Lumiform in retail
The retail industry is more than just buying and selling products. Retail managers deal with everything from customer satisfaction to managing a storefront to ensuring good relationships with suppliers. Retail businesses need to handle:
Inventory management
The most basic need for a retail store is to have products in stock. At the same time, it’s important not to purchase wasted inventory, especially when that inventory is perishable. Understanding how much you need avoids losing funds on unsold merchandise and also helps you optimize your storage space.
Data security
Over the course of running your retail business, you’ll deal with customer data for various reasons. Order and purchase data is an essential part of inventory management, collecting a mailing list is important for marketing, and customer feedback is the most direct way to understand store performance.
Understandably, customers sometimes worry about the safety of this data. It’s important that you protect it as best as possible, especially when there’s personal or financial information like credit card numbers and home addresses involved.
Supply chain disruptions
Most retailers don’t make their inventory themselves. Making sure your source of products delivers on time avoids having to tell a customer “sorry, we’re out”, which doesn’t just lose you a sale, it hurts your reputation.
Some supply chain issues are unavoidable, like those due to weather events. Because of this, managing a supply chain isn’t just about ensuring every link in that chain is functioning, it’s about setting yourself up to work through possible delays.
Adopting technology
Given how integral a smooth customer experience is to a retail business, simplifying things through technology makes you stand out. One example of this is introducing contactless payment options so the lines in your store are shorter. Customer service software like AI chatbots also helps you deliver a memorable experience.
Several of these technologies also help address the issues of supply chain management, inventory control, and data security.
Navigating a retail business with Lumiform
The quickest way you can introduce technology in your retail business and start optimizing processes is with Lumiform. The all-inclusive desktop software and mobile app combine to help you streamline and automate daily workflows, and keep watch over the whole operation.
Prepare your store for customers each day with regular inspections that cover things like cleaning and shop layout. Use Lumiform to regularly catalog your inventory and stay ahead of new shipments. You’re not even limited to auditing your own store; understand the state of your supply chain by evaluating your business partners.
Anyone in your business can pick up and start using Lumiform as long as they have a smartphone or tablet. They can use the mobile app to perform inspections even if they’re offline. As they work through inspection checklists, the app will guide them through each item, so there’s no training required.
Go beyond cleaning and layout inspections and use Lumiform to:
- Manage and maintain your inventory
- Collect valuable customer feedback
- Comply with any store safety requirements
- Organize any recurring daily tasks
Every piece of data you collect with Lumiform is stored securely in the cloud and encrypted to ensure you’re the only one with access. That way, your customers have peace of mind. The software also generates automatic weekly reports based on data you collect. That way, you can see patterns and solve issues related to common customer frustrations, inventory imbalances, frequent supplier shortcomings, and more.