Retail Management Information System and Retail Research: Retail Technology and Automations; Retail Technology and CRM; Human resources and Executive information systems; Developing a research Methodology; Retail audit

1. RETAILING
MANAGEMEN
T
UNIT - 5
PRESENTED BY
K.BALASRI PRASAD

2. BBA/MBA 5 year Integrated Course III Year - V Semester
Paper – 5.1: Retailing Management
Unit – I: Introduction:
Definition and Scope of Retailing; Retailing Scenario – Global; Retailing Scenario-
India; Prospects of Retailing in India’s; Trends in Retailing; Retailing formats; Retail
Strategies.
Unit – II: Store Planning:
Store planning; Design and Layout; Retail merchandising; Supply Chain Management
in Retailing.
Unit – III: Retail Marketing and Advertising:
Retail Marketing Strategies; strategic Positioning; retail marketing mix; customer
relationship management; direct marketing; micro marketing in retailing, and adverting
in retailing.
Unit – IV: Retail Operations and e-Tailing:
Store Operating parameter; using strategic resource model in Retailing; Designing
performance programme; online retailing, and online retail categories.
Unit – V: Retail Management Information System and Retail Research:
Retail Technology and Automations; Retail Technology and CRM; Human resources
and Executive information systems; Developing a research Methodology; Retail audit.
References:
1. Cullen & Newman, 2007, “Retailing, environment and operations”, Thomson. 2. Levy & Weitz, 2005, Retailing, TMH.

3. Unit – V
Retail Management Information System
and Retail Research:
Retail Technology and Automations;
Retail Technology and CRM;
Human resources and Executive
information systems;
Developing a research Methodology;
Retail audit.

4. Retail Technology and
Automation
“Retail Technology” is a term for
solutions that enable retailers to
manage and optimize operations.
These technology tools help retailers
Increase revenues
Drive down costs
Advance a combination of other key
metrics:
 improving customer satisfaction/experience

5. Different Ways, Technology Improves
Retail Business
1. It Improves Production Facilities
The quality is acceptable for the price.
The technology gives real-time information about the
conditions in work facilities, manufacturers can invest
in constant improvement of labor standards.
2. Social Media Makes Marketing Easy
Social media marketing requires careful planning.
Retailers need to share high-quality content that sets
your business apart from the competition.
Retailers can share promo codes, information about
special events, and great photographs that will draw
people towards your business.

6. 3. You Can Go Paperless
Many customers prefer to get a digital receipt
instead of a printed one.
They care about the environment and they will
support any eco-friendly choice Retailers make.
Going paperless will save money can organize
files much more effectively.
4. Technology Makes Your Store Energy
Efficient
Smart thermostats, sensors, and LED lights will
also save hundreds of rupees on a monthly
basis.
A report by McKinsey & Company showed that

7. 5. Virtual Reality Shopping Is the Future
VR is making progress in the industry.
Shoppers are always looking for new, more unique
ways to shop.
Trying on items virtually saves time and makes the
experience more fun.
6. You Can Offer Mobile Coupons While People
Shop
Loyal customers are often unaware of all promos and
sales a brand offers.
If they have an application that informs about special
offers while in the store, will be aware of the best
deals.
Target customers can use their application to scan a

8. 7. Technology Makes Forecasting Possible
In Retail business proper forecasting figures out what
shoppers want and what the future trends will be.
It helps Retailers effectively plan the supply chain.
Forecasting systems analyze big data and deliver a
readable report.
Technology and online services facilitate the
forecasting and supplying processes.
8. Tablet Enclosures Are Great for Getting Direct
Feedback
Tablet enclosures at the exit will be easy for Retailers
to collect feedback from real shoppers.
It’s great to catch them right after their shopping
experience.

9. 9. Omnichannel Shopping Boosts Your Sales
An online platform that gives access to all products will
be highly beneficial.
A single store doesn’t have all the products in every
single size.
Retailers can offer shoppers pick up in store or ship to
home options online, and they will get the purchases
the same or next day.
10. Technology Speeds Up the Shopping
Experience
Retailers can offer “shop and collect” options, Buy
Online Pick Up In Store (BOPIS) and Buy Online
Ship To Store (BOSS).
Customers can go through website, choose and

10. Universal Product Code:
 A UPC, short for universal product code, is a type
of code printed on retail product packaging to aid in
identifying a particular item.
 It consists of two parts – the machine-readable barcode,
which is a series of unique black bars, and the unique 12-
digit number beneath it.
 The purpose of UPCs is to make it easy to identify product
features, such as the brand name, item, size, and color, when
an item is scanned at checkout.

11. Factors affecting the use of technology in
Retail
1. The scale and scope of operations
 The size or the scale of operations is the key factor influencing the
decision on the type of systems required.
 In case of a small retailer; the significance is much lower as compared
to that for a large chain retailer, who operates at a national or an
international level.
2. The financial resources available to the
organization
 The financial resources available to the firm for investment in
technology are a crucial differentiating factor.
 The retailers in mature markets may invest significantly higher
amounts in technology than their Indian counterparts. In India
investment in technology varies significantly with estimated pay back
period.

12. 4. Human Resources available
 The retailer needs people to build and implement technology solutions.
 People need to understand the complexities of the business that the retailer
operates in and at the same time, the type of technology that will suit
business.
 They not only need to implement the system, but also to train people within
the organization on its use and applications.
5. Unique needs of technology in retail
 The retail business has been an early adapter of information Technology (IT).
 Retail business need to capture accurate information and make it available
not only within the store, but send it to warehouses, distributors and
manufacturers as soon as it has been acquired, has been an important
requirement.
 The need for making information available in real time emerges out of the
need to manage the short shelf life of goods and the need to manage the
costs of inventory.
 The spread of the Internet has opened up a number of opportunities for using
IT innovatively to extend the reach of the retailer into the homes of its
customers. While the Internet was expected to revolutionize the retailing

13. Retail Automation
Retail automation market brings new capabilities to the
business, and new employees’ responsibilities come
along.
Retail automation is a generic term for every process in
retail business which can function without human
interference.
It analyzes the history of purchases, transactions,
preferences, etc. in order to improve relationships with
buyers.
These systems are mostly focused on customer retention
and the company's sales growth.
In 2020 the retail automation market size is $12.45
billion.
By 2025 the global market share of retail automation is
expected to reach $24.6 billion.

14. Retail Automation solutions in Retailing:
Software for e-commerce: E-commerce solutions are used
for selling products and services online.
 With the help of retail software development, store owners
can list or remove products, check and process orders,
payments, etc.
Inventory management solutions: The inventory control
system is responsible for inventory managing, goods
tracking, organizing their storage, purchasing, etc.
 As per retail technology and automation, these systems
often work with barcodes, wireless tracking, radio-
frequencies.
Software for payment processing: Payment processing
solutions connect online stores with payment systems like
Phonepay, Gpay, paytm.
Customer relationship management software: In the e-

15. Retail Technology and CRM
Retail CRM is a customer relationship
management software which can increase
customer satisfaction, reduce your costs and
improve your company's performance.
Retail CRM allows you to manage individual
customer with its real-time analytics and
reports.
Retail CRM software does four unique things which
helps retailer grow and get competitive advantage.
These are Segmentation, Promotion, Purchases
and Retention.
All the data gathered in a CRM system gets

16. A CRM system keeps records of all purchases and
customers calls.
It keeps track of what products each customer has
purchased and their feedback on each.
Retail CRM allows retailers to increase the retention
of customers by keeping them in the heart of
retailers business.
End to end retail activities can be managed on a
single dashboard using retail CRM.
Retail Sales Management CRM software helps
automate the process right from acquiring a lead
to delivering a final product to the Customer.
With Retail CRM, Retailers can use Pre-Sales
mechanics to maximize efficiency by effectively
managing Supply Chain network, Product Stock

17. Choosing the best Retail CRM
Easily contact any Distributor or Dealer
through a single contact management platform.
Track the different product stock levels.
Manage employee’s attendance and tasks.
Manage information concerning previous
orders in a single platform.
Manage all the refund and replacement
issues.
Manage entire customer contact database.
Allows to run segmented Email/SMS

18. .

19. .

20. Human resources and Executive information
systems
A Human Resources Information System (HRIS)
facilitates implementing the performance
management system for retail personnel so that they
can serve customers more efficiently.
Executive Information System (EIS) is a program that
helps retail executives look at key data for effective
decision-making and arrange it in any form they
wish.
EIS will help analyze each store’s figures to pinpoint
those that are lagging behind.
After finding a store whose sales are down, one can drill
down to the figures of each department.
After finding a department that is lagging behind, one can
drill down further to the various classifications, then the

21. Benefits of a HRIS
Completion of recurring tasks through
automation.
Improved ability to reach large candidate
pools regarding new position openings.
Ability to quickly apply higher selection
standards to a number of applications
Empowerment of employees to changed
benefits information directly as changes
occur.
Improved collaboration throughout
organization, even when there are multiple
company locations.

22. Reduction of paper and related materials and
storage – often yields cost savings.
Scheduling optimization with an emphasis
on compliance and immediate distribution to
employees.
Reduction of errors within payroll
systems and employee information databases.
Ease in distributing up-to-date information
concerning company policies and procedures.
Improved time and attendance
tracking abilities and accuracy.
Decrease in compliance woes aided by alerts

23. HRIS Processes and Working
Components
Six key HRIS processes and working components that most
organizations require in some combination.
1. Database management
 A ready-access database where all employee information
can be stored and managed effectively.
 The HR team (or anyone managing the portal) can easily
input all personnel data into the system.
 Access all this data and relevant metric from it on
demand from anywhere across the globe.
 The kind of data stored on the system ranges from
Remuneration, Compensation information, emergency
contact details, and education history to present
contact information, learning metrics, and performance

24. 2. Time and labor management
Monitoring the clocking hours of every single
employee is a time-intensive task.
With a majority of offices today allowing
employees to either punch in biometrically or log
on to input their own hours, this daily dose of
data needs effective management.
Managers can now approve leave requests,
and the data can be directly linked to payroll.
Human Resource Information System can thus
keep a close tab on punctuality and
attendance.

25. 3. Payroll functions
Payroll is one of the most important functions of HR.
HRIS allows easy download or upload of employee
hours and attendance data and deposits to
employees made more seamless.
Most HRIS payroll software lead to an improvement in
tax compliance.
4. Benefits management
Benefits management does not pertain only to medical
benefits and retirement investments, but all queries,
feedback, data, and communication related to
benefits.
Such applications provide a one-stop platform
experience for all employers and employees alike, add
transparency, and enable smoother operations.

26. 5. Employee interface
Most HRIS software allows limited user
access to employees, but even that moderate
level of employee self-service is a step
forward in creating a culture where employees
have more operational freedom.
The interface that allows employees to update
their personal information, review pay
scales, change retirement benefit programs,
update direct deposit information or
download benefit election documents needs to
provide a user experience that is easy,
integrated, and time-saving.

27. 6. Talent acquisition and retention
Acquiring and retaining the right talent is how an
organization can hope to grow.
With that context in mind, recruitment and
retention are crucial components of any
HRIS and are ranked by most organizations as
must-have features.
Getting the right talent onboard is just the first
step.
Employees also need to be provided with the
right training, career guidance and reward
plans to enable growth, boost morale, and
create job happiness.

28. HRIS Models
The HRIS models guide the functioning of its
processes.
1. Input and output model of a basic
HRIS
This model enumerates the basic
functioning of an HRIS – from input to
output.
Both environmental and internal
sources provide data for the input
subsystems, which are then interpreted
into information and used in recruiting,

29. .

30. 2. Model for HRIS adoption
With overabundance of options available
in the market (to the point where the
market seems overcrowded), choosing the
right HRIS is a big decision.
But once that is done, to ensure that the
organization has invested in a winning
system, the right adoption of the HRIS is
necessary.
Here’s a model that enumerates the
different aspects of adopting the right

31. .

32. 3. HRIS success model
The integrated HRIS model for success.
This is to reiterate how the user’s perception of
the system is affected by the quality of system
processes, information access and
application, ease of use, and usefulness.
The perceived utility of the HRIS is an
interesting factor since it is quite subjective and
must make sense to the employee.
All these factors together contribute to the level
of user satisfaction and ultimately to the
success of the HRIS.

33. .

34. Retail audit
Retail audit is the study of selected retail outlets for
collecting data about the health / visibility of a
brand's products.
This is a primary physical research process, wherein
a trained auditor visits the establishment and
validates information such as: Sales volume, Stock
levels (shelf and back stock).
Retail audits help brands measure and
monitor retail success by analyzing the shopper's
experience with your products in-store.
Using a retail audit, your brand can identify the time it
takes to find your products on shelf, the helpfulness
of store employees, the scarcity or abundance of
stock and more.

35. Steps in The Audit Process
1. Articulate your goals
Determine the main objectives of your retail audit.
Are you primarily concerned with monitoring
competitor activity? Or do you care about how quickly
your products are moving off the shelf?
Put in writing exactly what you are trying to measure
through the audit and assign numeric or qualitative
values to each goal as a parameter for success.

36.  A store audit assesses the health of your
retail location using hard data.
Retailers, staff, or a third party combs
through your store or pop-up shop to collect
information on what's working and what's
selling (or what isn't).
The prime purpose of the audit is to form an
opinion on the information in the financial
report taken as a whole, and not to identify
all possible irregularities.
Auditors are on the look-out for signs of
potential material fraud, it is not possible to

37. 2. Design audit criteria
Select the exact questions you will be asking in the
audit and the acceptable answer types.
Will you use “yes/no” questions, have write-in
responses, or use a scale such as 1-5?
Only ask for information that can help your business
improve (i.e. brand performance, competitor activity,
retailer compliance, etc.)
3. Schedule appointments
Aim for consistency in terms of who you send to
which accounts to become extremely knowledgeable
about their stores and build a rapport with store
management.
Recognize that some retailers might want to be

38. 4. Gather data and photos
Make sure to collect data that directly corresponds to the
goals and criteria you’ve laid out.
It might make sense to have some retail survey
questions be marked as “mandatory” if they’re extremely
significant to company objectives.
Including photos in audits is a great way to depict exactly
what’s happening in a store at any given time, and
promotes accountability and compliance.
5. Evaluate results
Once audits are completed, organize your data in an
easily digestible format.
Numerical values can be depicted graphicallyCheck to
see how the results you’ve achieved stack up against

39. 6. Implement changes
After analyzing the findings, execute on what needs to
be done in the short term.
For example, perhaps you discover that a particular
SKU is performing significantly worse than others
across several locations and you decide to pull it from
shelves immediately. Alternatively, long-term business
decisions can be made after you’ve collected data over
a lengthier time period.
7. Repeat the process
After conducting several retail audits, you’ll be able to
make adjustments to your retail audit process as
needed to tailor it to your company’s unique needs.
Regularly conducting audits will allow your business to

40. Three Types of Data to be collected in
Auditing
In order to guarantee your retail auditing process is
effective, make sure you and your team are equipped
to understand the data you'll be collecting.
 Observational Data paints a picture of the in-store
conditions are observed and reported. This data
includes stock levels, number of facings, competitive
activity, and more.
 Activity Data refers to the specific actions taken in
the field to improve execution in the store. Measuring
and tracking these actions is key to understanding
what is impacting your sales and how.
 Sales Data is simply how much of each product is

41. Retail Market Questionnaire
 Consumer sentiment towards the brand and its
competitors as discovered by surveying passerby and
observing how they interact with the brand.
 Store appearance and location. Is the store well-
organized and clean? Is it located in a suburban or
urban area? How does the facade of the store appear?
 Qualitative and quantitative information about other
brands present in the store. How many facings do
competing brands have on the shelf? Are there mostly
emerging or established brands in your category?