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Running all stores as part of a central warehouse management system provides real-time inventory visibility from all locations on every echelon of the (internal) supply chain.
In the past, stores were the place where you go to check out a product, try it on and purchase it. It was the place to be informed, to get inspired, to find new ideas, and to hunt for the best deals. The Internet has changed all of this. For example, pricing pressures have led to retailers hiring store associates with little or no product knowledge. Lean initiatives created smaller store sizes with less inventory and/or selection. While, in the real world, business was getting tougher, the Internet seized the opportunity and offered solutions that closed the information gap, the service gap, and the availability gap.
Amazon is the perfect example of how our attention shifted from bricks and mortar to online, and many analysts forecasted a quick death of the retail store. However, something funny happened: while some stores and chains are closing and struggling, others are thriving. One thing the Internet is not able to do is to provide the same level of instant gratification or satisfaction a store visit and purchase can provide. Even one-day shipping does not come close and it is certainly expensive. Again, look at how much money Amazon is losing in fulfillment […]
What you will take out of this.
It is difficult for mid-sized retailers to implement today’s omnichannel solutions for retail as they are too complex and too costly. Read this white paper to learn about the evolution of retail stores and how our approach of using a WMS to manage stores helps to tackle the new challenges that come with this evolution:
- What happened to retail solutions?
- Manage supply chain in one flow?
- What is the role of warehouse management systems?
- How can WMS be used to manage stores?
- What are the possible system landscapes?
- What are the advantages and challenges?
- How to get started?
