Retail Supply Chain Solutions

Retailers Didn’t See Their Shadow at the 2012 NRF Big Show

2012-02-02T01:00:00.000-05:00

I can’t confirm whether Punxsutawney Phil was standing in the registration lines at this year’s National Retail Federation Big Show a few weeks ago in New York City, but thousands of retailers overwhelmed the check-in stations early in the morning – setting the pace for the following days. As signified by the amount of attendees and ensuing discussion, retail is alive, well and showing its strength!

ecVision has exhibited at this annual event for the last 8 years, taking the good with the bad in stride. This year the high levels of interest in our supply chain collaboration platform and proven customer successes drew in attendees with definitive goals in mind. The theme of all the conversations we had with retailers followed similar lines – the need to streamline internal processes and integrate data across all of the technology solutions in the enterprise to reduce cost and risk, while increasing velocity and agility.

The geopolitical uncertainties, currency fluctuations, natural disasters, and business complexities we experienced last year won’t be disappearing soon. Leading brands and retailers are recognizing the benefits of a multi-enterprise, synchronized approach to supply chain management. So this Groundhog Day, don’t hibernate for another six weeks.

I encourage you to visit our Resource Library to access whitepapers and information that will help you understand more about our solutions that will enable you to reach higher heights in supply chain excellence with sunny days ahead.

A Trip to the Lab: Consumer Product Safety Testing

2011-12-08T09:53:00.001-05:00

I was fortunate to be part of a group from the American Apparel and Footwear Association Product Safety Council to tour the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) testing facility in Rockville, Maryland last month. What an amazing, eye-opening tour.

The CPSC opened this facility earlier this year and they have staffed and equipped it to the hilt - all in hopes of protecting the safety of American consumers. With the grace periods coming to an end in January 2012, there is a lot more for retailers, brands and manufacturers to be concerned about. Public Law 110-314, better known as the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act or CPSIA compliance will be in greater focus, along with the process changes you need to implement to remain compliant.

Third-party testing and internal testing requires tracking capabilities that place the burden on the importer of record. So, it is important to look at solutions like ecVision Suite to help manage the data, testing requirements and avoid risk. If you would like to learn more, drop me a note and I will be happy to show you how ecVision Suite is helping other importers ensure the steady flow of goods that meet compliance standards.

Until then, we wish you all a safe holiday season. If you are still doing your holiday shopping and want to make sure you buy the safest toy in the world, follow this link and be sure these are on your list. On the other hand, if you want to know what to avoid, look at this list of the 10 most dangerous childhood toys (all of which were staples in my childhood and as far as I can tell I turned out just fine, but I could be wrong).

Supply Chain Risk Management: Compliance Takes Center Stage

2011-10-31T12:48:00.000-04:00

Basic awareness of new product safety, social and environmental accountability regulations is not enough for brands and retailers; you must also initiate the daunting task of monitoring and documenting compliance throughout your supply chain.

Complying with these new regulations is an important part of protecting the image of the brand name, maintaining consumer satisfaction and steering clear of costly liability claims or fines against your company. Almost every US retailer needs to make important decisions now before issues arise.

Social Accountability and Human Trafficking

The global concern of human trafficking is more prevalent than most of us imagine and new laws have far-reaching implications for retailers. The US Department of State has estimated that human trafficking (which has broad definitions still to be standardized by government agencies) is a $32 billion global business, with over 12 million people worldwide held in servitude of one form or another, and up to 17,500 of these people are held in servitude in the United States.Additionally, a Department of Labor report listed 122 goods from 58 countries that are believed to be tainted by forced or child labor.

International organizations such as Fair Labor Association (FLA), Worldwide Responsible Apparel Production (WRAP), Council on Economic Priorities Accreditation Agency (CEPAA), The Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) and Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) have developed standards that are commonplace to offshore sourcing operations. These codes of conduct have been embraced by retailers in the US for many years. The basic principles include nine core areas that are the focus of frequent compliance audits conducted at factories, mills and tanneries that do business with US-based retailers. They include:

· Child labor

· Forced labor

· Health and safety

· Compensation

· Working hours

· Discrimination

· Discipline

· Free association and collective bargaining

· Management systems

Keeping in mind the complex compliance conditions already in place, now the added layer of standards being enacted by individual states in the US means more effort needs to be exerted by brands and retailers.

Consumer Product Safety

Enacted in 2008, the current Consumer Product Safety Information Act (CPSIA) is haunting brands and retailers as they try to decipher the regulatory requirements mandated by the US Governmental Agency that rules on this subject. CPSIA expands the role of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in ensuring the safety of consumer products, especially those designed for children.

Manufacturers, importers and retailers of most consumer products will have to come comply with many provisions of CPSIA, including:

· Rigorous lead restrictions for children's products

· A ban on phthalates (chemicals used to soften plastic) in children's toys

· Mandatory infant products registration

· Conversion of a voluntary toy safety standard to a mandatory standard

· Mandatory third-party testing and certification of toys and children's products beginning with the new lower limits on lead in paint content.

Implementing the Laws into Your Supply Chain

Ultimately, each company covered under the statute will have to make determinations of what policies to implement in anticipation of the mandated disclosures and regulatory filings, taking into account the actions necessary across the entire supplier network.

Supplier and product compliance standards are not new to the retail environment. In order to minimize the impact of these supplementary evaluation points, third-party supplier auditors can be contracted to conduct initial audits and monitor supplier conformance.

Collaborative technology solutions are the key to preserving the trust of valued consumers and alleviate risk from litigation or costly fines. Technology-based solutions, like ecVision Suite®, help companies increase supplier collaboration and visibility, supports greater supplier accountability, and is a conduit for broader, proactive supplier management activities.

ecVision Suite® is a cloud-based platform that offers the functionality to fulfill the end-to-end, develop-to-shelf needs of both retailers and suppliers. It is equally important to realize that integration to external and third-party systems can push & pull information into a central repository to increase its value and preserve existing investments.

Using the Supplier Management Service within the ecVision Suite®, internal sourcing and compliance teams can work with factories, vendors and outside inspection teams to maintain strict adherence to the numerous performance standards, and subsequently build stronger relationships with each link in the supply chain through the collaboration tools on the platform.

Through integration to supplier inspection providers, the Supplier Management Service becomes the link for information to flow between these external organizations and compliance managers. Armed with solid information about the products, materials and factories in their supplier network, retailers will find themselves better positioned to respond current and any other laws that may follow.

Supply Chain Efficiency: SMB Retail Organizations Aren't Exempt

2011-08-10T13:18:00.000-04:00

No matter what the size of your supply chain operation is, if you’re doing business in today’s complex retail ecosystem you know that things aren’t “business as usual”. After the 2008 economic downturn, retailers came to the realization that the supply chain of the future is not what the norm of yesteryear was.

Even if your company isn’t a retail giant, the need to take action to fine tune your supply chain is imperative in order to stay competitive and ensure long-term continued existence. Retailers and suppliers that rely on technology indicate that they have been able to speed up order cycle times, improve the percentage of “perfect orders”, and minimize inventory shortages and stock outs. To achieve similar results, there are essential features you need to introduce into your company’s long-range strategic plans.
Download a free whitepaper from the ecVision Resource Library to read the full document.

Raw Material Traceability

2011-06-08T12:38:00.001-04:00

Today’s headline in the news: The E. coli outbreak in Germany has killed nearly two dozen people. While apparel and footwear retailers don’t have to worry about bacteria-ridden products entering the US and causing outbreaks like the one that has most of Eastern Europe in dilemma, there is always the need to be aware of where raw materials are sourced from and which of products contain them.

Traceability of each raw material component in every product manufactured offshore and imported into the US is a risk management tool that can save thousands of dollars for retailers. Ask yourself these questions:

Would you be able to track every order you place to the trading partner community (factory, vendor, mill, tannery, etc.) that produced each item for your company?
If a raw material was deemed unsafe for use, could you identify the source of the material and where it is used in each product?
Could you determine where the products are at any given time in the design, production and shipping process?
Can you ensure that 100% of every factory is compliant with all of the laws and regulations set by our government?
Do you have visibility into the compliance and audit process?

Download a whitepaper that outlines best practice solutions for managing suppliers and raw material tracking. Click here.

Retail's Secret Language

2011-05-08T09:46:00.000-04:00

Every industry has its own lingo that often takes on a life of its own. Acronoyms and abbreviations confuse the lay person listening in on conversations to the point that it almost sounds like another language (I could never master Pig Latin or Klingon anyway.) It’s no different in the retail trade, but we are also challenged with numeronyms. Cousin in a sense to acronym, these are abbreviations that combine numbers and letters to signify a word.

The most common in our industry is i18n, used to express the written word internationalization. Influenced by the need to be brief, 18 refers to the number of omitted letters between the i and n. Localization is often abbreviated L10n or l10n in the same manner. (The most common forms are i18n and L10n, respectively. These forms won out because many fonts do not readily distinguish uppercase "I" and lowercase "l", but lowercase "i" and uppercase "L" are always clear.) These abbreviations also avoid picking one spelling (internationalisation vs. internationalization, etc.) over the other.

But where did this word manipulation get its roots. The story goes as follows:
In the mid-1980s a DEC (then a leader in computer technology development and later acquired by Compaq) employee named Jan Scherpenhuizen was given an email account of “S12n” by a system administrator, since his name was too long to be an account name. This approach to abbreviating long names was intended to be humorous and became generalized at DEC. The convention was applied to "internationalization" at DEC which was using the numeronyms by 1985. (Source: Wikipedia)

Other terms that have stemmed from this trend include these that are interchangeable :

· g11n (globalization)

· p13n (personalization)

· m17n (multiligualization)

· r3h (reach, as in a web sites across countries and markets)

We would be interested to hear more commonly used numeronyms from our Blog visitors and see who can present the most or most interesting. So feel free to Blog back with your vernacular.

Here we go again...

2011-04-26T12:38:00.000-04:00

Today's news was a mixture of good and bad (something like when you find a black jelly bean amongst the sweet flavors). The unemployment rates are going down, Britain's Royal Family is making a comeback as the wedding of the century approaches, and Kirstie Alley has dropped dress sizes on 'Dancing with the Stars'. Now comes the bad news...prices at the pump for gas around climbing over $5 a gallon is some places and other commodity prices are still well above normal, political unrest is not easing up in regions across the globe, and Lindsey Lohan is making appearances on late night TV again.

Industry chatter rattles on about strategies for retailers and manufacturers as the struggle continues, but real initiatives to maximize savings for costs and transportation of goods needs to focus on stronger collaboration with the supply networks and its partners.

The retail supply chain has become even more complex with global, economic, political and climatic events. In an effort to understand how deeply these shifts are affecting retailers in the United States, Aberdeen Group surveyed 100 retail enterprises during February and March 2011 to determine the current state and projected improvements to their supply chain processes. Underwritten by ecVision, the report reveals that supplier-side collaboration and visibility are of greatest concern to retailers in need of optimizing their supply chain operations to maintain op tempo during this global crisis.

Data from this report indicated that only 36% of retailers have attained some level of multi-enterprise and multi-site visibility with suppliers and web-based automation of procure-to-pay processes both internally and externally with trading partners. “Based on the results from our study, it is obvious that the piecemeal approach to collaboration and visibility isn’t the solution for retailers struggling to dominate the market in the current scenario,” says Sahir Anand, VP and Principal Analyst with Aberdeen. “True visibility and collaboration across multi-enterprise environments must start at the product development stage, continue through multiple touch points, and drive standardized business processes through a collaborative platform that connects every link in the supply chain including tier 2 suppliers and service providers.”

Based on Aberdeen's analysis, ecVision's cloud-based B2B Portal benefits end-users if process collaboration is the focus for both retailers and suppliers in order to instill efficiencies in their respective domains within the product lifecycle and supply chain. Coupled with the full range of functionality that encompasses product design through delivery, retail organizations can see return on investment from 30-50% in areas like speed to market, cost of goods and transportation.

A complimentary copy of the full report is available through ecVision’s private access link at http://www.aberdeen.com/link/sponsor.asp?spid=30410418&cid=6960.

"Never let them see you sweat."

2011-04-04T14:24:00.003-04:00

Marketing slogans come and go, but this commercial has a lasting impression. The fact is, most Americans today don't recall where this expression earned its prominence. In the 1980's, well-known fashion designer Donna Karan did a commercial for a deodorant. Here is the script - or you can forward to the spot (2 min 50 seconds) on the You Tube link to see and hear it.

KARAN: There are three nevers in fashion design. Never confuse fad with fashion. Never forget it’s your name on every label. And, when showing your lines to the press, never let them see you sweat.

ANNOUNCER: That’s what new Dry Idea solid is all about. Maximum control. It keeps you drier than any other solid.

KARAN: Feeling tense is understandable. Looking tense is unfashionable.

ANNOUNCER: Dry Idea. Never let them see you sweat.

By mid-1990s, the ad series had run it’s course. Eventually, Gillette let its trademark for the famed slogan expire and sold the Dry Idea line to the Dial Corporation (now a US division of the German consumer goods conglomerate, Henkel). But “Never let them see you sweat” is still quoted, re-purposed and parodied today. A mantra that can be leveraged when it comes to building the supply chains necessary to stand up to the complexity of today's global marketplace.

So what are the options when it comes to making technology investments that impact important business processes? How can you avoid the heavy lifting, and subsequent sweating?

We recommend starting with an analysis to determine return on investment before making a buying decision. Illustrating ROI at each link in the chain can not only demonstrate the potential cost savings, but also show where the stresses are waiting to cause supply chain failure.

If you are interested in evaluating your current software solutions to understand about meeting your business demands, consider conducting a Software Validation Assessment (SVA). Learn more by following the link here to our web site.

Retail is Running Hot, Even in the Dead of Winter

2011-01-17T12:11:00.000-05:00

Retailers at the 100th National Retail Federation (NRF) Big Show in New York City last week were met with a cold blast of winter air, an antithesis of the mood and conversations that took place during the 3-day event. The trade show floor (often a circus-like setting filled with passé costumes and shtick intended to entice the smartest in the industry – who are they kidding) and speaking sessions were a virtual hot bed of coals, as retailers are talking about technology solutions to keep the momentum of the upturn in the economy moving in the right direction.

At the show, ecVision was joined on the stage by a loyal customer from Phillips-Van Heusen, Don Grant, as Analyst Sahir Anand from Aberdeen Group led a 40-minute roundtable discussion about supply chain collaboration best practices. The session drew a crowd of retailers and brands, all focused on the same concerns - how to manage supplier relationships as the dichotomy continues to be more evident. The "supply chain gap" referred to in the presentation's title is literally the physical expanse that separates retailers running businesses in the United States from their network of supply chain partners that are globally scattered. The end result is a need to leverage technology to span the gap and communicate more effectively.

Just a few days before the event, Aberdeen released a Market Watch report about the ecVision B2B Portal, a re-focused supply chain collaboration solution for retailers. In the report, Sahir Anand states, "The main objective of this B2B portal is to address a latent need for improved collaboration need amongst nearly two-thirds of retailers, suppliers, and their trading partners. This portal offering is geared towards creating visibility, integration, and collaboration involving all processes starting with product development...".

Of note in the full report (available at www.ecvision.com for free), Anand points out that other solution providers are missing the mark when addressing PLM and supply chain issues. He shows that ecVision's differentiator isn't based on pure functionality - like the typical providers' hype - but rather process changes. These include starting collaboration early in the product lifecycle to avoid disruptions downstream; integrating applications, merging user groups across disparate organizations, and centralizing data; and also paying attention to inefficiencies that can make a financial difference in margin (like raw material management and supplier on-boarding processes).

So as we continue to deal with Old Man Winter all across the nation turn your face to the sun and look ahead to the warmth of the next season. But do it with an eye toward making changes to the way you are doing business and look for the rewards that will come with re-growth.

Embracing MMXI

2011-01-02T17:23:00.000-05:00

As 2010 drew to a close this past week, the media recapped the year in stories that encompass every angle of our everyday lives. Photos, quotes, disasters, events, birth and deaths. Each of these recollections that compile the streams of information and floods of memories about the last 12 months in history are each remarkable; and most make us reflect back on the moment in time. To me the quotes and words of people are most memorable and provide the strongest connection to my work role.

If I had to formulate my own list of "a-ha moments" that have taken the world by storm and evolved into "viral" terminology, I would have to push the word "collaboration" to the top. (Of course my view is slightly skewed than others, but if you are reading this blog you should have some connection.)

In the year where nouns were converted to verbs so commonplace - "Google it." or "Facebook me.", for those of us concerned with global supply chain systems, "collaboration" is making the list for 2010 and 2011.

So why the buzz over collaboration? Let's first look at the Internet definition of the word (No, we don't go to a dictionary anymore.) and where the impact occurs.

col•lab•o•rate (k -l b -r t )
intr.v. col•lab•o•rat•ed, col•lab•o•rat•ing, col•lab•o•rates
1. To work together, especially in a joint intellectual effort.
2. To cooperate treasonably, as with an enemy occupation force in one’s country.

Have we not been working together on joint efforts? Supply chain collaboration tools in this industry are nothing new and over the last ten years we’ve really seen them evolve from the upload-download of EDI applications to online portals. But none are truly addressing collaboration, and the need to expand the collaborative process to envelope the entire trading partner community. Access to information alone isn’t going to solve the complex issues retailers are facing today; it only let’s them know that it’ll occur. The need to improve visibility, and the collaboration to alter the course if necessary, are the components sourcing and logistics teams need in a B2B solution that is a conduit of information exchange.

In order to succeed, collaboration needs to start early in the product lifecycle, continue through every phase, and encompass every member of the trading party and service provider community. Without this level of interaction and communication flow, organizations that are facing the challenges of 2011's retail market will fall short.

"Retailers and suppliers that have moved towards process collaboration, report that they have been able to speed up their planning and execution cycles and can reshape and react to demand much faster than before. By exchanging richer information more quickly with trading partners, both retailers and suppliers can make more accurate plans and better midcourse corrections.

For retailers, process collaboration has a positive impact on sales and operations planning, product development, sourcing operations, production, and shipment. For suppliers, the benefits of process collaboration include: supplier on-boarding, material management, quality management, and business-to-business (B2B) integration with the supplier community and retailers." (Sahir Anand, VP & Principal Analyst, Retail & Banking, Aberdeen Group)

So this year, make it a point to collaborate. Even if you start with your department or team, then expand to some of your trading party network, then turn "rogue" and spread it around the whole organization. You'll be glad you did.

Distracted Driving and Distracted Supply Chain Management Are Alike

2010-10-13T22:56:00.000-04:00

This week is Distracted Driving Awareness Week. Today, during my usual, lengthy trip to the office - my commute is about 75 miles each way - I paid attention to other drivers and what they were doing as we snaked along the Interstate. I am guilty of texting and checking email while I work my way in or out of the office, but what I saw today was crazy.

The best had to be the woman doing full-on eye makeup work in stop-and-go traffic while surrounded by trucks and cars of all sizes. Of course the usual Blackberry scrollers and iPhone users were wantonly fiddling with one or two hands off the wheel.

This brought to mind that there is a definite correlation between what is now termed "distracted driving" and organizations trying to manage a supply chain of goods without the visibility into the value stream. (Granted, this is what I do for a living so the likeness was easy to visualize.) I thought about teams of sourcing pros working night and day as they attempt to track product orders that are stretched between the US and far flung countries. Without a solid view of what is coming at them, like the woman applying mascara as she drifted to the left closing in on the dump truck in front of her, these sourcing teams are operating with distractions.

Work-in-Progress (WIP) is very difficult to track as products move along in the product lifecycle. Many retailers and private labels lose track of the constantly fluctuating changes in production, especially without an automated supply chain solution for tracking. A WIP Tracking solution enables early warning of the critical information during pre-production and production. ecVision’s WIP Tracking solution, whether integrated with a PLM or ERP product through Web services to obtain updates automatically or as a standalone product, is a robust workflow and reporting tool that provides real-time visibility into the complete status of goods in production. The configurable Excel-like worksheet can be used by various teams in your organization to maintain control. WIP Tracking is delivered as a SaaS application that is managed and supported by ecVision’s expert teams.

By leveraging this solution, your entrire supply chain has the visbility as a means to react to issues and beneifts from increased collaboration without reliance on ineffective means of communication.

ecVision and Customer to Speak at NRF's 100th Anniversary Show in Jan 2011

2010-10-01T11:49:00.000-04:00

Retail's BIG Show is celebrating 100 years of retail leadership this January 2011 and celebrating with one-of-a-kind education, amazing networking opportunities and pioneering solutions and services. More importantly ecVision is celebrating along with NRF and you - the biggest and brightest names in retail. Held at the Jacob Javits Conventions Center, New York City.

In the exhibit hall visit us at booth 447 or join us during our Exhibitor Big !deas session on Tuesday, January 11, 2011.

"Closing the 10,000 Mile Supply Chain Gap: Are we there yet?"

As supply chains stretch around the globe to yield greater return on investment, the importance of strengthening each link becomes more critical. A world-renowned brand owner and manufacturer will participate in this session as they discuss the complications of maintaining a strong supply chain, show technology tools from ecVision that enable increased visibility into the trading partner network, and provide a closer look at the collaborative processes they have adopted to be more flexible and responsive.

Registration for the session and the Expo Hall are free to retailers....learn more about registration here.

Why Private Label Brands Are Turning to Technology for Compliance Management

2010-08-12T08:30:00.000-04:00

Private label development teams are very much dependent on the partners that form every link in the supply chain. Globalized sourcing operations increase the likelihood of risk or disruption at every turn. Fierce competition and tight cost margins can further magnify the impact of a supply chain failure on a business. With the demand to increase the mix of private label products to increase profitability, brand owners also bear the burden of managing the quality process.

Technology and process solutions, such as ecVision XpressCommerce, can provide a number of direct benefits in meeting the array of compliance demands, including:

The ability to anticipate and respond promptly to issues;
A focus on uncertainties rather than certainties — in other words pointing you to the problems that need attention; and
A competitive edge by managing risks that can be controlled.

As a packaged solution that unifies PLM and Supply Chain Execution tasks, the XpressCommerce modules provide a means for users (including internal sourcing, quality assurance and legal teams, overseas buying offices, suppliers, agents, external inspectors and others) to achieve greater visibility into the processes. ecVision’s unique product can help companies in their efforts to re-evaluate business strategies, gain a better understanding of the critical interdependencies and supply chain risks along the way — from the sourcing of raw materials to delivery to the customer — and appropriately manage or transfer risks.

Still Strong After All Those Years

2009-01-16T10:15:00.000-05:00

Ten years ago, ecVision started out as an EDI provider with roots in Hong Kong and China. Today it has grown into a full product lifecycle and supply chain software provider, primarily serving the apparel and footwear industry, which is connecting thousands of retailers and trading partners around the world. From its US office in New Jersey, ecVision has engaged some of the biggest retailers and brand owners in the industry including Timberland, New Balance, JCPenney, Abercrombie & Fitch and Phillips-Van Heusen.

So what is it that ecVision is doing right when so many other companies are falling by the wayside? I truly believe it is a combination of factors that make an organization successful.

Our success starts with the the technology we build. In a tight economy, every "buyer" is looking to save money but still get the same or improved functionality. We can point to our ability to improve productivity by 20% to 50%, reduce costs across all spend types, provide a system from strong supplier collaboration and visibility, and minimize risk by capturing actionable information and managing the supplier network. By crossing mutliple functions in the PLM and supply chain area, we maximize the investment CXO's are making and enable everyone to see the results.

Our customer's are really #1...we just don't say it, but we mean it and show it. ecVision’s customer-centric product focus and its drive to please the user base are evidenced by its profitability and expansion. Customer retention remains at 100% and in a recent poll, over 87% of its customers plan to add more functionality to their installations in 2009.

Vision and defining the path to get there certainly weighs in when looking at marked success. In the coming year, ecVision will add functionality (new process modules including factory compliance audit and goods inspection), usability (user interface widgets and mobile extensions for wireless systems adapted from XpressRoad’s development initiatives) and configurability (UI design and improved configurability tools).

Keep you eye on us. Our proven success has enabled Private Label Retailers and Brands to benefit from our deep product Knowledge and expanding toolset. We aren't stopping yet.

The Supplier is King

2008-11-25T14:54:00.000-05:00

Even with the biggest shopping season is here, the economy has caused a meltdown in the retail market. Smart consumer goods manufacturers and brand owners are still investing in supply chain technology to enhance their expansive supplier networks through technology portals. ecVision, an award-winning provider of product lifecycle and supply chain software solutions, is currently deploying supplier portal solutions for three giant retail organizations to be used by vendors and internal sourcing teams as they collaborate on global supply chain management and shipment tasks.

What's the buzz around enabling your supply chain networks and why?

Next week, ecVision, Apparel magazine, and AMR Reserach will release an executive whitepaper revolving around this subject. If you ware interested, drop me an email and I will pass it on when it comes out.

Change Is On the Way

2008-06-10T12:33:00.000-04:00

With the Presidential Election at the forefront of the news, the term "change" has taken on new shape and meaning.

ecVision realizes that "change" is a good, no great thing! Especially when it means that previous processes are more efficient, time-saving, and cost reducing. As is typical with all automation, "change" doesn't come easy though. "Change" needs to be managed and controlled so that the execution works.

When an organization embraces a software solution that is as dynamic as ecVision's, there is a definite need for some "change management". We have teamed with Kurt Salmon Associates (KSA), the leading retail consulting firm, to offer a service that will assist organizations that are experiencing "change" through the adaption of processes.

In the next few weeks, we will be making available a white paper and webinar that explains the benefits gained from a "change management" initiative. Stay tuned or visit http://www.ecvision.com/.

Rome wasn't built in a day!

2008-04-01T14:15:00.000-04:00

And you can’t build an supply chain execution system in a day either!

We’ve learned in our implementations of ecVision XpressCommerce that the best way to approach a system rollout is to tackle it in multiple phases. This is especially the case for newer companies that do not have solid processes in place to lead the way through the implementation or companies looking to revamp their processes to better improve efficiency and productivity. Our advice is to always bite off only what you can chew and to take time to step back and look at the system after each phase moves into production and really determine what the next steps should be – what department needs the most help, which reports are executives looking for, where is the focus of the company moving forward? This will help with prioritizing your phased approach in order to reduce the amount of change requests that will cause delays in your rollout.

http://ecvision.com/Products/XpressCommerce.htm

Daylight Saving Time - Doing More with Less

2008-03-10T14:54:00.000-04:00

Conceived by Benjamin Franklin, the notion was, and is, a quite ingenious method to take advantage of the daylight during those times of year when the days are longer.

We might be saving daylight, but what a difficult adjustment period it is for our internal time clocks. There are numerous studies that justify the reasoning behind Daylight Saving Time (DST). Amonth them, the cost savings from power consumption, getting more time for outdoor events during the warm summer months, dramatic reductions in auto accidents, and more. There may also be an economic benefit to DST, as daylight evening hours encourage people to go out and shop, potentially spurring economic growth.

So go out and spend money, stimulate the economy, buy new fashions. Just be sure to stay awake at work during the first week following the change.

TiVo our webcast? Well, sorta.

2008-02-05T21:43:00.000-05:00

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life." Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs is one person who would know about managing time. Striking the balance for work, play, family, friends, games, love, eating, working out, doing your taxes, voting, shopping, smelling the roses, learning something new, reading a good book, watching the big game...

I could go on but you get the point.

So how do we keep from "living someone else's life"? This month I launched a new initiative at ecVision. The On-Demand webcast. The concept isn't truly unique but I am glad I was able to put it together. There are so many times that I have registerted for an online or live event, and been sidetracked with more pressing business. To solve this problem, I developed the on-demand model for our webcasts -- just register and get the link, then you can click on the link to watch and hear the presentation when every you want. Stop it, start it, rewind it. Come back another time to finish or replay it. It is there on your demand.

Try it out. Live your life this time.

NRF Big Show 2008

2008-01-16T21:45:00.000-05:00

The name of this event was truly fitting this year in New York. It was a BIG SHOW - not just in size but in marketing tactics. In past years, the retail industry has not been "wowed" by the sensationalism that was orchestrated by the exhibitors this year to draw prospective clients to the trade show booth.

I have a firm belief that the product is what makes heads turn, but it is apparent that gimmicks and "tricks" really work with savvy retail leaders. To wit, ecVision has never used this approach at our event booths. (A raffle entry in exchange for a badge swipe is about as far as I go.)So just what did we see this year at NRF?

Money falling from the sky...noticeably marked with the logo of the company that drew in crowds with their Fez hats, cappuccino barista, and tall, leggy scantily-dressed blondes.

The dynamic duo of young ladies dressed in nurses uniforms complete with caps -- a retro throwback to days before scrubs and more practical garb.

Elvis lives! At least a low-rate look-a-like who sings along to recorded tracks while posing with show attendees in front of a pink Cadillac.

Or the trio of gals in matching silky short dresses that might be better apt for a summer party or nightclub act.

Then you have the illusionists, magicians, and other slight-of-hand con artists that would make any buyer wonder where the con ends.

I can point out other examples of cheap marketing practices, but I think you get the point. I was just pleased that ecVision (and I was proud to notice, most of the companies we compare with) didn't stoop down to the level that belittles the intelligence of the industry.

When the ecVision team left the show we all made an agreement that we would rather develop a supply chain solution that impressed our audience before we resort to marketing tactics that are less than honorable.

ecVision Launches Blog

2008-01-10T16:36:00.000-05:00

Hello and welcome customers and prospective customers. We hope that you will find the information on this blog useful as you explore ecVision's solutions.