Last year, I focused a lot on what to do with technology to be successful in a store environment, ranging from simple steps to large-scale technology and integration projects. Our industry has watched retailers improve the shopping experience by bringing technology into their stores.

A great example of this is the new Build-A-Bear store of the future, which seamlessly integrates both physical and digital elements, simple interfaces that let young children interact with devices and a cross-channel experience that blurs the lines between stuffed animals and video games.

This month, I want to turn the tables and focus on the failures of technology in stores. Of course, the overarching way to fail is to deploy technology that is pointless or unusable, but assume that your project is a great idea and that the technology does exist to make it happen. What are the main pitfalls you have to avoid?

1. Relying too heavily on manufacturers’ claims
Ten years ago, retailers deploying technology faced a simple set of choices. Almost all the hardware was retail hardened, meaning it was built to a more rugged set of specifications and engineered for much longer lifecycles and much lower failure rates. It was also a lot more expensive. Whether by choice or necessity, more retailers today are deploying consumer hardware into stores (think iPads) and this is raising the risk of failure. There are a lot of times when this approach makes sense, but without a risk-abatement plan, retailers will invariably run into problems in which consumer-grade equipment doesn’t work properly in a retail environment.

THE FIX: Instead of requiring consumer gear to step up to your demands, step down your expectations of what it can do. Learn which environmental conditions are likely to cause problems (hint: temperature and dropping things on the floor are two big ones) and develop a plan to reduce their impact.

2. Content that goes stale too quickly
Too often, digital media screens in stores are shut down or ignored because the content is out of date. This often isn’t the fault of the digital media system but rather the fact that a business plan was never put in place to create new content as rapidly as it’s needed. It takes only a few bad experiences before shoppers and store staff start ignoring the screens.

THE FIX: Craft a content-creation plan before the launch of the digital element and stick to it. Set a reasonable expectation that you know the marketing and production teams can keep up with, and resist the temptation to overstrain that system.

3. Overspending on technology you don’t really need
Sometimes technology is the wrong answer for part of the problem. One retailer wanted to have both DirecTV and its own content running on digital signage. Of course, there is a module available at $10,000 per store that does exactly that. The cfo looked at that cost and drew a red line through the entire digital signage project (rightfully so) because the numbers didn’t add up.

THE FIX: Understand when simple manual processes can take the place of costly technology integration. It turns out that DirecTV was needed only to show live events in the store, and using the remote for the digital monitor to manually switch input sources worked just fine. Shopper experience and balance sheet improved!

4. Deploying technology your staff won’t use
Years ago, I interviewed Gus Pagonis, a former army general responsible for all the logistics of the Gulf War and then executive vp of logistics at Sears. I asked him what the best lesson he learned from the military that he applied to retail was. He said that in the military, no matter how brilliant or well planned your strategy, you’re reliant on a 20-year-old kid (or younger) to carry it out. In retail, no matter how brilliant your strategy or well planned … you get the picture. The reality is that the ability of a lightly trained, high-turnover staff person to actually use the technology you deploy in stores will govern whether projects are successful or not. And it isn’t just if they can use it, it matters if they will use it.

THE FIX: First, deploy technology that is easy for your staff to use. Remember that to them multi-touch gesture navigation is “normal” and 10-key data entry is “exotic.” Second, invest in training them not just on the how but also on the why. If your staff understands that the technology tools are empowering them, they will be far more likely to invest themselves in the learning curve to master them.

5. Technology that feels jarring or off in the store environment
Imagine Adidas’ technologically stunning digital shoe wall. OK, now imagine that in an Anthropologie store. Ugh! While that is a dramatic example of the possible failure of physical and digital design, smaller but no less jarring examples happen all the time. Anytime shoppers ask themselves, “Why is this here?” or feel that something doesn’t look right, it’s off-putting no matter how great the technology might seem.

THE FIX: Remember that integration of tech and design is new, and translating any new idea from back-of-the-napkin through design into construction requires tight integration. Keep a working group together that can review each step through different points of view and resolve any discrepancies to everyone’s satisfaction.

The irony of human memory is that everyone remembers failures far longer than they remember successes. Most of us still recall when one apparel retailer’s high-tech electrochromatic glass dressing rooms malfunctioned, turning transparent and exposing half-dressed shoppers to the rest of the store. Focusing on reducing the risk of failure is a great way to complement the great ideas on your next technology-based project.

Jim Crawford (about.me/jimcrawford) is executive director of the Global Retail Executive Council (grec), an international association, and a principal at Taberna Retail, a global retail shopping experience consulting company.