The benefits of utilising a single services provider to manage a retailer’s IT estate
By Kevin Meredith – BDM Services UK & I – Toshiba
It was July 2013 when I was first introduced to the intricacies of retail and the importance of IT within the sector.
Throughout my nearly 15-year career, the IT landscape in retail has shifted dramatically, from a focus on basic transactions to delivering the perfect customer experience. For example, a till was simply a tool of collecting payments, and cameras existed purely to catch thieves. Seamless, personalised, and engaging customer experiences were once a pipedream rather than a necessity.
Today, IT is driving the retail experience. Tills now support customer loyalty, and camera technology is used as much for understanding customer behaviour as it is for preventing crime. Retail transformation is being powered by e-commerce, advanced technologies like AI, and growing consumer expectations around convenience, sustainability, and authenticity. As a result, IT services providers have never been more in demand, or more relied upon.
While the retail IT landscape has evolved, one topic has remained constant throughout my involvement in the sector: the importance of field service maintenance. Unless we one day witness the “death of the high street,” minimising store disruption and downtime, and ensuring stores can continue trading during unforeseen events, will remain absolutely critical. It can literally save retailers from going under, or at the very least keep them in the black.
For me, having field service engineers available to resolve issues that impact critical hardware and software is a no-brainer. But what’s the best approach for retailers? Should multiple suppliers manage the IT estate, or is supplier consolidation the better tactic?
From “One Throat to Choke” to “One Hand to Shake”
“One throat to choke” is a phrase I often hear when speaking with retail professionals. There are plenty of colourful variations; “single wringable neck,” “accountable officer,” “one head to pat,” and a personal favourite, “one butt to kick.”
These older metaphors are now outdated and can understandably be perceived as rude. More modern, professional alternatives include “one hand to shake” or “a single point of accountability.”
Regardless of whether one prefers the colourful old expressions or the more polished modern equivalents, the underlying meaning is the same: a single organisation takes sole responsibility for its actions.
This article outlines why many retailers choose a single organisation to manage their IT assets across their entire estate, the benefits this can bring, and the possible drawbacks that should also be considered.
Benefits
Using a single IT maintenance provider offers retailers a range of benefits, including simplified management, reduced costs, and improved accountability. Below are some of the key advantages:
- Rollouts: Using the same company that handled the initial hardware rollout to deliver ongoing support provides continuity. They know the systems, processes, and engineering standards, which means faster issue diagnosis and clearer accountability.
- Accountability: With a single supplier managing all IT activity across the estate, responsibility is never in question. For example, when managing an IP CCTV solution, having one provider responsible for cameras, cabling, and back-office hardware removes any debate about who must resolve issues, resulting in faster fixes.
- Consistency: A single partner ensures standardised processes, tools, and reporting. For example, incident logging will follow the same flow regardless of hardware type, and reporting will maintain a consistent format.
- Reduced Miscommunication: Multiple suppliers often use different systems and processes that don’t integrate well, leading to gaps, delays, and finger-pointing. One partner eliminates this.
- Easier Supplier Management: Communicating with IT leaders across retail store estates, has taught me that time is precious. Consolidating contracts, vendors, and invoices frees up valuable time to focus on higher-value retail functions.
- Cost Efficiency: Why pay multiple suppliers (sometimes for overlapping services) when a single provider can offer a bundled, typically cheaper, solution?
- Improved Security & Compliance: Handling sensitive data and meeting standards such as GDPR requires a holistic security approach. Splitting responsibility across multiple vendors increases the risk of gaps. A single supplier reduces the likelihood of cyberattacks, data breaches, and compliance failures. During major incidents, having one partner also simplifies recovery and supports business continuity targets.
- Strategic Partnership: Over time, a trusted vendor becomes an extension of the retailer’s IT function, understanding systems, goals, and pain points. This relationship enables proactive advice, tailored strategies, and support for improvements in efficiency, customer experience, and commercial outcomes.
- Scalability: With technology evolving rapidly, retailers need a partner who can stay ahead. A close strategic relationship means future technology deployments are discussed early, allowing the provider to upskill engineers and prepare for support well in advance.
Possible Drawbacks
Retailers must consider the potential drawbacks of using a single services provider:
- Vendor Lock-In: Retailers may feel overly dependent on one vendor, making it difficult or costly to switch – even if service levels drop or prices rise.
- Cost of Change: Transitioning to a new provider can be expensive, especially when factoring in stock distribution, training, administration, and time. Sometimes the cost of switching outweighs the benefit.
- Single Point of Failure: Poor performance from a sole provider affects the entire estate. If SLAs are missed, store operations suffer.
- Reduced Flexibility & Innovation: A single partner may limit access to wider market innovation or “best-of-breed” technologies, especially if the provider’s own portfolio is narrow.
- Complacency: Without competitive pressure, service quality may stagnate and the retailer may feel overlooked.
- Higher Costs Over Time: Long-term contracts can reduce negotiating power. Providers may raise prices while retailers remain contractually bound. Competing vendors often offer better pricing to win new business.
Conclusion
In my experience, the benefits of using a single supplier, or at least reducing the number of suppliers, outweigh the drawbacks for managing a retail IT estate. However, this isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. Retailers must determine what is most critical to them: data sensitivity, emerging technologies, customer experience, scalability, and cost.
Retailers currently using multiple vendors may achieve quick wins through consolidation, improving accountability, reducing administration, and increasing consistency across stores. But the long-term outcomes matter most. A trusted, reliable services partner supports future strategy, minimises downtime, protects sensitive data, and enhances the customer experience.
“What about the drawbacks?” I hear you say…
Retailers and suppliers must build a relationship grounded in transparency and accountability. This includes:
- avoiding long-term agreements that limit flexibility
- ensuring service levels meet expectations and complacency doesn’t creep in
- enforcing measurable KPIs supported by meaningful exit clauses
- agreeing annual price reviews
- ensuring the provider stays aligned with emerging technologies
By doing so, retailers can enjoy the full benefits of consolidation without falling victim to its risks, staying competitive, agile, and focused on delivering outstanding in-store experiences.
After all, the right partner should help you move forward, not hold you back.
