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Search Results for: Supply chain

How to Centrally Manage Freight Forwarding, Rail Yard & Fleet Operations Effectively

Managing your logistics and transport operations can be quite challenging especially due to the Covid-19 Pandemic which has hiked rail freight traffic in various parts of the globe. Two industry trends are majorly driving this growth i.e., customer demands after hitting shortages, and packed truckload ability. These situations lead organizations to look for alternatives to beat the rising challenges. Adopting advanced fleet management software is one of the most effective measures which logistic managers are opting for, to keep up with the competition.   There are six modes of transportations – road transportation, maritime transportation, air transportation, rail transport, intermodal transport, and pipelines. However, the logistic managers prefer one which stands up to their four requirements – the one who could transport maximum product volume at the maximum speed over the greatest distance at a minimum cost. All the companies pick their models according to these standards.   Current Challenges Faced by Logistics Companies   As of the current scenario, measures to cope with challenges need a new outlook such as adopting an advanced Fleet management software to centrally manage freight forwarding, rail, yard & fleet operations effectively. Current challenges include:   The Recovery Playbook   This pandemic has highlighted the weak spots in supply chains which have led the stakeholders to pay closer attention to supply chain resilience and seek clarity on their recovery plans. To stay adaptable, the supply chain is required to enhance its visibility, provide reliable analysis and adopt active freight procurement options.   All of the above issues need digitalization as early as possible. A good freight forwarding software would do just the thing. This is the perfect time to make investments in digital asset procurement.   Keeping up with Sustainability   Sustainable practices include route optimization and reducing half-full trucks. Companies that practiced sustainability are more likely to keep with the decarbonization movement than those that neglected its importance. Digitizing the supply chain opens up the scope for manufacturers to trace the product to their source, allowing them to grow their business keeping up with the customer demands. A suitable fleet management software can help trace the environment and energy tracking.   Single Source Dependency   As the Covid-19 pandemic hit, manufacturers who completely relied on partners and suppliers in one country, faced delays and correlated costs. For example, many supply chains witnessed failures as China imposed lockdowns throughout the country.   Experts have recommended decentralizing and diversifying supply chains to survive this dynamic environment. A suitable fleet management software that offers ERP for transport and logistics allows the manufacturers to proceed with a sourcing model which is more adaptable than the older one.   Poor Data Quality and Lack of Analysis   This is a major issue in railroads and intermodal carriers. They provide tracking data in different formats with different standardization and consistency levels. There is a lack of analysis and reporting as well, therefore reports like transmit time, future planning and cycle time are either manual or non-existent. To overcome this challenge, opting for a centralized software solution that integrates the essential features of rail depot software and yard terminal software is ideal.      Cold Chain Optimization   Since there is a sudden ramp-up of vaccination production and distribution globally, supply chains controlling temperature have been put to a test. In order to maximize their efficiency. The supply chain managers need the real-time reporting which they can get from a well-developed fleet management software, for better data visibility on cold shipments with the help of technology.    How to Find the Right Technology to Centrally Manage Freight Forwarding, Rail Yard & Fleet Operations Effectively?  Fleet-oriented companies tend to operate on thin margins. Therefore, their profit is heavily dependent on their operational measures. Look for ideal fleet management software providers who hold relevant skills and experience. Trident Information System is a Microsoft Gold Partner who provides all the necessary features a logistic company needs such as:   Real-time GPS Tracking: An ideal Fleet management software provides real-time GPS tracking, which helps in controlling spiral fleet running and maintenance costs and real-time vehicle tracking and reporting.     Manages Driver’s Behavior and Location: it tracks drivers’ behavior, previous routes, and current location. Also, it monitors the driver’s activities and driving patterns.   Trip Scheduling and Route Planning: it will create trips and navigate unique routers followed by certain instructions based on traffic.   Maintains and Tracks Vehicles: generates vehicle maintenance schedules and offers real-time vehicle locations. Monitors previous travel data like routes, speed, idling, and so on.   Tracks Tire Efficiency:  tracks tire efficiency and generates a factsheet presenting tire efficiency and so on.   Temperature Tracking: this is the feature not everyone offers; it helps with cold chain optimization by tracking the temperature needs of the goods you are supplying.    Generates Reports and Analysis: this feature offers reports customized in yards, rail, cargo, and customer levels. Generates a set of reports on real-time rail terminal status and future planning.   Transport and logistics management can be quite tricky especially during this most challenging era ever. All the challenges have one thing in common i.e., their solution – digitalization. Such organizations need a unified solution to cut time, money, and complications. Trident Information system offers ERP for transports and logistics which offers all the essentials Combined with IoT you need to run a transport and logistics business. For further information or a demo, you can contact us.  

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Does Your Food & Beverages Manufacturing Comply with Quality Standard and Safety Regulations?

The established food services are subjugated to maintain safe food handling practices and behavior, otherwise, they can be subjected to food-borne illnesses and outbreaks. The best way to tackle this issue is to adopt a Food Manufacturing ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning). Since the quality standards and food safety regulations are elevating with time, the CEOs need advanced technological assistance to cope with it.   Maintaining food safety in food service businesses can get on your nerves. Related issues can pop up at any stage like storage, food receipts, services, or preparations. A Food ERP Software can be a significant help for you to demonstrate consistency in implementation, enforce and monitor food safety-oriented functions and operations.   What are the Challenges Faced by the Food and Beverages Manufacturing Business?  An outbreak like Covid-19 enforces the evolution of current food safety and quality standards. Therefore, most food and beverages manufacturing businesses are adopting the latest Food Manufacturing ERP. The following challenges have played a significant role in the process:   Covid-19 Pandemic   Due to Covid-19 outbreak, issues leading to supply chain disruptions, hiked food prices, increased ingredients, and workforce restriction in the plant that hampers the production are perceived to continue. You can opt for the latest Food Manufacturing Protection Software as it can be a total game-changer, especially in current scenarios.   Coping with Safety Standards   Unfortunately, food manufacturing is one of those industries which cannot operate from homes – you cannot price and pack meat on Microsoft Outlook. It is the owner’s responsibility to keep their workforce safe and provide them a secure work environment.   Keeping Sustainability at the Front   Having vaccinations finally available to the masses, it seems like the Covid-19 times may come under control. However, the climate crisis is not leaving our side so easily. Since the food sustainability issues have been behind the scenes for obvious reasons, now it is necessary to bring them back to the front as soon as possible. Food manufacturing ERP can be a great help in the process.   Information Circulation  Food service establishments are responsible to declare allergens in their ingredients. Businesses must keep updating their customers about the allergens irrespective of their location; whether they are at home or a restaurant.   Waste Management Practices   It is essential for a food manufacturing business to introduce and implement a suitable waste management system to check on food security risks and facilitate environmental hygiene. A suitable food manufacturing ERP can do wonders in resolving this issue.   How Can Trident Food Manufacturing ERP Help You Combat Food Quality and Safety Challenges?  Trident’s Food Manufacturing ERP is the Best Software for Food and Beverage Industry. You can have all the exact ingredients to beat any quality standards and food safety regulation challenge. You can get our industry rich services delivered at cloud or on-premise and claim an agile business growth with the following benefits:   Optimally Utilize Your Inventory   With First Expire, First Out (FEFO) solution, track your raw material shelf life and expiration, so you could utilize your inventory to the fullest.   Two Way Lot Tracking  track your lot from the grocery store to your factory within seconds. having a transparent supply chain, you can access real-time data on your raw material purchasing and recall identification.   Keep Up with the Quality Standards with IOS and Six Sigma Manage your food quality with IOS and generate methodologies to improve the process with Six Sigma. It is an excellent platform to keep up with the quality standards.   Grants the Ultimate Inventory Control   You can have the ultimate control over your inventory, its batch, and lot. Also, trace them via serial number.   Helps in Better Decision Making  With real-time inventory data and current food quality standards compliance, you can make better decisions and adopt advanced strategies.   Our Final Words   Balancing operating a Food services establishment and complying with food quality and safety regulations can be quite exhausting. You need a food and beverages software system to keep up with the current market scenario. Trident serves excellent Food Manufacturing ERP across the globe. For one of the finest ERP solutions contact us now. 

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7 Mistakes Retailers Make While Choosing Retail Management Software

One of the most unmined tasks in the retail industry is picking a suitable retail management software for the business. An organization has various financial and non-financial aspects and needs. Therefore, it becomes even more essential to carefully pull the right ERP Software for Retail Industry. It is shocking how retailers do not realize how badly this one poor decision will impact their business for the next five to six years.     Carelessness, in the beginning of a project, can lead to some unwanted results. Therefore, they are suggested to adopt the latest retail management to evolve their business operations. This blog will elaborate on the top 7 mistakes retailers make while choosing a retail management solution followed by the appropriate solutions.  Top 7 Mistakes Retailers Make While Choosing a Retail Management Software   #1 Considering All the Retail Management Software Same   This is the most common mistake that retailers make while purchasing a retail management software, they make a preconception that just because the product is developed by one of the leading brands, it is bound to have all the needed features inbuilt. It is a must to carry out thorough research to pick the most suitable ERP Software for Retail Industry.    #2 Controlling Vendors Tightly to Get Solutions for Cheap   While choosing an Retail management ERP, might put vendors against one another, and also, vendors against the buyers. There is an orthodox belief that hiding the treasured business information will help the decision-maker reduce costs and minimize project risks. However, the reality is entirely different as it can lead to unwanted outcomes and financial losses.   #3 Not Having Enough Time to Participate in the Selection Process   An experienced retail management service provider would be your operational and strategic member for their time to gather information on your business requirements to customize the appropriate solution and pricing. However, not cooperating enough can seriously impact your overall business outcome.   #4 Falling into the Demo Trap   Over the past two decades, the organizations have developed the idea of choosing a software solution like Best retail management software based on the demo that has been presented to them. However, completely relying on the self-serving and orchestrated demonstrations traps them into the demo scam and becomes a heavily expensive mistake.    #5 Relying on Insufficient References   Once the decision-makers are satisfied with the solution, they must get in touch with at least three industry references and ask for their experience with the same. Failing to do so can impact your business outcome for the next five to six years.   #6 Considering the cheapest option as the Best One   Whether it is an ERP System for Online Retailer or an offline one, you still need to pick the most suitable option based on process automation, capacity, critical organizational productivity, effectiveness, and success. It is important to calculate prices in terms of received value followed by the solution provider’s experience, knowledge, resources, and professionalism. Cheaper options sure look appealing however, they can cost you a fortune in the longer run.   #7 Relying on Your IT Department to Execute the Selection Process    This is one of the most common mistakes while picking an ERP Software for Retail Industry i.e., relying entirely on your IT sector to execute the selection process alone. Though this business solution processes on computers, you should not leave everything up to the IT sector alone as it is not just about technology. IT can only identify your business requirements according to their limited knowledge about the organizational business operations.    How To Avoid Mistakes and Pick the Appropriate Solution Effectively?  Identify Your Business Needs  Start from within the organization, identify your goals, strategies, requirements, imperatives, and so on. List down the challenges that are being a hurdle between you and your objectives. You need to have your business insights or else it can become a very expensive mistake.   Provide Your Vendor with All the Requirements   It is important to stay open and share necessary information with your vendor to avoid unnecessary risks. The ERP Software for Retail Industry solution providers customize solutions as per your business requirements therefore, hiding essential information to cut costs can become malware in the long run.   Avoid Unnecessary Project Risks and Be Clear   Notice your buying process to exhibit availability and transparency. Do not adopt a dynamic that would rather cause confusion than collaboration. Be clear while defining the organizational benefits you are looking for from the project with the service provider.  Also ask your service provider about the business benefit, project upgrades, and cost deductions methods that your business might have missed.   Take Enough Industrial References   It is a great measure to identify if the project is worth paying or not. Take at least three industrial references. Identify what issues they had to face with the vendor, their reasons and how that is relevant to you. Compare your needs with them and identify the risk of joining with the project.   Choosing a Unified Software Solution   It is advisable to pick a retail management service that offers a unified commerce solution.  One such provider is Trident Information System, a Microsoft Dynamics premium partner, which offers a unified software solution within the same platform. Therefore, you can bid farewell to multiple software integration complications and embrace store operations, Point of Sale (POS), inventory, supply chain management, eCommerce, and customer loyalty programs under the same platform. And the best part is, you do not need an upgrade ever again! LS Retail is automatically on its latest version.   LS Retail is the leading ERP Software for retail industry covering business needs all across the globe. If you are looking for the best retail management software India, you can contact trident.  We offer a unified commerce solution to cover all your business needs within the same platform and power thousands of stores throughout the world.  

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6 Ways to Revolutionize the Restaurant Experience with LS Central

 If you are thinking of switching to LS Central, we will mention how it can revolutionize the restaurant experience. LS Central as Best Restaurant Management Software is a unified software solution for cafes, restaurants, and other food service businesses with a bigger perspective in real-time. LS Central is an extension to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, letting you process POS, financials, supply chain management, operations, online channels, inventory, and customer loyalty within the same platform. However, many businesses tend to rely on using multiple software but they can end up causing complexities instead, such as:   Issues with integration and implementation.   Large restaurants have many vendors making management tough.   Establishing coordination with the software service providers.   Getting support and services of the software.   As the restaurant business expands or acquires new buildings the service provider might not upgrade its services for scaling.   Difficulty with providing on-premise and cloud solutions together.     You can replace all the multiple software solutions you are using now with one software. Get ready for more effective business operations and minimum waste. Get a spot-on view of your business and make sensible decisions with LS Central.   LS Central as a Revolutionary Measure   LS Central can-do tremendous benefits to your business, with a centralized solution like this one, you can manage the kitchen centrally, handle tables and optimize mobile POS. LS Central integrates your headquarters and restaurant operations with ERP.   Better Table Management   Use LS Central’s intuitive visuals and graphics display on every dining table depicted with different colors table availability, making guest management and tables a straightforward and error-free process. It can depict the number of guests registered for each table and the staff they are currently serving. It ends up saving time and enhances the overall dining experience.  Transfer orders or parts of orders throughout different tables or different sections of the restaurant quickly and easily. For instance, you can easily allow the dining table to be ordered from both dining sections or bars, easily with no risk of errors. The orders can easily be transferred between multiple restaurants.   Loyalty Programs   You can uniquely connect with your customers, identify them and understand their likings and preferences. This way it will be easier for you to create personalized services and products based on their earlier preferences. Your business sales swear by it. Additionally, the product’s upselling and cross-selling. Let your customers earn points on purchases throughout your channels. This will allow them to use these points as a part of their transactions or access special deals designed for them. You can launch special meal deals or hold happy hours accordingly.   Data Visibility   With LS Central you can manage prices, ingredients, menus, the campaign offers, and manage all the data up-to-date on touch points such as websites and apps. Get real-time data on your operations, stock, guests at hand and optimize it on your analytics and insight. Create data-driven strategies to minimize waste and cut costs wherever possible, increase profit as well as customer loyalty.   Centralized Control   You can oversee and manage your locations from the headquarters, control prices, recipes, menus, and campaigns. also, trace staff performance and communicate with your employees. Analyze current costs and revenues and identify trends and potent opportunities. Access detailed reports and data in real-time and make more logical decisions. Configure your system to each region’s fiscal and region requirements.   Minimum Waste   Use real-time data to minimize waste and inefficiencies, with LS Central you can price your dishes accurately and extract maximum profit. Smartly order the accurate quantities and distribute them. You can ensure your customers received exactly what they ordered. Speedup table turns and upsells growth. Optimize floor space with table bookings. You can also plan your meals and rationalize your ingredient ordering. Minimize manual work and scope of errors with automation. One of the best benefits of LS Central is using single software throughout the business.   Repeated Business   LS Central allows exceptional customer service and repeated business. You can make contactless payments and orders with a mobile POS or self-ordering device on the table. Your guest can customize their orders like adding or removing something according to their preferences. There will be an accurate display of allergens and ingredient data at the POS and self-ordering devices. Also, you can align menus and pricing to real demand. Your customers can order food either online or on their preferred services. Lastly, you can generate loyalty programs for you and your customers.   Conclusion   LS Central is being used as a revolutionary measure for a business. Trident Information Systems, Gold partners of LS Retail have been serving many successful businesses so far. Being armed with 150+ technical resources, they have won multiple awards. For further queries or a demo contact us.  

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Why Hospitality Industry Needs a Future Ready Technology

This Pandemic has brought a massive shift in the Hospitality industry. The tough working parameters have made it quite difficult for restaurants to sustain their services. The juggle between survival and keeping up with government regulations demand a future-ready Restaurant Management Software to be a must-have for all the restaurants.   Such software embraces sophisticated technology which are pushing their limits to evolve into their best vision. One such software includes LS Central for Restaurants; it broadens up to ERP for Restaurant management, and facilities complete business management in the same platform. It is an excellent Restaurant management software, especially when today’s scenarios have shaken the industry from within.   Current Challenges Faced by Restaurants Covid-19 pandemic has constrained this industry to operate differently and adopt suitable solutions in order to survive. Certainly, there are a few things that no one saw coming: Meeting the Break-Even Point: your break-even point can be defined as the sales covering your operating costs. Like all the businesses, where the CEOs wish for huge profits, restaurants are struggling to meet their break-even point. Keeping up with the sanitation and health regulations: covid 19 pandemic has made customers and staff even more aware of their sanitation and health Off-Premise Dining: the enforced lockdown has labored the dine-in restaurants to swear by delivery sales and take always to meet the necessary returns. Good Restaurant management software can be a huge help. A recent techno mic conducted study has revealed, over 80% of restaurants were prevented from shutting down because of take always and food deliveries. This is believed to be the forthcoming scenario for the next few years. Limited offers and innovative menus: to last throughout the forthcoming years, there is an incredible need to adopt more creativity. Offering certain menus, new offers, and out-of-the-world experiences can draw a great deal of draw diners, especially those cutting on their dining out budget. Advance online ordering system: Restaurants are subjected to strict sanitary guidelines and lockdowns and are expected to remain the same way for quite a while. There is a growing need for contactless home deliveries and online food orders. Overcoming the slow pace in 2021 will have restaurants to have examined all business prospects and aspects again. Restaurants need suitable Restaurant Management Software such as LS Retail for food services to cope with the upcoming challenges. How Can LS Central For Restaurants Help You Combat The Challenges In Hospitality?  There are many technological and non-technological challenges in the hospitality industry, such as the need of using multiple restaurant management software to get different features, back office and front office integration issues, lack of real time data tracking, difficulty in retaining customers and so on. LS Central for Restaurant can help you get rid of them. It is an all-in-one Restaurant Management Software that generates a real-time data report and exhibits the bigger picture of cafes, restaurants, and other food services, integrating activities from the back office to the final customer serving, therefore, leading to excellent coordination. Additionally, you can get the following benefits:   Gives The Ultimate Control Over Your Restaurant Since you can monitor each business activity and access real-time data within the same environment, You can eliminate the excessive expenses on multiple software. It carries out the following tasks: This Restaurant Management Software supervises and administers your franchise and location from the headquarters. Controls recipes, prices, offers, menus, and campaigns centrally. Navigate the performances of your staff and carry out effective communication. Computes real-time costs and revenues, and picks up the latest trends and opportunities. Check up on the real-time reports. Uses Artificial Intelligence to read and predict your customer’s or prospects’ behavior. Scales up your business and helps it grow. Centrally Manage Your Restaurant   Since you can monitor each business activity and access real-time data within the same environment, you can eliminate the excessive expenses on multiple software. It carries out the following tasks:    This Restaurant Management Software supervises and administers your franchise and location from the headquarters.   Navigate the performances of your staff and carry out effective communication.   Computes real-time costs and revenues, and picks up the latest trends and opportunities.  Check up on the real-time reports.   Uses Artificial Intelligence to read and predict your customer’s or prospects’ behavior.   Scales up your business and helps it grow.   Cut Costs and Boost Revenue   With proper assist management measures, you can minimize waste and use your resources optimally with this Restaurant Management Software. LS Central does the following jobs for you:      Accurately price your menu and ensure good returns.  Orders and distributes the appropriate quantity of ingredients. .   Plan out your meals and streamline your ingredient orders.   Automates everything and eliminates mistakes.   Allow Customers to Serve Themselves   Get ready to deliver excellent customer services and draw a broad set of customers repeatedly. This is how it helps your business get a customer boost:      Uses mobile POS on the table and takes contactless orders and payments.   Gives your customers a free hand to customize their meal by removing or adding ingredients of their choice.   Exhibits the exact ingredients and information on allergens at the POS on online platforms and also on self-ordering devices.   Adjusts the price and the menu as per the demand.   This Restaurant Management Software allows your customers to order food online or as per their preferred services.    Loyalty Programs     A loyalty program is a great measure to retain your current customers and also to increase the customer base. A customer loyalty program includes the following:      Prepares a personalized promotion and each guest can get an attractive meal deal  Smartly generates loyalty programs to benefit you and your guests in the shape of returns.   Creates happy hours strategy to attract maximum customers.   Launches various deals and offers according to customer preferences and spending behavior data.    Our Final Words LS Central is one of the best Restaurant Management Software which integrates services like Point Of Sale, Supply Chain Management, Operations, Online Channels, Inventory, and customer loyalty within the same environment. Trident is one of the most renowned LS Central Information Partner. For the best support, feel free to contact us. We will be more than happy to serve.

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Does Your Food & Beverages Manufacturing Business Comply With Quality Standard & Food Safety Regulations

The established food services are subjugated to maintain safe food handling practices and behavior, otherwise, they can be subjected to food-borne illnesses and outbreaks. The best way to tackle this issue is to adopt a Food Manufacturing ERP. Since the quality standards and food safety regulations are elevating with time, the CEOs need advanced technological assistance to cope with it. Maintaining food safety in food service businesses can get on your nerves. Related issues can pop up at any stage like storage, food receipts, services, or preparations. A Food ERP Software can be a great help for you to demonstrate consistency in implementation, enforce and monitor food safety-oriented functions and operations. What Are The Challenges Faced By The Food And Beverages Manufacturing Business? An outbreak like Covid 19 enforces the evolution of current food safety and quality standards. Therefore, most food and beverages manufacturing businesses are adopting the latest Food Manufacturing ERP. The following challenges have played a great role in the process: Covid 19 Pandemic Due to Covid 19 outbreak, issues leading to supply chain disruptions, hiked food prices, increased ingredients, and workforce restriction in the plant that hampers the production are perceived to continue. You can opt for the latest Food Manufacturing Protection Software as it can be a total game-changer, especially in current scenarios. Coping With Safety Standards Unfortunately, food manufacturing is one of those industries which can not operate from homes – you can not price and pack meat on Microsoft Outlook. It is the owner’s responsibility to keep their workforce safe and provide them a secure work environment. Keeping Sustainability At The Front Having vaccinations finally available to the masses, it seems like the Covid-19 times may come under control. However, the climate crisis is not leaving our side so easily. Since the food sustainability issues have been behind the scenes for obvious reasons, now it is necessary to bring them back to the front as soon as possible. Food manufacturing ERP can be a great help in the process. Information Circulation Food service establishments are responsible to declare allergens in their ingredients. Businesses must keep updating their customers about the allergens irrespective of their location; whether they are at home or a restaurant. Waste Management Practices It is essential for a food manufacturing business to introduce and implement a suitable waste management system to check on food security risks and facilitate environmental hygiene. A suitable food manufacturing ERP can do wonders in resolving this issue. How Can Trident Food Manufacturing ERP Help You Combat Food Quality And Safety Challenges? Trident’s Food Manufacturing ERP is the Best Software For Food And Beverage Industry. You can have all the exact ingredients to beat any quality standards and food safety regulation challenge. You can get our industry rich services delivered at cloud or on-premise and claim an agile business growth with the following benefits: Optimally Utilize Your Inventory With First Expire, First Out (FEFO) solution, track your raw material shelf life and expiration, so you could utilize your inventory to the fullest. Two Way Lot Tracking track your lot from the grocery store to your factory within seconds. having a transparent supply chain, you can access real-time data on your raw material purchasing and recall identification. Keep Up With The Quality Standards With IOS And Six Sigma: Manage your food quality with IOS and generate methodologies to improve the process with Six Sigma. It is an excellent platform to keep up with the quality standards. Grants The Ultimate Inventory Control You can have the ultimate control over your inventory, its batch, and lot. Also, trace them via serial number. Helps In Better Decision Making With real-time inventory data and current food quality standards compliance, you can make better decisions and adopt advanced strategies. Our Final Words Balancing operating a Food services establishment and complying with food quality and safety regulations can be quite exhausting. You need a food and beverages software system to keep up with the current market scenario. Trident serves excellent Food Manufacturing ERP all across the globe. For one of t

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Why physical stores are still vital for retail

During the Covid-19 pandemic, online became a fundamental channel for retailers. Even as overall retail spend decreased, eCommerce sales grew over the previous year. The impressive results may overshadow that eCommerce still represents just a small percentage of total retail sales: in the U.S., the number is as low as 14.5%, according to eMarketer data. This means that over 85% of retail still happens in physical stores, which makes a synergy between online and offline key to retail success in the near future. Here are eight reasons why you should still invest in your brick-and-mortar store locations. 1. People are more likely to buy a product when they’ve seen it in person. According to KPMG research, the top reason why consumers prefer to shop in physical stores is to see, experience and test products in person before buying them. Having a physical location where people can go and make sure that, yes, this paint is exactly the color I want, can dispel consumer doubts and help close a sale. Seeing things in person can, also, reduce the risk that a product will be returned because it’s not the right size/color/material. 2. Customers who pick up items in store buy extra stuff. Click and collect (also known as BOPIS, buying online and picking up in store) and curbside pickup are extremely popular both with customers and retailers. Compared to home delivery, pickup can be more convenient for customers, as it enables them to get their purchases when they want, without having to wait for a courier at home. For retailers, in-store pickup offers plenty of benefits: it’s cheaper than delivery, it brings shoppers through the doors, and it can lead to bigger baskets. According to Forrester research, 30% to 40% of consumers using click and collect buy additional items when they get into the store. 3. Physical stores can reduce the cost of returns. Items bought in physical stores are less likely to be returned than products bought online. According to David Sobie, co-founder and CEO of Happy Returns, “shoppers return 5-10% of what they purchase in store but 15-40% of what they buy online.” Letting shoppers exchange or return in-store the items the bought online can also help reduce the cost of returns by removing shipping and transportation fees for the retailers. Consumers like it, too: according to NRF data, 80% of shoppers say they prefer to return products to a store than send it back. 4. High-quality, one-on-one customer service increases sales. Despite the popularity of online shopping, the human touch is still an important part of the retail experience. According to research for RetailEXPO, almost two out of three (64%) of shoppers say that knowledgeable sales associates make them more likely to visit a physical store, and three out of four (75%) of shoppers are likely to spend more after receiving high quality service from staff in-store.  5. The brand experience is still inherently physical. Retail is a highly competitive industry. While it can be hard to stand out online, a physical store gives you the chance to create an engaging brand experience. Showrooms and concept stores, for example, can enable retailers to immerse customers in their brand culture, creating lasting impressions. Designing an experience that has the right balance of safety, excitement and convenience is key – and can help differentiate your brand from the competition. 6. You can use stores as part of your supply chain. In omni-channel retail, logistic costs can spiral out of control, and erode margins significantly. Some retailers are realizing savings by using some or all of their physical stores as warehouses and fulfillment centers, to support and strengthen their supply chain. Transforming a store location in a so-called “dark store” can help reduce costs of inventory management and expand the reach across larger geographies by enabling faster, more effective distribution. 7. You get free market research on your customers’ preferences and habits. Fashion retailer ModCloth opened its first brick-and-mortar store after 13 years of selling online only. “We discovered small things, the details our customers love,” Matt Kaness, president and CEO at ModCloth, told USA Today. “They loved linings in dresses and skirts, and they loved pockets.” Although data collected from the online store can helps see trends, retailers can learn much about their customers just by watching them shop, interacting with the space and products. “From a market research standpoint, [a store] pays for itself. The amount of market research you gain just by observing people, it’s the equivalent of 100 focus groups,” said Sucharita Mulpuru, senior analyst with Forrester Research. 8. Physical stores bring greater traffic to your online store. Research from the International Council of Shopping Centers shows that when a retailer opens a new physical store location, traffic to their website increases by 37% the following quarter. According to L2’s report “Death of Pureplay Retail,” when retailers open new brick-and-mortar locations, the number of online mentions of the brand and online searches increase dramatically. This online buzz is accompanied by increased financial returns, L2 adds, making physical stores a good investment both in terms of popularity and profitability.   According to a survey from Harvard Business Review, shoppers who buy both online and in physical stores tend to spend more on average compared to those who interact with a business on only one channel. For retailers, this means that physical retail still has a central role to play in their business strategy. If you need help figuring out what tools you need to deliver fantastic omni-channel customer experiences, contact us. Our unified commerce solutions are world-renowned for connecting online with offline, and retailers with consumers. Note:  Blog reference : LS Retail Official Website

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Case Study: Africa Lifestyle Choose LS Retail Software and Trident as Implementation Partner

Africa Lifestyle Limited operates retail stores in malls and airports across Ghana, Nigeria, and several other African countries. The company carries products from popular international fashion brands such as Levi’s Jeans, as well as a wide variety of cosmetic lines including Bobbi Brown, Estee Laude’s M.A.C., and L’Oreal’s Maybelline. Africa Lifestyle Limited is dedicated to establishing a world class retail platform to deliver quality apparel, accessory, and beauty brands to customers across West Africa.  The business case  Before switching to LS Retail software, Africa Lifestyle Limited faced numerous challenges. The company was using a software solution that wasn’t suited for their scale and couldn’t keep up with the ever-changing demands of the fashion industry. The fashion business demands the ability to launch new collections and product ranges in short amounts of time. With their previous system, this became complicated at every step of the process: in product development, planning, production, supply chain and fulfillment. Africa Lifestyle Limited says limitations of the system included:  The solution  Africa Lifestyle Limited evaluated multiple solutions, but none of them encompassed of all their desired features like LS Retail software. Africa Lifestyle Limited manages its financials at their office in the UAE, while operations are managed from India and Africa, and consolidation happens at their offices in Africa. The company was drawn to LS Retail for both the system functionality in the fashion industry and the ability to manage its business remotely, from offices in different time zones, with everyone in the business working on up-to-date business information.   Trident Information Systems, an LS Retail partner with consolidated experience in LS Retail software solutions, worked with Africa Lifestyle Limited on the implementation. They communicated across the company’s three different time zones and effectively coordinated with all the locations’ teams for a successful deployment. The teamwork meant the system was up and running within 3.5 months.  The company decided to run the system in the cloud, as that would better support their international structure. They opted to host the solution on Microsoft Azure, a setup that has been serving them well.   Benefits  After moving to LS Retail software, day-to-day operations in Africa Lifestyle Limited are much easier.   Satisfied with their new system and mindful of the future of their industry, Africa Lifestyle Limited is currently reviewing additional technology such as AI-powered recommendations, as well as new ways to deliver better experiences online and across the channels with virtual product catalogues and click and collect.

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