06 BREAKINGNEWS
RETAIL GETS TO GRIPS WITH DATA A
recent gathering of a diverse group of retailers shared a common need to
better use data to keep pace with today’s technology empowered and connected consumer. Delegates attending the recent
FocusConnect 2012 event in Barcelona, hosted by supply chain management vendor JDA Software, all shared not only common systems, but also strikingly similar challenges and goals around better use of business and customer data. Amy Higgins, space management
and analytics vice president at US retail giant Sears, highlighted current industry attitudes. She said: “Being able to understand to how leverage store space in response to consumer demand signals from point-of-sale and loyalty data is key.” Sears is using the JDA suite to
improve supply chain planning and optimisation of store space, which “is essential for Sears to connect with consumers in an omnichannel world,” added Higgins. “It offers a unique opportunity to tightly
integrate the physical with the digital world in retailing.” Razat Gaurav, JDA Software senior vice president in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), told Retail Technology: “A lot of retailers have a standardised ERP [enterprise resource planning] systems. But the decision support capabilities we bring to the table, around space planning and optimisation for example, are the things that will ultimately create quantifiable value for our customers.” “In the old world, it was the store that got the product and sold it to the customer. But in the new omnichannel world, retailers have to think that store now is each individual customer,” added Lee Gill, JDA EMEA retail strategy vice president. And he pointed to the upcoming launch of JDA customer engagement software to link up supply chain and customer data and sell profitably in each channel. Paul Longshaw, senior systems
analyst for Iceland Frozen Foods and JDA EMEA special interest group chain, uses E3, the replenishment,
forecasting and inventory management software JDA acquired in 2001. He commented: “Each upgrade of E3 gives us something new and, if the world’s changing, we have to continuously look at what we do that we might need to change.” Andy Monk, supply chain director of UK High Street retailer Poundland, shared his experiences of only having recently taken on E3 to update order systems and support distribution expansion plans. “It clearly works and is capable of developing further with our expansion plans,” he said. “It gives us one source of information and better product availability. We are also looking a developing a more collaborative approach to forecasting.” Sir Terry Leahy, former Tesco
chief executive, summed up the challenges faced by so many retailers today in his keynote address (Leahy spotlights ‘big data’, 9 November 2012,
RetailTechnology.co.uk): “Retailers need a better understanding of big data. Disciplined management of data can cut across silos to get a common set of measures for growing the business.”
MR. HARE LEAPS AHEAD WITH LATEST RETAIL IT
Mayfair shoe boutique,Mr. Hare, recently installed new retail hardware and management software to support its growing business. It worked with retail IT vendor Herbert for the supply and installation of,
and training on, its Retail Pro software running on HP hardware to offer as integrated and seamless service experience to its discerning, A-list customers. The move to Retail Pro speciality retail management software provides Mr. Hare with important retail management application features, such as customer relationship management (CRM), inventory management, merchandising and accounting. Retail Pro offers an electronic point-of-sale (EPoS) system with store replenishment capabilities, product return management and the ability to manage employee hours, attendance, and
commissions.Customer information and loyalty can be tracked for marketing purposes, and orders can be placed for both special items and stock replenishment. Marc Hare, designer and owner of Mr. Hare, commented: “For me, the customer experience is everything. The Herbert team pulled out the stops for me, developing, installing and then training my staff on the exact, complementary solution that suits my business philosophy; that system is Retail Pro, supported by the latest HP hardware.”
RETAIL TECHNOLOGY NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012
u The Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) has released its PCI Data Security Standard (DSS) Risk Assessment Guidelines. Organisations planning and performing a risk assessment in accordance with PCI DSS 12.1.2 can use the information supplement to help identify threats and the associated vulnerabilities that could jeopardise the security of payment card data.
u Jessops, the UK photographic retailer, has launched a new electronic gift cards powered by CashStar. When customers purchase an e-gift card on Jessops’ website, an email or Facebook message containing a unique 16-digit code and
barcode is sent in response that can be printed off or displayed on a smartphone for redemption instore.
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