the Honeywells or the Zebra technologies of the world. Um I I know that Zebra had this thing called Workforce Connect, and I believe it was uh a system whereby uh you could connect it with a two-way radio, and effectively you could before I think Mark, you actually said it, you could push to talk and it would act a little bit like a two-way radio. Has has that been deployed in the UK at all?

Keith 8:48

Um it has. It has uh we've had many deployments actually. It's you're taking a radio over IP gateway, connecting it to the DMR radio system, which then connects to, like as you mentioned, the Zebra WorkCloud um PTT Pro or Workforce Connect solution. So effectively, you have someone that's perhaps in a warehouse, taking in deliveries, you've then got somebody that leaves the warehouse, goes out on the road, they're not limited to to range. So as long as you've got the connection between the gateway, you know, you can take that DMR radio out into the field.

Paul 9:22

So how how would that kind of be connected in store? So again, let's say you've got for for argument's sake, you've got someone in a warehouse who's got a two-way radio, you've got somebody on the shop floor with a an enterprise grade smartphone or some sort of smartphone with a with a push to talk client on there so they can communicate between back end of store and front end of store. Like how how does that integration actually happen?

Keith 9:48

So effectively, you're just adding a an additional license to the gateway that then connects and allows the data traffic to flow between the zebra or z or or zebra workload solution and the DMR radio. So it's just about allowing the data flow to happen between the two, and that's effectively how it is, without getting way too technical.

Paul 10:11

Yeah, and and certainly for people, if you're at anything like me getting too technical, I'd be lost and I would glaze over fairly quickly. From your perspective, Mark, uh and you're seeing this in the US, I know. You have associates that have two-way radios, or potentially a manager, for example, who has a some sort of smart device, be it an enterprise grade smart device or a bring your own type device. In in terms of that communication flow, are you seeing that the in-store experience is positively impacted by connecting a two-way radio with a smart device?

Mark 10:48

Yeah, yeah. And and really what it uh comes down to is just uh uh increasing the communications within the store. So in some cases, um you may have some associates that only have the mobile device with no two-way radio, and so uh they don't they're not part of the group and and able to engage with all of the associates. So now it uh what a lot of our customers are excited about, and uh we're kind of bringing this uh over from from from what we're learning in the UK, now we can get the whole store uh to in in um in communication, and so it does a couple things. One is just uh from a productivity standpoint, as we talked about earlier. Um I think camaraderie, now everyone is uh you know able to talk as a group and feels part of the team. And then from a security standpoint, you know, there's more and more concern about uh uh the crazy things that are happening now in in retail where it's active shooters. Um so now you're able to give your associates an ability to uh be eyes and ears. So if anyone sees anything that uh seems out of the ordinary or potentially a concern, they're able to alert the other uh associates there. So I really think that um it's a nice addition, and it's uh we're getting closer to the point where um you know you you have a total uh in-store communication solution.

Paul 12:14

Are you seeing cost saving benefits from deploying these sorts of technologies into retail stores, Mark?

Mark 12:21

Yeah. Uh so that's another good point because what we're finding and hearing from retailers are like, listen, don't come up with, you know, try to sell me on on another whizbang gadget. You know, let's let's see how we better utilize the products we already have in the store. And uh, and so that's why I think it's resonating a lot with our customers, is they're saying, wait a second, you mean I can you know keep my two-way radios for the associates that have them, I can utilize these other Zebra Honeywell um Android iOS devices. Uh and what's really neat also is um now you're also able to use a client. So if you're a district manager that's visiting stores, you can also run a client on your cell phone and interact with the store. So in the case of Zebra's new sync solution, it's the next version of Workforce Connect, you're actually able now to uh as a manager have have that running on your phone. So if you are out and about but you want to connect with your various different uh stores and teams, you can do that over the uh Zebra Sync. So it's really opening up the possibilities of getting beyond the the four walls of the store as well.

Paul 13:35

Hmm, mm. And then just from a from a cost saving perspective, you know, we we kind of touched on it earlier. Do you have any examples of where systems like this have been deployed and there are there's threat detection mechanisms, there's theft detection mechanisms that are in play. Are you are you kind of seeing any in any positive impact on shrinkage through stores by connecting these elements together?

Mark 14:01

Yeah. So what what's really been happening here uh in the US, unfortunately, is um organized retail crime and the theft in these stores. They're saying that uh uh some estimates as the National Retail Federation has said uh its cost in retail is around $45 billion a year, this theft. And it's it's um you know it's so prevalent. And they are saying that it could even uh further impact, and that's just loss of the product, folks stealing. But there's other uh impacts. You know, it's um if you don't have the item on the shelf to sell, you're losing sales that way. Your insurance goes up, they potentially have to um let go of certain people because they're not getting the revenue. So that uh this whole organized retail crime is really impacting. So they're locking things up, they're putting them in case locked cases, um, high-end jackets and clothing they may tether to a uh to a stand. So there's other products out there. Um we have a what we call a smart hub gateway, and we can trigger alerts when when customers need uh assistance. So in in some ways, it's helping these retailers save money, um not only by the solution we talked about before, utilizing the devices you already have and not having to go out and buy new devices. Uh that's certainly a savings. But uh but now with some of these enhanced things when you can sense when people are dwelling in certain areas of the store, perhaps it's a customer call button that enables customers to request assistance. Um, that's really um kind of enhancing that uh customer experience while at the same time trying to cut down on the theft uh or shrink that they call it in retail.

Paul 15:52

It's a delicate balance, isn't it, between deploying the next generation of cutting-edge technology and also making sure that anything that a retailer purchases to be put on the put in their store to be sold actually stays where it is until it's sold. So uh Keith, are you are you seeing something similar as well with with with retailers in the UK and kind of shrinkage impacts there?

Keith 16:18

We are indeed. I mean you speak, you know, Mark spoke about the call button. I know two of the major retailers are now having sort of alcohol locked away in a cabinet with a with a button that you go and push, then alerts the associate through the IP, through the headsets or through whatever device they're using that now somebody is waiting at the cabinet and they can go and attend to it rather than having somebody walk off with who knows how much or or what from the shelf. So yeah, it's it's it's a real mixed bag. I mean it's it's it's across the across the the sort of retail industries, across industry in general, really. Um it's used more and more and more on a monthly basis. Absolutely.

Paul 16:59

What other kind of customer insights are you seeing or any feedback that you've gathered after let's say technology like this has been deployed in the field? Are you are you s are you hearing any positives or negatives, or can you give us some examples of that?

Keith 17:14

I mean I think the biggest that I that feedback I get is uh just the increase in response times. That is the number one feedback I get from anybody saying before we had this solution implemented, you know, we'd either have to someone would let me know, someone who's nearby, then I'd have to walk to go and find somebody else to inform them. Where now they can send out a group-wide or company-wide communication instantly, and everybody's aware of exactly what's going on. So from reaction times, it's everything's just happening so much faster than what they had before. Um, that's one of the driving factors. And then you've got you know the ability to group thousands of users, which again, when it goes out company-wide communication, everybody's acting at the same time. So it's just it's yeah, it's the number one driving factor. Wow. Are you are you are you seeing that also impact customer loyalty as well? Absolutely. I mean, you know, I think I think we can all agree that if we go into a retail store and we see action being taken, we kind of we feel safe as the as the person entering the store. And yeah, it just has that ripple effect, doesn't it, across across the board. So absolutely.

Paul 18:24

What's your view on that as well, Mark? Are you are you seeing and hearing that too?

Mark 18:27

Yeah, and I and I think uh you know, this whole idea of of um integration and and and and better communication. Uh we have one customer here, real large retail chain, and uh one of the problems they had was with the checkout line. So um thankfully for them, they're they're a real popular store, but their their checkout line gets gets long, and they're trying to balance uh labor at the front end. So what they've done now is they've implemented some cameras with AI, and so they can track when customers walk in, and if they get an influx of customers, they know in 21 minutes or whatever that average um uh shopping time is, those customers are going to be up at the front end. So they're now uh proactively over the two-way radios generating alerts that say additional cashier needed, so that they anticipate that demand and they're able to keep that you know, that checkout line as as low as possible. So that's uh that's been one example of how you integrate this type of technology for um not only cost savings, but to enhance that customer experience, where some folks we've heard would have just looked at the long line and walked out the door.

Paul 19:44

Yeah. Wow. Amazing. That that's that's really interesting. So leveraging AI, camera technology to monitor who's coming into the store, and then to have some sort of algorithm or some sort of calculation that works out when said people will arrive at the checkout line and then sending out a predictive message to the store associates to be at the checkout line. So again, positively impacting that customer experience.

Mark 20:15

That's right. Yeah, and uh and and so that's I that I like that one because I think it's a it's a they they found a real problem that they're uh up against. I mean, it's great to have so much sales, but it it's it's been a turn off for customers, and then now to implement technology, and again, a lot of it is utilizing technology they already have, the cameras, the two-way radios. Um they are putting our smart hub in, but they're using that smart hub now for lots of other applications. But this is just one of them where you can use some existing technology with a little bit of uh AI and um and and really have a benefit for uh the bottom line and and the customers.

Paul 20:58

Right, and you're preventing customers from walking out disgruntled because they've seen they've seen the checkout line. Wow. Keith, I I was I was gonna ask you as well, just in terms of AI and the whole kind of concept and notion of it, how are you seeing your customers connecting AI with, and this is gonna be a big jump, with two-way radios? Like what would what how are you seeing that connection all come together?

Keith 21:24

I can't honestly say that we've had an instance where we've connected AI with two-way radios, but similar to similar to Mark's experience where we have a product that scans the shelf, takes potentially an image of the shelf to say, right, you know, for the argument's sake, there's a there's a can of coke or can of cool drink that should be there. It's not there, it needs to be replenished. So that will send an alert back to the associate to say that that particular line needs to be replenished. So they will then go and replenish it and potentially see that there might be a few other lines that need to be replenished. But in terms of actually connecting to a two A radio. Not so much. More from a push to talk, push to talk radio side of things, yeah.

Paul 22:06

Right. Okay. So more of a communication side of it as opposed to as opposed to anything else. Okay, that's really interesting. So obviously, reliable communication absolutely enhances not just the customer experience, but also safety. So we've spoken a little bit about retail stores. Keith, are you seeing a positive impact as well by connecting two-way radios with enterprise grade smartphones for blue light or emergency services?

Keith 22:33

Absolutely. Um we've we have a few uh partners who you know work with ambulance services or or in a healthcare profession where you know one instance is ambulance. So if you they they get sent to pick up somebody potentially with a mental health issue, they've got to have more than one person dealing with that particular patient. If the patient decides to have an episode inside the ambulance while it's traveling, they need to have instant radio, so they need to be able to talk or raise the alarm, which then goes through to dispatch. Dispatch can then immediately put them into an emergency group, understand without the user. So if it was me, I could raise the alarm, deal with the patient, my radio automatically opens up the channel so dispatch can hear what's going on, what's being said, I can talk to dispatch without you know having using my hands. My hands are free, my hands are all taken up. I can talk to dispatch, tell them what we need, tell them where we are, tell them what's going on, and they can do that. Similar within the healthcare facility, you have community nurses that go out into the community, deal with patients. If they get to a house, you know, I'm maybe five foot four nurse, really petite. I get to a house, I need to deal with someone like myself, you know, 104 kilograms. It's going to be a challenge. So they that nurse can then look at on their smart device and say, right, Mark is the nearest nurse to me. Hey Mark, please can you come and help? I need assistance. You know, do all that. That again connects through to the DMR radio or to dispatch, whichever. You could you could kind of it's a really flexible solution, so you could cut it up any which way you want to.

Paul 24:13

And obviously, I I don't want to be kind of sized here, but you know, anybody who's five foot four, taking on somebody like you, Keith, who's 104 kilos and what, six foot, six foot one, six foot two. Yeah, six foot four. Perhaps they're perhaps said person is a power lifter, you know. I mean, you just you just never know.

Keith 24:29

But no, no, for sure, for sure, but it's it's yeah, most of the time it's gonna be a challenge.

Paul 24:36

That I will give you. But actually, that's a really interesting scenario that you've you've just described. So Mark, looking at that, and and I I I know Mark that your team doesn't necessarily focus on emergency services, but just taking that notion of safety and having a two-way radio that's kind of open, ready to dispatch or connected back to some sort of back-end support system. Is that something that could be or you're seeing that is has already been tested, potentially rolled out into uh a retail store situation with regard to safety?

Mark 25:12

Yeah, well, um safety has become more and more important. There's a couple things happening. Um, some of the newer radios now that are digital, motorola digital radios give you a uh a larger range. So out in the parking lot, a lot of times folks have to associates go out to get the uh shopping carts. You guys call them trolleys, I think. Uh yes, we do. Ah, you speak English. I love that. So uh if they're going out to get the trolleys and it's dark out, and you know, certain things can happen, maybe they see an accident. Now they have the ability to instantly tell everybody back in the store, whereas in in um, you know, previous models maybe didn't have that kind of range. So I think that's really important. We're seeing now um some body-worn cameras that typically you would see on police, fire and police, they're being utilized by retail associates because of how aggressive customers have gotten. And they actually have a button, uh, uh Motorola has their little small body worn cameras integrated to two-way radios. So as Keith was talking about where you know, um, sometimes you can press a button and it opens it up uh automatically to other groups. This would enable someone with a with a body worn camera to press a button if they're in an altercation, and now everybody in the store through their two-way radios can can hear what's happening and hopefully go over and help that person. Um and then another thing that uh just recently happening is um in New York City, they're gonna require as of January 1st, 2027. So not that far away, a year away, uh you have a panic button for for associates to be able to press if there's uh any any issue. And again, um some of the radios that are being introduced now have that ability to just press one button and it'll send automatically send out a message that that person's in distress. So um not only is communication great for increasing productivity, enhancing customer experience, but we're also seeing now it's playing a big part in the health and safety of associates as well.

Paul 27:27

That's a really interesting point. I it's great that you mentioned body-worn cameras. I've got a buddy of mine that also is in the same field of he's a technical account manager for a company that has body-worn cameras. We're also seeing very similar things in the UK, and Keith, I think you can attest to this as well. Are you seeing that kind of body-worn camera technology also being integrated into some sort of gateway whereby that data could also flow through not to just associates, but also potentially to emergency services too?

Keith 28:04

Absolutely, we are. Unfortunately, it's sad, you know. I think Mark alluded to it early on. We are seeing so many retailers now asking and and and implementing body worn cameras for for you know for the sake of their staff. Um, and certain major retailers have now said to their staff, do not interact with that person that's causing whatever they you know damage they're doing. Just turn the body camera on, stand there and record, and that's it. Don't don't even try and approach them. So it's it's it's really taken off sadly to report, yeah.

Paul 29:11

Yeah, yeah, it's it's a it really is a sad state of affairs, isn't it, frankly. But uh what you've alluded to is is very much a kind of multimodal approach to how a lot of these systems are in being integrated together to be able to give people either back-end-wise, be it um at support level or you know, kind of back to base or even just in the retail store, giving them a complete picture of what's going on in that store, obviously to positively impact the customer experience, but also, and both of you have alluded to this, to make sure that associates stay safe whilst they're at work. Are you seeing anything else kind of to to support that model as well, not just kind of just the technology itself, but are you seeing anything else there too?

Keith 30:01

Uh yeah, I think I think it's a case of as you've just alluded to there, it's about the connected store. So potentially I'm gonna have somebody maybe at the cashier on a body-worn camera. I might have the guy you know working in in stores using a 2A radio because it's a little bit more robust than anything else. I'm gonna have my store associates on the floor potentially using a PDA type zebra honeywell type handset where they can scan clothing in and out, they can keep in touch with everybody else, they've got emails. So it's it's kind of when you know when we go through discovery, it's about understanding what is that retail store looking for. Are they looking to connect all the different aspects, the warehouse, the back office, you know, front of house, everything together? And if so, we can bring it all together using a multitude of different different technologies and different handsets and products.

Paul 30:51

Mark, I I want to get your view on this, and I've I've just had this thought actually. So we've got the retail store kind of covered with all sorts of multimodal technology. Are you seeing a visibility kind of further out from the retail store? So, for example, deliveries coming into store or deliveries being sent from store to someone's home for either click and collect or buy online pickup in store or home deliveries.

Mark 31:20

Yeah. Yeah, in fact, um, you know, there's uh um we have customers that are alerting as a truck gets in proximity of the store, because a big thing is um when you talk about productivity, if a store, if a truck pulls up to the back of the store and has to wait 10, 15, 20 minutes before someone can unload the trailer, um when you multiply that over several stops, there's a lot of missed uh productivity there. So um we're seeing now where with the onboard computer on these trucks with GPS as they get within uh a mile, whatever that uh uh geofencing area is, they're alerting the store, and and now the store is able to associates are are ready to unload that truck and uh and and get the truck on their way. So I think uh for inbound, that's um that's become a real positive force. Um we're also seeing with the uh click and collect the pickup side of things when a customer comes to the front of the store, um, they're able to now send a text. So the same um order confirmation that they get that their order is ready, when they show up, they just have to uh respond back, and it's sending an SMS text to the cloud, and then um we're able to route that message down with the person's name, do text to voice, and and let you know that uh Keith or Paul is uh is curbside ready ready to pick up their order. So um really starting to see how you know various areas of the store, not just inside, but uh as you as you expand out, can can really be helpful. One other thought that uh is becoming popular too now is uh here in in the old days we had the Nextel phones that allowed you to communicate pretty much countrywide. And so that's becoming popular from loss prevention. Looks like a regular two-way radio, but now it gives you either Wi-Fi or cellular capability. So when you're on the road, um you can talk to other stores and and other loss prevention folks. So that's uh that's becoming quite popular as you branch outside of the store.

Paul 33:34

Wow, incredible. Technology really is moving forwards in leaps and bounds to really drive a holistic customer experience and an approach. How does this technology help with returns in store? Keith, I'll I'll I'll come to you with that question first, and then Mark, I'd love to get your view.

Keith 33:54

I mean, the feed the feedback we've got from that so far to date is just again the speed at which transactions and and questions are dealt with, which means that this the store associate can just push a button, ask a question, you know, I'm unsure about this, this doesn't look right. And they can even take you know a video call, they can even arrange a video call, show their supervisor superior what the package looks like, what the clothing looks like, and decisions are made on the fly really, really quick and easy. So gone are the days where returns used to take, you know, two to three weeks to happen. It's now as soon as the RS back, it's opened, it's checked, it's if there's any questions, they deal with it straight away. There's a push of a button or a video call, and it's job done. You know, that is that is the number one feedback we get from a returns perspective.

Mark 34:45

Yeah, I think that covers it as well. It's uh it's really the ability to speed up that whole entire process with better communication. So Keith, I think you're right on.

Paul 34:58

It would be remiss of me not to mention AI and the data that's being collected and all of the data-driven features that comes with AI. So, again, with regard to a retail store, how do you see this evolving to make customer interactions even more personalized? And we've already kind of talked about the proactive piece, but how how are you seeing the role of AI and these data-driven features positively impacting these customer experiences to personalize their experience, if you will?

Mark 35:29

So, you know, it's interesting. I I think a lot about AI, and there are some use cases as I mentioned with the camera and doing predictive analysis for the front end. But and and there are a lot of good apps out there today that if you know have the planogram on your phone so you can quickly find a product. Um, but I do think that you know at the end of the day, folks go into a store not only to touch and feel product, but also to be able to talk to associates and and get feedback on different things, ask questions. So I I think AI is gonna pay it play its a place, whether it's a mobile device, maybe a kiosk, there's certain things they can they can do through AI. But uh at the end of the day, folks still need to be able to communicate with a human being. And uh if that's the case, those store associates, they're only as knowledgeable as as the most knowledgeable associate in the store if they have good, quick, instant communication. So I think um I think we're gonna see where that communication and and making sure your associates are equipped with the right tool. Uh as Keith Keith was mentioning, you know, the right device for the right associate in their task is gonna be paramount. And so you need to make sure that uh you're working with uh the right partner that can help you through that process. But at the end of the day, AI absolutely will have a place, but I think there's no replacement for still having good associates that are they're knowledgeable and can and can really help uh help that experience.

Paul 37:06

It's a good point. Very, very good point.

Keith 37:09

Keith? Yeah, I was just gonna echo those those same words really. You know, in the UK, we haven't really, you know, there's a lot of talk about AR and how it's going to implement or how it's going to progress through into the retail store or various other industries. But we we're not we aren't there yet. And I think I think as Mark alluded to, when people are going into the store, I think they're going into the store to speak to someone to potentially get help, you know, to try things, you know, items on. When you when you're shopping online, it's a very different story, but going in store, it's a very different experience.

Paul 37:39

Absolutely. Uh so gentlemen, I as we as we wind up the podcast, I firstly I just want to say I I I thank you so much for your time and your insights. Um there have been some some great key takeaways from me in this, but if you were just to kind of sum something up in a in a sentence from today's conversation, uh Keith, I'll I'll I'll I'll come to you first. If you've got someone that's on the fence about you know looking at and connecting two-way radios with a with a smart device or or something like that, what would you tell them?

Keith 38:11

Well, it's a great question, Paul. I mean, I get this every single day, to be honest. A lot of people sit on the fence in terms of, well, I've been using this two-way radio for the last 25 years, it works, it you know, if it breaks, I'll buy a new one, etc. etc.

Paul 38:25

Yeah.

Keith 38:25

But then my first question to them is I can see you using a paging device, I can see you using a mobile phone, I can see you using a scanner to scan clothing in and out. There's various bits and pieces that they're carrying. You you refer to as the as the belt, I think you said. The utility, but the battery. How would you feel? I've never yet had a response other than that would be amazing. But it's the conversation that people just aren't having because I move to whatever company that's selling to that retail store. They've been buying two Air Rios for the last 25 years, so I'm just going to keep selling them two Air Rios. As soon as we start having that conversation with the retailer and saying, Well, these this is now what's available to you, it's a very different situation that they, you know, they they really get excited about it. So that's what I would, you know, I would I would just talk about it. Truly is a connected store. You can connect everybody in anything in any which way you would like to. It's just about having that conversation.

Paul 39:40

As well as the peripheral benefits of digitizing their workflow, should they be on pencil, paper, clipboards, you know, writing on scraps of paper and leaving them around the place. It it really does unify quite a lot of things, not just communication, but potentially their complete in-store workflow.

Keith 39:59

I call it, I call it future-proofing the entire store. Um, you know, as soon as we've had that discussion, you can see the light bulb go off, and everyone's got going, oh well, what about this department? What about that? I'm like, yeah, yeah, we can we can do that too. Yes, it's it's a really flexible solution that we can sort of you know scale to whichever whatever you need, really.

Paul 40:20

Keith, that's great. Mark, what's your perspective?

Mark 40:22

So yeah, I I think that's uh that's absolutely the direction we're going to, especially as more devices come out that uh lower cost. It enables more associates to to have that uh digital device. But uh what I really like is we we can bridge that gap for now. So as we talked about earlier, still use your two-way radios for the associates that that that have them, and now start to implement some of the newer communication tools that are available on the mobile device. And and for now, link the two, and at some point we may see uh a migration to to just the handheld devices, but for the foreseeable future, it looks like there's probably going to be a mix. And the great news is we can still connect all those and and make it a connected store. So I think it's uh it's a uh you know still a great story to tell.

Paul 41:18

Outstanding. Gentlemen, Keith Liddell and uh Mark Barnes, it's been great to have you here. Thank you so much for your time, your insights, uh, some of the stories as well. It's I've certainly learned a lot from today's conversation. Thank you very much indeed, gents. Thank you for having me. Who'd have thought? Two-way radios, a technology that may feel old, but they remain incredibly relevant in today's AI-driven world. This conversation really highlights how communication tools shape what happens on the shop floor, influencing safety, teamwork, and ultimately the customer experience. If you're exploring technologies like AI, body-worn cameras, or more connected retail environments, these are exactly the kinds of conversations we'll keep bringing to the show. Digital transformation isn't just about technology. It's about people, collaboration, and building resilient operations. A huge thank you to both Keith Liddell and Mark Barnes for sharing their experience and insights with us today. If you've enjoyed the conversation, please do make sure that you subscribe so you don't miss out on future episodes. And if something in this episode sparked an idea for your organization, please do share this episode with a colleague and let's continue the discussion. My name is Paul Norford, and this has been the Connected Technologies Podcast by Peak Technologies.