This isn’t a post going into detail about the difference between QA & Testing. Nope. It’s just a list of roles & responsibilities that the acronym “QA” could stand for that I can agree with. Yay Question Asker Question Answerer Quash Assumptions Qualitative Assessor Quackery Assassin Query Analyst Quandary Advisor Quibble Arrestor / Abator Quarrel…
RBTE 2016: Focus On Employee Empowerment
One of the most enjoyable aspects of attending the Retail Business Technology Event in London (which completed its fifth successful year of operation in March) is that it’s so easy to see in real life what it being talked about at the event. London is a hotbed of very competitive retail shops. The city remains one of the world’s top performers when it comes to retail sales, and the UK overall ranks among the top countries in Internet sales (#1 in 2013). So if you want to see what is happening in Retail, there is no better place to look than London.
History of Omni-Channel: The Future
It’s been fun writing this series on the History of Omni-Channel. However, I’ve run out of history, so it’s time to start looking to the future.
Perfecting the Customer Experience – Strategy and Delivery
We found this HiveMind / Custerian drop-in video session from back last December and with everything just as relevant and valuable as the day it was recorded, we thought we’d re-share it through this post. Enjoy!
Nonjudgmental Feedback
People are not like dogs. How often have you seen someone recommending the giving of praise as a way of raising morale, increasing engagement, making folks happier, and so on? The thing is, giving praise has a significant downside.
Mobile’s Road Ahead: Yikes
So as I pointed out last week: we have a real problem. Retailers of all sizes and stripes still maintain that the ability to check prices is job one, and consumers disagree. But let’s say (for argument’s sake) we get past that issue sometime soon. Imagine retailers and consumers get on the same page about what a mobile device should really be used for. Then what?
Coming To Terms With Retail Planning
Retail planning is a hot topic throughout the industry right now. The burning issue that brings this core capability front-and-center is that demand comes from more than one place: from the stores, the call center, and from the digital space. Matching that demand to supply in a way that is satisfying to consumers is more difficult, as consumers demand more and more cross-channel fulfillment options. The final kick in the shins of the traditional planning cycle is that consumers are more selective and less loyal, and have easy access to information about competitive offers available anytime and anywhere. That means that retailers must react more quickly to shifts in demand than they have had to in the past.
Helping Folks Find Their Own Answers
I remember when I used to call myself a consultant. And others used to happily pay me for “consulting”, too. Not that the outcomes were ever anything to write home about.
I’ve come round to the belief that consulting, predicated as it is, largely, on telling people “answers”, doesn’t work too well. It’s not well-aligned with how people learn, change, and grow.
Are Retailers Finally Getting Serious About Servicing Plus Size Women?
Long-time readers will remember that I’ve bemoaned the state of the plus-sized clothing industry for many years. And those of you who’ve met me will know why. I’m a customer. And I’m not alone. Current estimates of the percentage of the female population larger than size 12 are up to 60%.
That’s a lot of money being left on the table.
What’s Next For eCommerce Technologies?
In theory, a technology’s value should outstrip its use. But in many of the areas we research, we find retailers have often been coaxed into implementing various technologies before realizing the value for their specific needs. This has happened all too often in stores, in particular, and is either usually the result of fear that if a retailer doesn’t ride a particular wave, they will be left out or because so much infrastructure technology must be implemented before any value can be had from the investment.
