08.15.18 -- The Future-Ready Warehouse: 3 Keys To Improving Performance While Maintaining Future Flexibility

E-commerce companies need a multi-pronged approach to monitoring systems and maintaining visibility during a customer's experience — all the way through to the checkout process. Successful companies know a positive, trouble-free customer experience and fast page load times lead to increased revenue.

Cash loss is one of the biggest challenges faced by retailers, and most of it currently results from internal theft. But even without taking theft into account, cash management is time-consuming and expensive, boosting operating expenses for retailers. The time spent manually counting cash, conducting top offs, and lifts eats away at a retailer's bottom line.

Vendor compliance programs detect compliance problems and ultimately prevent them altogether, which has a critical impact on the supply chain. We connected with Greg Holder, CEO and founder of Compliance Networks, to learn more about how vendor compliance improves supply chain performance. Here's what he had to say.

With a ferocity for crafting the perfect fit, this leading footwear manufacturer has grown into a preeminent company recognized globally for its tenacity and creativity in crafting the perfect shoe. Started in 1878, the company's portfolio now includes 15 brands ranging from athletic footwear to women's high fashion to children's sports shoes, and a booming retail segment boasting 1,200 stores in the U.S., Canada, and China. Its production facilities in the U.S., U.K., China, and Vietnam support $3 billion in annual sales.

Now more than ever, retailers are feeling the pressure to measure up to international competitors like Amazon. However, many still rely on central distribution centers, causing orders to oftentimes travel thousands of miles to reach their destination. This takes unnecessary time and money spent on shipping, and when customers are expecting their packages quickly and affordably, you need an array of distribution tactics to fulfill those orders. The million-dollar question is this: how do you fulfill customer needs while improving efficiencies and cutting costs? The answer is to think local – and that's where in-store fulfillment comes into play.

The choices consumers now expect are not limited to shipping. Retailers, both traditional and e-commerce, are realizing that consumers want choice across their entire shopping experience.

Item-level RFID tagging can help retail operations run smoother, faster, and with more agility, so why are some retailers still waiting to get started? Some misconceptions have influenced retail executives' views on RFID. Greater education and surfacing some basic facts about the technology's scalability and return on investment (ROI) could be helpful to move any stalled conversations forward.