By now, seeing an employee use a tablet in a retail establishment is not shocking. Many companies have rolled them out as a way to improve inventory control, information accuracy and the customer experience. While organizations of all sizes can benefit from adding tablets into daily workflow, many small and medium sized businesses (SMBs) can use these devices to take operations to the next level.

In a recent blog post for Tech Republic, Will Kelly talked about all the ways that smaller operations can benefit from adding tablets — many of which require specific applications to be successful. These include things like tracking shipping needs, creating and sending invoices, contract and document signatures and record reviewing. With a secure system in place, merchants can ensure all customer and company information is securely stored and transmitted.

Kelly also talks about how retailers can use them to better connect with customers through the use of interactive kiosks and portable point of sale locations.

"SMBs that have a retail storefront can use tablets as display kiosks to give customers more information about their goods and services," the article reads. "With [certain] iPad apps, you can turn an iPad into an attractive interactive display."

For SMBs, however, having the ability to successfully implement these tablet-based solutions is easier said than done. By partnering with a payment solution provider that specializes in tablet POS terminals, any company can ensure that this critical component to the customer experience is secure and implemented successfully.