The Missing Link In Omni-Channel Fulfillment: Mobile Work Execution

By Jeff Slevin, Chief Operating Office, Lucas Systems

For success in omni-channel retailers have to deliver the right product at the right time, through multiple channels, at the best possible cost. This places all-new demands on stores as fulfillment and return points, and creates new pressures on distribution centers (DCs) to adapt their existing fulfillment and returns processes. Many retailers are meeting the challenge through manual work-arounds that are unsustainable. This three-part series will focus on how retailers can optimize and evolve manual processes, both in the DC and in-store, using Mobile Work Execution solutions.

Introduction

Retailers are fighting a public battle to deliver a seamless, omni-channel shopping and buying experience across stores, online, and mobile. They are fighting a no-less important battle behind the scenes to create efficient and speedy product delivery (or pick up) and returns processes to fulfill the anywhere, anytime promise of omni-channel. This back-end struggle is being played out in distribution/fulfillment centers (DCs) and stores, many of which are “throwing people at the problem.” They are adapting to new delivery and service demands by creating manual processes or workarounds to fill gaps in current fulfillment systems and processes.

The problem is that these people-driven processes are notoriously inefficient and inaccurate. Unless retailers can optimize and adapt these manual processes, they risk losing customer loyalty and face rising operating costs that are unsustainable in the long term.

Please log in or register below to read the full article.