3 Ways to Get Ahead of Evolving Customer Needs
There is no question – the retail environment is being redefined, and retailers are being challenged to think differently about consumer demands. Here are three ways to adapt to the evolving customer.
Operations & Fulfillment
5 Common Customer Service Failures
Companies with the highest levels of customer satisfaction always carry their goal of customer service perfection into the distribution center. It is too easy to think of the distribution center as an operation completely separated from the customer. And companies that do this do so at their own peril.
Improving the Bench Strength of Your Operations Managers
If you’ve been around long enough, you know there’s a shortage of experienced managers in retail, catalog and now ecommerce operations for decades. To help counter that trend, here are some thoughts on how to develop better operations managers for your direct-to-customer or ecommerce business.
How to Prevent Fraud in Buy Online Pickup in Store
While buy online pickup in store has become a popular tactic for omnichannel retailers, fraudulent transactions are approximately three times more likely to occur, To combat this risk, it’s imperative to take proactive steps. Here are some ways to reduce the fraud risk associated with BOPIS.
Alibaba Considering Distribution Center in Detroit
As it looks to entice China’s burgeoning middle class with quality U.S. goods, the Alibaba Group is considering a distribution center in the Detroit area, company officials said at a recent event aimed at adding smaller manufacturers to its online marketplaces.
4 Tips for Effective Inventory Management
Inventory management is a pain point that plagues many retailers. Without an effective strategy, companies can make critical mistakes: tie up capital in excess inventory, create picking errors in the warehouse and even miss sales opportunities due to out-of-stock products. Here are four tips to help retailers develop an inventory plan that works.
UPS Rolling Out Holiday Peak Season Surge Pricing
UPS announced it will implement peak season surge pricing to offset the cost of a huge spike in its shipping volume during the extreme rush at the end of the year. FedEx has not yet announced a similar move. See what the move means, what industry observers are saying and UPS’s rationale.
Who Will Project Manage Your System Implementation?
While studies have shown that 50% of all major system implementation projects are not completed on time and within budget, successful project management can reduce issues, open up communication with stakeholders and deliver results. Here are some practical guidelines to help you set up proper project management and avoid costly issues.
How to Prevent Four Common WMS Implementation Mistakes
A WMS implementation can go off the rails for several different reasons, but in most instances it has little to do with the technology and everything to do with how it was implemented. If issues aren’t fixed during set-up, they can lead to costly snafus in the months ahead. Here are the 4 most common WMS implementation missteps and tips on how to avoid them.
3 Ways Automation Can Ease Holiday Order Fulfillment
The holiday shopping season is right around the corner, and distribution centers will soon be bustling to get online orders out the door. More than likely, this year will deliver new records for peak online sales. Growing companies with manual warehouses worried about keeping up should consider automated processes.