7/1/16
Retailers strive every day to improve their multi-store management practices. However, there are plenty of obstacles facing managers who are responsible for overseeing retail companies' stores, territories, and strategic initiatives.
A recent Square Root* White Paper addressing multi-store management identifies four levels of field managers, each with discrete organizational roles:
1. Store Managers
Store managers (GMs) are responsible for executing strategic directives from corporate and district management. GMs manage store staff, train new employees, resolve customer issues, etc.
2. District Managers
District managers (DMs) are the primary connectors between store-level staff and corporate decision-makers. They are responsible for operational oversight, troubleshooting, and goal-setting within their territories.
3. Division Presidents
Division presidents are responsible for translating information from individual stores and regions into well-defined strategic initiatives. They are ultimately responsible for everything that occurs in the field, including in individual stores, and represent the field's interest to senior company leadership.
4. Regional Vice Presidents
Regional vice presidents serve as connectors for district managers and division presidents, providing strategic and practical support for their subordinates. They are responsible for high-level troubleshooting and ensuring that strategic initiatives align with on-the-ground realities.
Of these four groups, district managers often have the most strategic and operational discretion relative to the amount of support they receive from their bosses. In other words, they represent the most important link in multi-store organizations.
DMs are responsible for executing multiple mission-critical directives, each of which presents unique challenges. Some of these challenges include:
Many district managers lack access to up-to-date financial performance data for each store in their organization. This makes it difficult to determine which store-level initiatives are working and which need to be adjusted or scrapped.
Since district managers cannot be everywhere at once, they often struggle to hold store managers and sales reps accountable for delivering a consistent brand experience to customers.
District managers need store managers and sales reps to make efficient use of their time and talents. Unfortunately, this is exceedingly difficult in practice, particularly when hard-to-solve operational challenges arise unexpectedly or new strategic initiatives throw store employees out of rhythm.
District managers can address some of the operational challenges they face with proven multi-store management tactics listed below. Each takes time to roll out and mature; however, once fully implemented, district managers benefit from improved financial performance, stronger branding, and more efficient operations.
District managers benefit when they collect, analyze, and share data more freely, transparently, and rapidly. With access to data from multiple sectors of their organization, DMs are better able to make informed decisions that help them meet the three objectives outlined above.
As critical connectors, district managers need to communicate and collaborate closely with their subordinates and superiors. Clear cross-organization communication guidelines and schedules make this possible.
The entire retail team performs better when it has clear goals and objectives to work from. District managers are in the strategic position to help upper-level management set realistic goals and deliverables that create success for everyone, including their store managers, sales reps, and customers.
Technology has long been a vital part of retail multi-store operations. While mostly behind the scenes and in the server rooms in years past, technology is now out in clear view and guiding retailers to greater success.
Intel is a leader in developing technologies to help retailers at multiple touch points and across all levels of operations. From providing big data analytics for high-level decision making to improving the shopping experience and creating the technologies used in the latest PC devices in high demand by consumers, Intel is helping to transform the retail industry.
Retail management, and district managers in particular, clearly face numerous obstacles in their quest to improve store performance and anticipate competitive challenges.
While it's important to integrate store management tactics like those outlined above, truly effective multi-store managements often begins with a confident, knowledgeable sales team.
It’s important that district managers spend dedicated time developing and training their staff so they, in turn, can develop and train their staff. This nucleus of DMs, GMs or Store Managers, and the sales reps on the floor dealing with customers, really is “where the rubber meets the road.”
Intel again leads the way with a solution that augments the development and training provided by retailers to their employees. The Intel® Retail Edge Program is a comprehensive training program that imparts valuable product knowledge and critical sales skills.
Sales reps and management-level staff have access to engaging, information-rich Learning activities and sales tutorials, the latest information on Intel® products and technologies, industry news, and much more.
The ever-evolving environment of retail, particularly consumer electronics, presents the need for those managing multiple stores to have multiple solutions to ensure success. Learn why so many retailers choose the Intel® Retail Edge Program to be part of their success.
This article originally appreared on LinkedIn* Pulse. To see the original article, click here.
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*Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.
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