Managing Your Cost Per Call
The direct industry has a difficult balancing act to perform. On the one hand, we want to provide a high level of customer service
Curt Barry
Curt Barry is chairman of F. Curtis Barry & Company, a consulting firm specializing in multichannel operations and fulfillment. The firm provides services in system selection and implementation in OMS, WMS, ERP and Inventory systems, 3PL logistics, distribution center design, improvement in facility capacity, workflow and cost reduction and benchmarking. Curt is the author of “Best Practices in Multichannel Operations and Fulfillment.”
Four Steps in Selecting a Business System
Whether your company needs a commercially packaged warehouse management system, point of sales system, an inventory control system, a direct-to-customer order management system –or some combination of the aforementioned, selecting of the right system is a major undertaking.
Ask the Fulfillment Doctor: Dashboard Dials
Imagine a series of dials in the corporate cockpit that reflect key indicators in customer service, sales tracking, and profitability. When tightly structured, these dials can give management an accurate and timely picture of the business
BEST PRACTICES IN INVENTORY METRICS
Unless a company has a proprietary credit program, inventory will generally be its largest balance-sheet asset and knowing standard inventory metrics
The best of inventory
Inventory management and forecasting are strategic issues. Companies that recognize this fact can typically provide higher levels of service to their
10 Ways to Improve Vendor Quality Control
If you want to improve your vendor quality control without having to dive headlong into a new way of doing business, take heart. There is an option that relies on the basics of upholding merchandise quality. These ten strategies can improve your vendor quality control program or help you design such a program if you do not have one in place today.
10 Steps to Smoother System Selection and Implementation
Systems selection and implementation is serious business, and no one wants to make an already complex process more difficult or more costly. Over the years, we’ve determined some principles to follow during an implementation project that will significantly improve the chances of success for all parties concerned.
Juggling Web AND Phone Contacts
The average multichannel merchant reports that up to 40% of direct sales come through the Internet, according to research conducted by my firm, F. Curtis
Thinking of Relocating Your DC? Consider These 5 Factors
Is your distribution center cramped? Or do you think you might save substantially on your outbound shipping costs by moving into a DC? A warehouse relocation may be just the thing for you. But before you go breaking ground or signing lease papers there are factors worthy of consideration: inbound transportation costs; labor cost, availability and peak staffing needs; facilities costs; state and local government incentives; and risk evaluation to your business. Marketers must evaluate all these factors to see how they impact the total savings or costs for the potential move.