An Execution Management Guide: How Retail Execution Management Solutions Solve The "Last Mile" Problem

Most retailers know that they must create a consistently positive customer experience in their stores by providing the right products and services, the first time and every time, across all stores simultaneously. This is a major challenge for Tier 1 retailers, as well as mid-sized and growing retail companies who need to manage an ever expanding base of store managers and associates. Many retailers are plagued by the "last mile" problem. Although "the last mile" is a term often associated with networking connectivity, the phrase is also used in business to describe the process of getting a deliverable to the final customer. In retailing, the "last mile" problem refers to the inability to successfully execute corporate strategies consistently in all stores.

Too often – and to the detriment of the retailer stakeholders – there is a conspicuous disparity between what senior managers want to happen in retail stores and what actually happens. The result: important initiatives such as new product launches and promotions are not completed successfully at the store level, resulting in lost sales and diluted brand power.