Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
We may also find another solution to shoplifting so as to not mess up our ordering
system but what about in-store thieves? Specifically what I am referring to is the bag of
chips, which accidentally winds up as
damaged
in order to satisfy the salt cravings of the
stock clerks. One rule of thumb is that a product found on the wrong shelf is fair game for
starving grocery store workers. Maybe you've heard of it. This shouldn't happen to a
bottle of relish. Once again someone is going to have to run the bag of chips through the
backroom scanner. In this way appetites will be satiated and we don't have to worry about
messing up the count. I am sure there are other scenarios that need consideration but there
are probably ways to solve them as well.
Thus all the stock in the store can be ordered through the computer although it
will still take manual intervention to fill the order at the warehouse, deliver it, unload it at
the supermarket and put it on the shelf. Certain tasks will be eliminated but some will
remain. In addition the system of keeping track of the stock can be used in a myriad of
other ways. We can track how many cases of relish sell in a day, week, month, or during a
specific season. When I worked in a supermarket I ordered stock for the glass aisle, which
held soups, pickles and relishes. Now you know why I talked about dill pickle relish. At
that time, we had averages for each product indicating how much would sell in a week so
that we could order accordingly. So if the shelf held 3 cases of a particular item but 4
cases would be sold on an average week, we would order the latter amount for the week.
With our system there is no need to do that, as the system will order as needed. I
recall my ordering days when the grocery manager used to order and we wound up with
plenty of overstock in the back room. Apparently he used to dream of scenarios where the
consumer would buy more than the average for some item. Obviously that didn't happen
and hence the surplus. I myself did my best to keep the overstock in the back room to a
minimum even if the weekend found some items wanting. You could always order more
next week.
Getting back to our automated system, note that we won't have overstock and that
means that we won't need all that space in the back room. When a load comes in from the
warehouse, we can unload it off the truck and take it directly to the aisles for stocking.
This assumes that we have the manpower to do it but that is only a simple scheduling of
help problem. Our system is turning out to be quite beneficial in making profits.
Another good thing about our system is all the information available. Getting back
to our relish, suppose we notice that it sells two cases a week and the pickled watermelon
rind next to it sells half that amount. At the same time the space for the rind holds more
bottles that the dill relish. What the information can allow us to do is to change the
allotment on the shelf for the two products, giving more space to the relish since it sells
more each week. This will mean that we will be less likely to run out relish on the shelf
since we can store more. This will also make the manager happier.
Obviously the computer can eliminate work and that means those laboring in the
store won't have to do certain things. These tasks could even be assignments that people
take pleasure and pride in. At the same time the information available will not only keep
stock clerks working, it will also allow them to be more productive and creative. They
may have less of a physical challenge, but they will be required to perform in a cerebral
way. When they get that bonus at the end of the year, they can say that they earned it.
