In this Retail Technology Spotlight Series, Chris Walton sits down with Brian Kinsella, Chief Product Officer at Manhattan Associates, to explore one of the biggest technology dilemmas facing growing retailers and brands: Do you start small and risk outgrowing your systems, or invest in enterprise technology before you have the size, resources, or complexity to justify it?

Brian breaks down why that tradeoff may finally be changing. As customer expectations rise and growing brands take on marketplaces, stores as fulfillment nodes, wholesale, DTC, and increasingly complex supply chains, the technology decisions companies make early on can quickly become their ceiling. And when they outgrow those systems, the real cost isn't always the software itself. It's the migration, retraining, change management, operational disruption, and time spent rebuilding instead of growing.

Brian takes Chris inside Manhattan Associates' new Editions offering, where AI can simplify implementation, and what buyers should look for when evaluating long-term technology partners. From avoiding rip-and-replace to building a foundation where "the ceiling moves with you," they break down how growing retailers can move fast today without creating a technology problem for tomorrow.

Key Topics Covered:

• 00:02:05 - Why growing retailers feel like they're constantly behind on technology
• 00:03:31 - Why customer expectations don't change based on company size
• 00:06:51 - What actually breaks when companies outgrow their systems
• 00:13:08 - How retailers can start smaller without sacrificing their long-term technology foundation
• 00:17:52 - Inside Manhattan Associates' new Editions offering
• 00:23:15 - Where AI can simplify implementations and software configuration
• 00:28:24 - The questions every CIO and COO should ask before choosing a platform

Over 8 years and nearly 200 episodes, the Retail Technology Spotlight Series has featured some of the biggest names and boldest thinkers in retail. Explore the full archive here: https://omnitalk.blog/category/spotlight-series-podcast/

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