Rollin’ Oats' Asher to Discuss Computer-assisted Ordering: Free PG Webcast
Information vs. Instinct: The Benefits of Computer-Assisted Ordering
Date: Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Time: 2:00 p.m. ET/1:00 p.m. CT/11: 00 am PT
Duration: 60 minutes (including Q&A)
Hosted by Progressive Grocer, sponsored by ECRS
In the past, many grocers were wary of computer-assisted ordering systems, and instead relied on gut instinct and experience to decide what products to order and when to order them. Still, ordering was a manual process that ate up management’s time, as they manually checked inventory against sales, walked the aisles looking for “holes,” placed orders by phone or via multiple, antiquated hand held devices, and negotiated with suppliers without the benefit of accurate, real–time sales data.
Today’s computer-assisted ordering systems are winning over these retailers as their science-based orders – many of which might have been counterintuitive to “gut” decisions – are boosting sales, enhancing inventory control and freeing up managers to spend more time with customers.
This free webcast, featuring Mike Asher, COO of Rollin’ Oats Market & Café, will speak about the benefits his operation has experienced from using a computer-based ordering system for 95 percent of its inventory, including increased sales and profits. What’s more, Rollin’ Oats decreased the amount of time staff spent generating and transmitting orders from 40 hours per week to 10-12 hours per week – which means they spend a lot more time on the sales floor.
The webcast will also reveal findings from Progressive Grocer’s research on computer-assisted ordering, including a snapshot of retailers using these systems today, and the benefits these systems deliver.