Solutions for Retail

It's no secret that IT in the retail industry is complex. Merchandising, supply chain management, online sales, in-store operations and more can create headaches without the right combination of product, supply and sales solutions. Every day, customers demand more from retailers and don't hesitate to move on to a competitor when those demands aren't instantly met.

The central role that IT plays in ensuring that stores stock the right products, coordinate multiple processes, manage supply chains and execute millions of daily transactions is critical. Behind the scenes, IT professionals are continually seeking greater cost savings, increased efficiency, limited downtime and improved customer satisfaction with every transaction. Not simple tasks by any means.

An effective IT infrastructure must support both the functional operations of retail organizations and the data warehouses that those operations run on. Retailers are discovering that when the entire IT landscape is managed properly, retail operations at all levels improve. Organizations that have multiple sales channels, in particular, benefit from a high degree of customization and integration in the IT environment.

Because a retail IT infrastructure must support multiple end-to-end enterprise functions, it's critical that the IT professionals involved in retail have a strong business understanding of those functions.

With the right enterprise architecture design, a retailer can step apart from the competition through speed, flexibility and consistent fulfillment. With a cumbersome design, sales slow to a crawl. It's important, then, that retailers focus on the following in an enterprise architecture:

1. Zero bottlenecks. If customers get slowed down at any point, frustration levels rise and the sale is at high risk.
2. Custom development of applications. Every retailer offers something unique to customers. Create an enterprise architecture that highlights your distinctions.
3. Minimal cost. Combining outsourced capabilities and business processes with in-house design and skilled oversight can often extend a retailer's capabilities while curtailing costs.

As a result, top IT talent is being snatched up in the retail industry, especially those pros who have a background in and understanding of the retail industry combined with high-quality IT skills. The skill areas in highest demand? Help desk support and network engineering and architecture. Between the two, brick-and-mortar stores as well as online sites keep humming and customers are kept happy as their goods and services are delivered seamlessly.

To find the IT professionals who have the retail skills your organization needs, contact Francie Maguire at The Connors Group at 201-537-0008 or by email at francie@theconnorsgroup.com.