Security Implementation In Retail Directly Proportional To System Access

Nick Spann, VP, Information Systems & CIO, WilcoHess

Challenges in Technology to meet Enterprise Needs

My first wish would be a full dispatching system that is completely integrated with my transportation systems and my fuel payables system. There are some nice software packages out there but nothing that really covers everything we need it to cover. Secondly, I wish I had QSR software that I could run on all of our different concepts POS systems. Unfortunately this has been a challenge due to a list of issues.

The areas in Business Environment where Solutions do not exist

PCI security compliance is my main concern overall, security threats are more and more prevalent these days. It's our job to ensure we are protecting our customers' information. You also deal with the reality that more security you implement the more challenging system access becomes. So I dream about a solution that automates user friendliness with heightened security levels.

Technology Trends Impacting Enterprise Business Environment

Mobile payment technologies are definitely at the top of my list. Today the mobile wallet is being pushed by Google, PayPal and other organizations which are going to be a major impact on how we do business. This poses many challenges in our industry with many different approaches to making it happen. Another technology would be RFD. Even though this technology is not new by any means it is showed up on the radar and currently being rolled out by our competitors and will eventually become a demand for our Transportation fleet customers. This technology will give the customer the ability to cut down on theft of fuel and monitor vehicle activity real-time by just pulling up to the pump.

My Roles and Responsibilities as a CIO

I think change is the key word. My role as CIO has changed tremendously due to all of the above and the fast pace of technology and the change that comes along with it. These days I spend just as much time developing a way to sell and lead change. I have a very talented team which pressures me to not only facilitate resources and direction, but also to mold consensus across the enterprise. In today's QSR industries, margins are tight with competition moving into different markets with new technology. This means change is constant; I have to make decisions faster and make sure the team remains agile.

Lessons learnt as a CIO

This is a tough question because as a leader I am consistently learning new lessons every day. My advice would be to continue to learn from your peers, team and competitors and stay open minded. Become a successful change agent by knowing the culture of your organization and the groups within. With technology changing at such a fast pace you have to sell your vision and develop a consensus. Promote to your team that failure is okay as long as you fail fast; this keeps everyone forward thinking and not afraid to step up and try something new.

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