You see, we got fed up - really fed up - with the “solutions” software providers pawned off on us while we were in leadership roles at major retailers including The Home Depot, Sears and Pep Boys. Each sales pitch seemed like the last, a fancy presentation with lots of big words and theory, but lacking in substance and practical application.
We vowed to do better, and we have. We put more than 60 years of retail experience to work identifying eight key challenges retailers face today. With the technological expertise of our parent company, Productive Edge, we’ve created a cloud based task, support and communications platform designed to solve those problems. We call it ThinkTime.
The eight problems we sought to fix are as old as retail itself, but ThinkTime offers a modern, advanced solution to each. We did not, however, do rocket science. We kept it simple, knowing that ease-of-use is a key factor in boosting associate engagement and productivity. That’s why retailers worldwide are adopting our platform and experiencing significant results.
So what are the 8 problems and how does ThinkTime solve for them?
Let’s dive in and take a look...
We’ve all heard the story that a McDonald’s hamburger tastes the same in China as it does in Milwaukee. We’re not sure that’s true, but hundreds of franchise and chain stores have based their business model on that goal of consistency. However, often times consistency falls victim to poor communication. When standards are unclear, leaders and associates are free to interpret them. As a result, information gets watered down, and in turn, so does execution.
One other thing to consider here: Consistency doesn’t guarantee excellence. That’s why we spent as much time thinking about how to help you raise the bar on customer experience as we have developing our communications tools. You want consistency, but you also want to evolve as the customer demands it. ThinkTime lets you do both.
We all remember the iconic scene in the movie A Few Good Men. Lieutenant Kaffee, played by Tom Cruise, is interrogating Colonel Jessup, played by Jack Nicholson. Kaffee demands the truth, to which Jessup explosively responds, “You can’t handle the truth!” Unfortunately, that’s exactly how many systems handle real time data, the truth of what’s happening within your organization. They make it as difficult to access as their after-sales service.
(Oh yeah, we also believe in post-sales service too.)
Overloaded workers may fail to perform at their best, which can reduce productivity. At the same time, many retailers need to meet payroll ratios by increasing the workload. We’ve seen the ebb and flow of success at retailers tied to this service model dilemma.
So, how do you know where that line is? How do you know when to move a task from one week into the next because it is just too much for your workforce to handle? ThinkTime lets you:
Though we may not always be conscious of it, communication today has evolved from a pull process to a push process. Time consuming one-on-one briefings have been replaced by instant, but generic, broadcasts of information . The downside is that not all information is relevant to all associates. Too much information can be distracting and counterproductive.
At ThinkTime, we believe that personalization makes a big difference in how you engage your associates. From the moment a user logs into ThinkTime, they see what you want them to see and not what you don’t.
We learned a long time ago that each individual is important and unique, ThinkTime ensures they feel that way.
Every retail industry has certain mission-critical tasks that must be done exactly right, Sometimes, the results of poor performance can be catastrophic.
When three of our leaders worked in the automotive space, there was this awful thing called a “wheel off”: new tires were installed, but for some reason the rims were not properly reattached to the vehicle. The customer drove off and the wheel came off, potentially causing a serious accident. Obviously preventing “wheel offs” was serious business, with checks and balances put in place to ensure every tire installation was flawless.
What are the mission-critical tasks in your industry, and how are you ensuring that a high level of checks and balances exists? ThinkTime:
We fully understand how important these “moments of truth” can be and we’ve designed the platform to facilitate protecting your business from unwanted consequences.
Until recently, retail was connected to a time and place. Now, shopping happens everywhere, with no restrictions on location, device, or business hours. Customers have informa- tion at their fingertips, so must your associates. For retailers to win in today’s fast-paced environment, there can be no delay between question and answer.
We constructed ThinkTime with fully integrated support tools.
When they need assistance, you’ll be able to give it fast.
Many operating tasks & calendars are frequently planned months in advance. There are, however, tasks that occur on a daily basis and need to be performed real-time.
Real-time tasks are often triggered by internal systems such as Inventory Management, Pricing, Point of Sale, eCommerce, KPI Dashboards and many other sources. Events occur daily in these systems that require action, but these events are frequently ignored because associates don't have visibility.
With ThinkTime's 'StoreLink' Integration Services, tasks can be generated based on events occurring in external systems. Imagine a store's inventory count on a fast selling product has been '3' for one week. ThinkTime could receive an event from your Inventory Management system that triggers a task for the store to perform an on hand count. ThinkTime's native mobile application can deliver these tasks real-time for immediate action.
Examples of events that might trigger tasks in ThinkTime include:
ThinkTime allows you to manage all the tasks occurring in your company, including the daily tasks that your associates perform today but might not be performing at an optimal level.
Some would argue that we’re well into the “post-PC” era, where very few people access the Internet though traditional desktop or laptop computers. Mobile devices have come to occupy a vital place in our day-to-day lives, which begs the question: How ready are your internal systems are to handle that change?
ThinkTime was built to be mobile from the very beginning. Every function, screen and flow is designed with a hand-held device in mind.
Any one of the eight problems we identified can cause significant disruption in a retail enterprise. That’s why we created a platform that delivers concrete solutions. ThinkTime’s personal and user-friendly interface enables unparalleled interaction between the home office and individual associates.
We've been in your shoes and we understand every dollar you invest with us needs to be returned many times over. We are confident that the increased productivity and engagement ThinkTime facilitates will do just that.
We invite you to schedule a demo today and see for yourself.