Back from another EuroCIS, and we here at RCH are feeling incredibly positive. Our positivity doesn’t just stem from the fact that we felt we had a successful show (though we really did), but from the fact that the show as a whole seemed to be a success. The competitive nature of the industry was well expressed by the variety of exhibitors at EuroCISand the numerous solutions on display were all carrying the same message of an evolving and dynamic technology.
A few years ago, things weren’t looking so confident with EuroCIS; attendance was down, investment in booths had slumped. That’s why it was even better to see EuroCIS exhibitor booths crowded with people, and exhibitors confident and happy in their position.
For us, tradeshows are vital, because they are perhaps the biggest opportunity we have to embrace the ‘human’ element of the business, which is really core to our philosophy, and has been for the last 50 years.
By the ‘human’ element, we mean that tradeshows aren’t simply a ‘show and tell’ where you put out your products and hope they appeal to people. You can do that online, or through ‘conventional’ sales channels, so doing the same at a tradeshow is just duplication. Instead, with a tradeshow, there is an exceptional opportunity to receive feedback from your buyers and business partners. Shows like EuroCIS allow you to check your competitive edge, launch new products, receive useful product and market feedback and inspire future developments. Our ability to stay at the forefront of innovation stems from having the bravery to listen at these kind of shows, rather than always seeking to present something safe and polished, but uninspiring. We’d like for our fellow industry colleagues to adopt the same mentality too.
RCH is celebrating its 50th birthday this year and at EuroCIS we celebrated our experience and success. We are proud with what we have achieved so far by listeningto customers, interpreting their daily needs and providing solutions truly meeting their expectations.What does the customer really need? Things need to be scaled and judged to the needs of the customer, not the grand ideas of the producer. It’s not about big actions, it’s about constant, careful refinement
It was really this idea, this customer-oriented approach, that we promoted at EuroCIS this year – both in terms of our general approach to business, but also through our specific product offerings. For instance, our Android solution is incredibly flexible and scalable and can apply to the biggest multi-location operation and meet several needs. There’s so much flexibility in the use of smartphones that even we aren’t sure where the journey might lead in the future – but we’re making sure we’re producing the tools to help take that journey. Quite simply, we intend to be on top of the smart revolution, working to develop one simple system that is highly scalable and can be used by shops of all sizes, but has the flexibility to accommodate the many different fiscal regulations and market requirements of our customers – who stretch across 50 different countries (a number that is fast growing).
To do this, we are going to have to put in the same passion in the next 50 years that we’ve shown in the past 50 years. And the same bravery and innovation. And attendance at EuroCIS will continue to be a big part of that for us. But we’re confident that together, EuroCIS and RCH are going to keep pushing the boundaries of the market, and bringing constant, relevant innovation to our customers.
