Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Warehouse Case Study on Client: Sherman's Furniture

Here is a great article about a great company. Dan Bolger writes about the Sherman's distribution center and their management's commitment to efficiency and excellence.

"The bottom line summary is that the lines of communication are short at Sherman’s and the management team moves quickly to resolve issues. Their attention to customer satisfaction will continue to serve new and existing customers while providing additional opportunities for their employees." --- Dan Bolger

Read the Article


Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Furniture World Article on using GMROI and IGMROI

Track this inventory metric to understand your customer’s buying patterns, establish a more relevant product mix, satisfy more people and sell more.

by Daivd McMahon

Consumers’ tastes and the economy are constantly changing. Some vendors and categories that were once popular are not anymore. You cannot control your customers’ tastes or the economy, least of all, through general advertising. This is impossible. If you agree, ask yourself, “What can I control?”

In this article, you will discover how to listen to what your customers want in order to make more informed purchasing decisions. If you can manage a process, you can influence and control it. So, by better understanding your customers buying patterns and establishing a more related product mix, you will satisfy more people and sell more.

First, take the guessing out of the equation. There is only one group’s opinion regarding the desirability of purchasing your products that matters. It’s not your buyers, your reps, suppliers or your competition. And, it’s not you or me. It’s your customers!

Buying is analytical. You need to know what your customers are purchasing and what they want to buy from you in the future. With any top industry Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software, this data should be readily available to you.

Read the full article in the latest issue of Furniture World

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Five Common Questions about Inventory Management

by Chris Millet, Business Coach

As I work with clients on proper inventory management techniques, I encounter some common questions and concerns. I thought we may have other clients who have the same questions, and decided to share them with you. Most of these concerns stem from a perspective, which has caused improper inventory management in the past. Our inventory management techniques are time-tested and proven, but, as with any new technique or process, inevitably there is a resistance to change and a fear of the unknown. The following is a list with responses to five of the most common concerns, expressed to me recently.

1. In today's economy, customers are looking for inexpensive items and immediate satisfaction, which many times causes me to sell my floor models. How can I nail my best sellers to the floor and still satisfy my customers?

Click here to read the full article