MYTH:
Retail execution is all about customized sales force automation and it’s a matter of picking the right mobile technology that will provide a uniform approach to all your needs, from translating your trade marketing plans to monitoring promotions into in-store activities.
REALITY:
When it comes to retail execution software solutions… one size does not fit all!
Efficiencies in retail execution can have a very positive effect on your company’s bottom line, and who doesn’t want to make more money?
Retail execution technology tools are designed to help consumer packaged goods (CPG) manufacturers manage activities and promotions at the store level more effectively. Solution flexibility, analytics, retail activity optimization (RAO), product dashboards and configurability are all important factors. They help you understand and streamline your workload and apply the right assets to maximize productivity and this creates efficiencies and cost savings.
When your company starts to explore implementing new software solutions, you will encounter the misconception that one size fits all. Then, when you get into the weeds with geographic issues, government regulations, statutory issues and unique challenges within accounts, you realize, that isn’t the case!
A solution needs to be mobile, configurable and flexible, one that will be updated with industry best practices in this ever changing retail landscape. For CPG companies interested in auditing and managing assets, and automated mobile order taking, SaaS-based retail execution solutions are preferred. Complemented by having the right people in both planning and IT in place to execute the implementation successfully and then to tweak the results to get your desired outcome.
Finally, do your due diligence, when you get the feeling that an offering from a vendor sounds too good to be true, you are probably right!
Make sure you are getting guidance from a company that has its finger on the pulse of the industry, is committed to continually updating its SaaS-based retail execution solution, so you will always have the latest most relevant, valuable and agile version.
Chris Jackson
Account Director
Direct: 602-522-8282 ext. 1
Chris.Jackson@www.afsi.com