The Ledger

Retail Profitability is On the Rise

Retail is considered one of the most challenging industries because of the sheer amount of fierce and visible competition in the market, shrinking profits, rising customer expectations, and the need for talent to work 24/7, 365 days a year. Retail is also one of the most profitable industries for the exact same reasons. Unfortunately, retailers are constantly trying to figure out who their most profitable brands and partners are, and who are not. Profitability can be extremely difficult to navigate in the retail space because it is always changing and there are no re-dos. A tunnel-vision approach to profitability causes decisions to be made that are expected to protect profit, but sometimes cause larger, negative downstream effects. So, what can retailers do?

Read More at The Digitalist by SAP >

How Global Volatility and AI Will Impact Your Supply Chain

Managing geopolitical risk has always been a part of procurement and supply management’s job, but as new sources of supply volatility emerge and the threat of tariff escalations increase, managing these risks has become critical. In an environment of overall declining prices in technology industry, driving cost reduction has been the relatively straightforward and the standard measure of procurement success. Volatile markets have shaken the assumption behind slow but consistent cost reductions however, and many electronic manufacturers will need to shift their goal to ensuring continuity of supply and perhaps limiting price increases. With the rise of supply chain analytics and new technologies paving the way for supply chains, it is critical to be prepared for what is to come.

Read More at Industry Week >

Your Finance Technology Can Be a Significant Strategic Partner

“The technology tidal wave is causing disruption, but it also provides opportunities for accountants and finance professionals to develop leadership skills.”

Blockchain and cryptocurrencies as well as artificial intelligence (AI) continue to drive innovation and change throughout the business landscape. While these specific trends can seem abstract, accounting and finance professionals do need to understand what these technologies are. Arguably more important than any specific technical knowledge, however, is the ability to leverage these innovations to become strategic partners.

Read More at CFO Magazine >

Scenarios Are Critical for Successful Enterprise Planning

The business world is far too complex to have a definitive view of what’s going to happen 12 months down the road. In this environment, scenarios can play an important role, but only if they are part of an overall collaborative approach. With a collaborative approach, scenarios become in effect a short story about what might happen. They present a snapshot of a future business environment encompassing the market, competitors, and potential customers. The scenario is the basis for a model that places the organization into this environment with respect to the product and services it could offer, the price target, and volumes likely to be sold. From this, what-if scenarios can be generated by looking at the changes required for the organization to improve the projected figures and how those changes would be funded.

Read More at The Digitalist by SAP >