In: Operations Management
Discuss what you think are the most challenging policies and tasks to be implemented in a retail business, In regards to employees store maintenance, and inventory.
Explain why you think those aspects take the most time, energy, and focus of a retail manager and propose some possible solution to making those tasks run smoothly
Answers:
Challenges faced by the employees in store maintenance and inventory are as follows:
1. Over and under inventory.
2. Inaccurate numbers of stock.
3. Lack of effective Supply Chain Management process.
4. Improper logistics facility.
5. Understanding customer and its requirements.
6. Less skilled workers.
7. Frauds in retail.
8. High cost of operation.
The most challenging policies and tasks to be implemented in retail business with regards to employees store maintenance and inventory are as follows:
1. Keeping accurate records of the in and out stock.
2. Availability of the products at the store while meeting demands.
3. Managing customer’s expectations.
4. No congestion over the shop floor.
5. To follow the network strategy to leverage all available inventory across their multiple channels. Wherein, orders can be fulfilled from distribution centers, shipped from stores or drop-shipped from vendors.
6. Connecting with customers and their demands through technology platform that enables the company to do inventory planning in advance.
7. Training the staff members over the store and inventory maintenance policies.
8. Managing internal communications among the large staff of the multiple divisions in the company.
9. Enhancing storage facilities for refrigerated groceries.
10. Freshness of products and picking efficiency should be kept in mind while collecting inventory having the longest expiry date.
Quest: Explain why you think those aspects take the most time, energy, and focus of a retail manager and propose some possible solution to making those tasks run smoothly
Answer:
The reason why these aspects take the most time, energy and focus of retail manager is that, these tasks of the retail manager are not easy, are complex and require a lot of high attention along with the presence of mind while being on job. For example: keeping accurate record of in and out items all the times in the store or understating customer’s requirements and fulfilling it at the same time or keeping the shop floor always without congestion despite of high demands etc. all these tasks and many other are not easy to be kept up to the mark all the times.
The possible solution to make these tasks run smoothly are as follows:
1. Use a cloud based inventory management software.
2. User the First in – First Out approach.
3. Track your stock levels at all the times.
4. Forecast the demands of the customer.
5. Audit your stock.
6. Keep quality control in the store.