Operations

Critical routines: What are they, and how do they affect the quality of your sales?

Source: america-retail.com

Did you know that retail stores must perform a series of activities daily and at specific times? What is more, did you know that their execution is so important that failure to comply with them can result in a series of disruptions in the store’s operation?

You are a shopper, you are in a hurry because you must get to your office, but you have a few minutes to stop at a store, buy a coffee and something to eat. You are surprised that there is a very unpleasant atmosphere when you enter the place. It takes you a few seconds to realize that although everything in the neighborhood is up and running, the bathrooms are just being cleaned in the store you entered, and the beverage coolers are turned off. Something is wrong here, you think, and you leave.

What’s wrong with you as a consumer? You probably won’t be back in the place for a while.
Now, what about that store and its management? Perhaps there is a lack of coordination between the tasks assigned to develop first thing in the morning, before opening to the public. And as is almost always the case, the tasks that “everyone” should do end up not being carried out because the final responsible parties are not well established.

If we extrapolate this situation and think about it, what happens with those products that must comply with a strict cold chain? Can the store guarantee quality? It’s complex, isn’t it?

The importance of critical tasks is centered on the following:

  • They ensure the store’s operations.
  • Coordination of shifts and assignment of responsibilities.

Execution of daily missions.

Technology is essential for coordination and proper store operation during high-customer flow hours.

According to a study published in March of this year, conducted by the consulting firm McKinsey and Company, “new automation techniques can be the first step towards a continuous redesign of critical operations.”
The idea is to create a virtuous circle with a coordinated information flow between store operations and technology. According to the paper, operations leaders could generate a cost reduction of up to 60%, achieving, in addition, increases when measuring punctuality and service quality.

What tool do retailers count on to optimize these critical processes?

Usually, retailers use physical forms, tasks assignment, or organizational lists to coordinate and measure critical activities. However, this does not solve the problem of daily tasks being done at the right time, leaving the gap open. In some other cases, store managers are expected to ensure that everyone is doing the right thing as they go.

Frogmi has a solution so that all critical activities, such as getting refrigerators at the right temperature for beverages, activating cash registers, and cleaning the store and restrooms, are scheduled at specific times that do not hinder the customer experience.

StoreWork increases productivity, identifying difficulties in real-time and delivering solutions according to your organization’s SLA. In addition, it allows benchmarking between different stores and building measurement objectives.

If, after reading this, you think you have a productivity problem in your organization, schedule a call or video call today so that the Frogmi team can help you make technology your ally, improving communication and performance in your company.

Mantente informado sobre las tendencias en la optimización de operaciones en tiendas y más.