Essay On The Impact Of Information Technology On Store Operations

Walmart’s approach means frequent, informal cooperation among stores, distribution centres and suppliers and less centralized control. The company’s supply chain allowed consumers to effectively pull merchandise to stores rather than having the company push goods onto shelves by tracking customer purchases and demand. Through the use of universal product codes, implementation of Retail links at the store, use of RFIDs and smart tags, suppliers and manufacturers within the supply chain synchronize their demand forecaste under a collaborative planning, forecasting and replenishment scheme, and every link in the chain was connected through technology that includes a central database, store-level point-of-sale systems, and a satellite network. As per report, there was a 16% reduction in out-of-stocks with the use of RFIDs and pointed out that the products using an electronic product code were replenished three times as fast as items that only used bar code technology. These strategies have made Walmart to be the dominant force over other competitors with information and technology helping its supply chain strategy attain greater

Hence, technology is bettering reliability and speed with which information is divulged (Porter, 1980). Hand-held computers or PDA’s are utilized by Zara to collect information on consumer needs between retail stores and the factory in La Coruna. This along with regular telephone conversations between store managers and marketing specialists are one of the reasons that Zara’s information network is so effective. The utilization of PDA’s can be done by any company; it is Zara’s determination not to allow important information to fall by the wayside that assists with its success. PDAs are connected to the store 's point-of-sale (POS) system, enabling managers to see how garments rank by sales. In as little as an hour, managers can send information that combine the hard data captured at the POS intermixed with acumen on what customers would like to see. All of this data allows Zara to design and produce styles and orders based on feedback rather than guesswork. Hence, Zara avoids costly overproduction and the consequent sales and mark-downs that are so widespread in the fast fashion industry (Rohwedder and Johnson, 2008).

A store like Nordstrom has built a successful model on availability of knowledgeable salespeople, and other luxury or near-luxury retailers would be advised to pay attention. But a mass retailer like Target is not dependent on “high touch” customer service; rather, the most important things it can do to satisfy its shoppers are to ensure that goods are on the shelf and the checkout process is efficient. As more consumers migrate to

Given the need to improve human resource performance, describe a managerial approach to teamwork, empowerment, and effective communication to accomplish this objective.

The economic success of retailers greatly depends on their ability to reach customers and meet customer demands in ways that is convenient for the customer. No longer can retailers expect customers to only shop at their retail stores. Retailers are required to provide customers with the multiple shopping channels and flexible fulfillment options that they demand. Companies who fail to do so will see their customers take their business to competitors who are both willing and able to serve customers based on consumer demand (xxx)

Consumer today have a different expectation than a decade ago. Consequently, I believed if a Retailer want to be survive and thrive in the hostility of the today’s market, they must focus on all four of competitive priorities such as cost, quality, time, flexibility.

The Association of Retail technology standards, the technology standards division of the National Retail Federation, declared the expansion of a few noticeable organizations to its developing membership. ARTS, the chief retail technology association with members situated the world over, was built up in 1993 to create instructive materials, best practices and innovation principles to empower fast and successful organization of IT inside of retail. Driving retailers who have joined ARTS as of late incorporate Cost-co Wholesale, one of the biggest retailers in the nation, working as a chain of distribution centers offering selective stock and gloating 592 U.S and world-wide store areas. (Allen, 2011)

Many of Macy’s competitors has turned to the internet to generate sales and to increase their customer base. Today, the retail sector is transferring their IT capabilities in order to increase the ability to enhance speed and flexibility, collect customer data efficiently and to improve business processes. Macy’s competitor, Target are now using IPads to enhance their customer experience and they also created an app called Cartwheel, where customers receive discounts. Technology is placing a lot of pressures on every organization.

The department store industry has managed to survive many economic ups and downs, moreover they have found the way to remain in the top choices of consumer for shopping. Furthermore the technological advances represent a big challenge for this industry because the increased tendency for online shopping have forced

point of sale system. The POS system is a perpetual inventory counting method that electronically records items immediately upon their point of sale (Stevenson, 2015, pg. 552). In other words, as a cashier scans a customer 's groceries, each scanned item is automatically recorded in the system and deducted from the store’s inventory. Implementing a point of sale would benefit a business’s inventory management function in several ways. First, the POS system will provide managers with a continuous flow of updated information (Stevenson, 2015, pg. 552). As a result, the information will provide more accuracy when used for sales forecasts and analysis, which substantially affect inventory decisions. Continuously, this inventory system would also allow greater flexibility in the sense that it can be wirelessly linked to the main company’s inventory system, creating a network of the company’s inventory systems. The POS system is capable of tracking many operations at once and can be modified according to management’s needs (MacCarthy, n.d.). This flexibility would undoubtedly benefit a large company like Wegman’s with many store locations. Lastly, the system is able to help businesses maintain a high level of customer service. Because the system gives customers a receipt with the price and quantity of each item purchased, the customer is able to see exactly what he or she purchased. This practice

Effective retailing technology allows companies to manage inventory by efficiently storing, shipping, and stocking items that its customers want. Inventory management is the key to a company’s success or failure, and Kmart seems to be the poster child of poor supply chain management. Since as far back as Joseph Antonini’s leadership, Kmart has had logistics issues (Young, 2002). Another recent CEO, Chuck Conaway, went so far as to admit that supply chain management was “the Achilles Heel” of Kmart (Carr & Cone, 2001). This paper will examine how investing in redundancy, having an increase velocity in sensing and responding, and by building an adaptive supply chain community could have reduced the risk that is damaging to a supply chain.

Unfortunately, many online retailers have begun to catch up with many of these core competencies. The concepts of next-day delivery and “above and beyond” customer service are no longer the “WOW” factors that they may have been five years ago. However, the relationships that make up “Powered by Zappos” are tough to beat and give the company a competitive advantage through its supply web. At the time of this case, Zappos still holds the niche of being an online shoe expert, but companies

Q：Large numbers of companies are using their information systems as a strategic tool to improve their competitive advantage. Choose one of these companies (Toyota or Wal-Mart) and prepare an essay of 1500 words on: a) how information systems are used strategically by the company to gain a competitive advantage b) discuss if it is possible for the company to maintain this advantage in the future.

Consumers have many choices when deciding where to purchase their goods. While retailer managers are deciding how to win the consumer’s business and increase revenue, they are also constantly trying to figure out ways to reduce costs. Technology helps retail managers improve areas of inventory and supply chain management as well as customer satisfaction and loss prevention (Green, 2002). This paper explains how technology

A point of sales system is another great addition to nay growing business. The POS has many functions. The POS will contain a register for purchases, have the ability to track reports and menu maintenance, improve service speed, and enhance customer service. To increase service speed, the POS efficiently makes order entries that are then transferred to the kitchen. This results in fewer mistakes and the ability to track ticket and wait times. The system also has the function of splitting checks and makes card processing simple. This ensures more seat turnover and shorter wait times for the customers. In return this has the potential to increase revenue at every service. POS can create loyalty programs that ensure repeat customers and generate more sales of gift cards. POS provides operational control that analyzes “detailed reports to drill down on sales, server and restaurant performance” (NCR 2013). A software like ALOHA also provides a training interface that allows new employees to learn the system quickly. This reduces the cost a restaurant would ultimately have to pay on training new employees. The ALOHA system is very up to date with new technology trends, providing mobile and digital signage and cloud based solutions and social technologies. The variety of functions in a point of sales system makes it very attractive to new restaurant owners. The cost of a POS can range hundreds to thousands of dollars based on the size of the