Issue 2, Winter 2020
Future of retail operations: Winning in a digital era
This compendium explores the breadth of change and risk throughout the modern retail industry.
Store operations
Article
A transformation in store
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Brick-and-mortar retail stores need to up their game. Technology could give them significant boost.
Article
Smarter schedules, better budgets: How to improve store operations
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Through activity-based labor scheduling and budgeting, retailers can cut store labor costs by up to 12 percent while improving both customer service and employee satisfaction.
Article
Bending the cost curve in brick-and-mortar retail
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Retailers can achieve next-generation store efficiency by breaking down silos and optimizing total cost across the value chain.
Supply chain
Article
Supply chain of the future: Key principles in building an omnichannel distribution network
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As omnichannel shopping is becoming the new norm, consumer and retail companies must be ready to deliver fast, impeccable omnichannel service. Doing so requires a new supply chain network approach.
Article
Same-day delivery: Ready for takeoff
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Now that customers expect faster delivery times, incumbent omnichannel retailers should leverage their store networks and change gears in areas such as fulfillment processes and IT systems.
Article
The invisible hand: On the path to autonomous planning in food retail
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It’s not news to food retailers: sometimes your stocks are too high, sometimes they’re too low. Advanced planning now gives them entirely new options for solving the expensive problem—and cuts costs in the process.
Article
Automation in logistics: Big opportunity, bigger uncertainty
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As e-commerce volumes soar, many logistics and parcel companies hope that automation is the answer. But as this second article in our series on disruption explains, things are not so simple.
Article
Next-generation supply chain—transforming your supply chain operating model for a digital world
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In a digital age, most supply chains run on old principles and processes. A few leaders can show us how a new operating model can answer the demands of today—and tomorrow.
Beyond procurement
Article
Beyond procurement: Transforming indirect spending in retail
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If retailers treat indirect costs as an opportunity for business transformation rather than just a procurement matter, they can boost return on sales by as much as 2 percent.
Article
Rethinking procurement in retail
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For retailers, procurement is no longer solely a matter of negotiating “A” brands. Private labels and verticalization are trending. Advanced approaches and tools help get procurement in shape for the future.
Article
Six emerging trends in facilities management sourcing
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Outsourcing, workplace strategies, and technology innovations hold immense potential for companies seeking to reduce costs and improve productivity in facilities management.