Technology
to the rescue
BY VICTORIA KICKHAM, SENIOR EDITOR
LABOR MANAGEMENT
Technology
OMNICHANNEL BUSINESS TRENDS ARE DRIVING
retail organizations to increase their IT (information technology) investments as they seek to meet customer demand
for faster delivery, better online services, and a more diverse
shopping experience. Alongside the need for better technology to handle customer ordering, shipping, and inventory
processes, organizations are finding that they can use technology to better manage the human side of the equation as
well—especially in the brick-and-mortar store.
“[Employers] are asking their [in-store] associates to wear
more and more hats,” explains Steve Simmerman, senior
director of sales for supply chain software developer JDA
Software Group, describing the retail store as a “warehouse
with a cash register” in which associates must perform distribution center-like tasks in addition to their traditional
customer service-oriented responsibilities. Without the
right technology in place, balancing those responsibilities is
extremely difficult, he says.
The result is a growing focus on managing the “peo-
ple” side of the retail store with technology solutions that
improve productivity, make it easier for associates to do
their jobs, and raise customer service levels.
“There are big investments going on at the retail store
level to better manage the store and its employees. I’ve not
seen this kind of activity on the retail side from a technology
perspective,” adds Simmerman, pointing to store operations solutions, workforce management tools, and analytics
as areas of growing interest. “Those retailers that are investing in [technology] solutions are way ahead of the curve,
and they are using [them] to drive better operations and
[promote] greater employee engagement and satisfaction.”
SEIZING STORE OPERATIONS SOLUTIONS
Simmerman and others say retailers are showing increased
interest in store operations solutions that utilize hardware
and software to better manage the changing demands of the
in-store associate—especially the ability to prioritize tasks
and improve productivity. JDA’s StoreOptimizer is one
example. Built on the Google Cloud Platform, the software-as-a-service task engine continuously evaluates competing
IT solutions can help retailers improve worker productivity in the brick-and-mortar
store, leading to better service and higher customer satisfaction levels.
Technology
to the rescue
