Whitepapers

Retailers are under pressure to meet customer demands for choice and convenience. This is while they try to increase sales margins and control expenses and cash flow. One of the most important assets that affects all these levers is a retailer’s inventory. This paper explores how retailers can transform inventory management to increase sales revenue.

The unexpected presence of sewing needles in pears and strawberries sold across Australia, a few months ago, raised serious concerns. Though criminal investigations confirmed it was a malicious act, for the farmers and retailers involved it raised questions about tracking the food products they supply or sell. This paper explores the topic of traceability and how your business can achieve seamless visibility across supply chains.

The 2019 Australian Retail State of Technology Review was commissioned to examine and benchmark technology adoption among Australian retailers. Over 75 per cent of the 172 Australian retailers surveyed, believed that technological changes are causing a major disruption in the industry. Although both large and small retailers leverage technology, there is clearly an opportunity for stronger results – especially when solutions are used to connect siloed areas of the business.

One of the most important roles for chief executives is treading a line between actively pursuing growth and managing risks. And right now, there are plenty of risks. For instance, if you’re a CEO in Australia, you may need to deal with issues as diverse as falling commodity prices, an unpredictable currency and ever-changing industry regulations.

CEOs are responsible for the difficult choices – and often these choices are thrust upon them by issues that affect the business world at large. Many of these issues will be familiar to readers of this report. Though generally robust and stable, the Australian economy appears to be progressing through a period of uncertainty, buffeted by rising international competition (particularly from China), the end of the mining boom and reduced demand for key commodities such as coal and iron ore.

Last year ended not with a bang but with a whimper. Weak international trade and subdued investments affected global growth, bringing it to its slowest pace since 2009. The outlook for 2017 seems slightly brighter, but a number of unknowns loom on the horizon. From unpredictable political leaders to unclear economic policies and unresolved geopolitical agendas, the year ahead is fraught with uncertainty for decision-makers who rely on facts, patterns and trends to assess risks and shape strategies.