Retail is immensely competitive. And margins are tight. Those are givens.

To gain an advantage, retailers must make digital transformation a priority. But with 80 to 90 percent of a typical IT budget committed to operating existing systems, where will the IT innovation funding come from?

Retailers who are early adopters of third-party enterprise software support have unlocked innovation funding by freeing up their precious resources: avoiding unnecessary ERP vendor upgrades, and letting overpriced vendor maintenance contracts expire. These retailers also follow a Business-Driven Roadmap that aligns all IT spending with business priorities, not vendor priorities.

Taking these strategic, fundamental savings steps unshackles valuable IT resources-both budget and staff-for more critical initiatives such as: improving loyalty programs and delivery systems, enhancing customer service through artificial intelligence, integrating mobile technologies into the shopping experience, and even trying out robots in the warehouse.

Download this eBook for helpful insights on how third-party support and a Business-Driven IT Roadmap can help you regain your retail competitive advantage.