An important first step in solving any problem is to accurately identify the root cause of the problem and any potential solutions.  For petroleum marketers with a mobile payment solution in place, looking at the entire ecosystem, evaluating where improvements could be gained, and looking at what solutions reside in the market are the definitive first steps.    

Mike Streams, Partner at W. Capra, opined, “If you have determined that your Mobile Payment Processing Application (MPPA) is the source of all your frustrations and what solely ails you, definitely work to replace it. MPPAs have nearly all moved to the Conexxus standard and are much more of a commodity than they once were.  But often, the MPPA, the Mobile Payment Application (MPA), the Loyalty Host, and other related solutions need a deeper review to ensure they all provide best-in-class capabilities.” 

Streams went on to say, “The coordination and choreography needed to test, deploy, and seamlessly implement across your footprint will be challenged by replacing any facet of your mobile environment. We’ve led numerous deployment efforts and are big fans of ensuring our clients are doing all they can while beneath the hood. Replacing any part of your mobile solution will require thorough planning, technical development, testing, piloting, and strong execution to implement, so taking the time to architect a solution set that exceeds your needs is of immense value.”  

There is also often more value perceived than actual when choosing a single vendor to play all roles in your mobile solution.  “Don’t buy into the one-stop-shop approach. While it may seem like it will make your life easier to have one partner, there are often tradeoffs in quality when you rely on a single provider, especially when compared to a best-in-breed strategy,” Streams asserted. 

“W. Capra has led and partnered with clients from evaluation and selection of solutions to full deployment and encourages those who are considering an evaluation or potential change to engage with a trusted partner to ensure that all the right questions are being asked.” 

Mike Streams is dedicated to leading W. Capra clients by navigating paths to and successfully implementing solutions.  For further discussion, contact Mike at mstreams@wcapra.com.