LP, IT, HR Convergence

It's June, and that means it's a big month for retail LP (loss prevention) professionals. In our monthly coverage of LP issues and initiatives, it's becoming consistently clear that the slight gaps separating IT, HR (human resources), and LP are getting even narrower. The fact that technology drives LP and HR initiatives like remote monitoring, exception reporting, and background screening makes this convergence and how to deal with it of central importance to our readers. Our readers are the retail professionals charged with making retail technology buying decisions. If your LP department has not come to you yet for assistance with an integration project or help with a network-centric security installation, you can safely assume it will happen soon.

For some advice on how LP, IT, and HR can work together, check out our feature story on page 20, where we dig deep into the dynamic among these departments at Lane Bryant, as told by the retailer's director of LP, Al Martinez. We're also covering the topic in this month's Retail Trends Update on page 34, where Vector Security's Clay Masur, Diebold's Hedgie Bartol, and LP Networks' Kip Stewart discuss the ins and outs of deploying an enterprise-wide, network-enabled, centrally located LP/security system.

We'll once again be exhibiting at the NRF Loss Prevention Conference, which runs June 26-29 in San Diego. I'm sure we'll see as many LP-savvy IT folks as we do IT-savvy LP people.

LP Cares Golf Outing To Benefit Make-A-Wish
While we're there for the show, we'll find out just how good LP executives are at preventing the loss of their golf balls. We're proud to partner with HR, retail LP, audit, and safety consultants Downing & Downing Associates as a media sponsor of their 21st Annual LP Cares Charity Golf Outing. The outing has become a tradition at the show, with each year's proceeds benefiting the local community where the event is being held. This year's golf outing will benefit San Diego's Make-A-Wish Foundation. The event will kick off the LP Conference on June 26 at San Diego's Maderas Country Club.

The man behind the LP Cares mission, Downing & Downing CEO Gus Downing, has a goal of raising $100,000 this year, making it the biggest event yet. The sponsor list already reads like a who's who in the LP industry, but there's always room for help. We encourage our readers and partners to get involved and contribute to this worthy cause. Go to www.downing-downing.com for more information. We hope to see you at the show and on the links.