Building on what customers value while spreading some digital magic. Image source With over $5 trillion in E-commerce sales completed each year, online shopping is with us for the long haul. Many retail spaces now stand empty in major cities around the world as leading companies continue to close stores. Some might say the end […]
Are Inventory Management and Warehouse Management the Same?
Reviewing the important differences between these related concepts. Image source The term “warehouse” was first coined in Great Britain almost 700 years ago, but the concept of using large industrial buildings to store and organize goods originated at least 3,000 years earlier with the ancient grain silos of Egypt. In recent decades, computer technology and […]
The Impact of Mass-Personalization on CRM
How customer relationship management and mass-personalization go hand in hand. Image source In pre-industrial times, marketing and manufacturing processes were always personalized. A face-to-face conversation between a craftsman and their patron would lead to a custom-built product days later. In the early 1900s, mass production, as personified by the US auto industry, was accompanied by […]
The Evolution of Point of Sale (POS) Technology
The past, present, and future of point of sale hold unexpected possibilities. Image source Retail point of sale (POS) is not a new concept. The mechanical cash registers of the 1800s were considered the first true point of sale devices, with materials, payments, and records exchanged simultaneously at the checkout stand. The POS lineage can […]
6 Keys to Setting Inventory Priority Levels
A logical inventory hierarchy streamlines the inventory management process. Image source Unless your business builds or sells just one SKU, you understand that inventory items are not all managed equally. High priced, long lead time items tend to be monitored closely while low value items might be managed by simply refilling kanban bins periodically. How […]
The Pros and Cons of Distributed Inventory Management
Retailers can improve delivery times by balancing supply chain complexity with customer service. Image source If you are continually amazed by online retailers like Amazon who can offer one or two day delivery for nearly every available product, you are not alone. As top retailers master the art and science of logistics, the real secret […]