Retail

Credit squeezes, rising costs of energy, wages, rent and taxes and increasing competition from the internet combine to make coping with normal retail business cycles even more difficult. But there are ways to fight back - effectively and cost efficiently.
 

Retailers are understandably keen to limit the level of their investment in IT. Therefore, they focus primarily on areas that directly drive sales, such as merchandising, marketing and in-store support. Yet by getting the most out of their back-office systems, retailers can get to know their clients better - which enables them to concentrate most effectively on the merchandising and marketing efforts that will get customers back on the shop floor or on their websites.

Specifically, this calls for better implementation of enterprise applications, maximum exploitation of existing data through business intelligence solutions and improved supply chain systems to keep shelves stocked with the products customers really want.

At the same time, retailers need to consider other business models. That could mean exploring new channels to market or finding more efficient ways - such as outsourcing - of running their business support processes.
 

Back-office enterprise-wide application suites such as SAP and Oracle provide a wealth of data crucial to increasing market success.

This can include weekly store reports incorporating sales and cost information that features benchmark data against peer stores. Steria can also deliver an enhanced payroll process that results in lower payroll headcount as well as closer correlation with staff bonus schemes and sales performance. Looking beyond the benefits of increased system interrogations, retailers are increasingly seeing the advantages of outsourcing the business process itself.
 

• Supply chain optimisation
• e-commerce
• Multi-channel retailing
• Business intelligence
• Customer insight
• Merchandise management