Petland's Innovative Approach To POS

By Matt Pillar, chief editor

January 2017 Innovative Retail Technologies

An intriguing decision to let its VP of finance lead a POS overhaul ensured the project’s success.

Don’t let Lisa Johnson’s title fool you. Yes, as VP of finance at Petland, Johnson keeps a close eye on the financials of the franchise merchant’s 150+ global stores. Yes, she’s a CPA, an accountant by training and trade. But in a front office that’s lean on staff by design, she’s not your typical head-in-the-weeds numbers cruncher. Her small but very seasoned executive team doesn’t even include a CIO. That’s but one of the reasons Johnson’s title is so deceiving. Much of the company’s high-level IT work makes its way to her desk, and that includes a recent POS overhaul that Johnson hasn’t just overseen, but championed and owned from day one.