In Part 1 of this series we addressed how multi-product solutions significantly impede user adoption and engagement, as users are forced to sign into multiple accounts and applications to manage their personal and professional information. In Part 2 of the series, we discussed how a holistic human capital management (HCM) solution provides the flexibility, speed, accuracy, and improved user experience required to drive success in today’s market, particularly as we see human resources and operations converge in discipline and application. This third and final part of the series will address some of the current trends in HCM and what they mean to retail operations and profitability. By John Orr, chief strategy officer, Dayforce

Mobile users search differently than desktop users; so promotions need to be built differently from the ground up.

As of the first quarter of 2012, the national ACSI score continues to steadily improve, gaining ground in four of the last five quarters. Up 0.1% to 75.9 (on a 0 to 100 scale), aggregate national customer satisfaction is now higher than it has been since the third quarter of 2010.

Recent growth at Schuylkill Valley Sports (SVS) has been fueled by the team sports business, which company President Jerry Williams says is outpacing retail sales. To gain a better understanding of the team sales business and the software that drives its success, we talked with Williams and Nick Rhoads, IT Manager at SVS.

Just how do grocery supply chain executives get started when given the mandate to squeeze out costs and develop a sustainable supply chain? I offer a framework and examples of grocery retailers today that are achieving success — both on the bottom line and in the eyes of their customers. By Dwight D. Hill, The Retail Advisory LLC

Even as retailers struggle to improve the in-store customer experience and combat the phenomenon known as “showrooming,” it has also become apparent that the land-based channel isn’t going away any time soon. By Paula Rosenblum, RSR Research

In today’s global economy, getting data quickly and cost-effectively is the name of the game. Most trading partners, suppliers, and service providers are willing to provide sought-after data when needed, but are they using the right avenues to deliver? And then, once we get the data, what do we do with it? It’s an interesting paradigm when a retailer is trying to improve supplier collaboration, yet still using disparate systems to collect it. By Bill Ren, Arigo

How would you pilot an automobile at a proper speed if it did not have a speedometer? You could drive along, stopwatch in hand, timing yourself between telephone poles or city blocks of known distance, then calculate velocity using the formula: distance-overtime. By Peter Charness, Manthan Systems Americas

Ohio Mulch is a landscape supply wholesaler and retailer with 21 locations across Ohio and Kentucky and 5 websites that combine to generate $40M in sales. By Bob Johns, Integrated Solutions For Retailers magazine

Jake Bohm, the central character in the new FOX television show Touch, possesses a supernatural power that enables him to see and understand events before they happen by analyzing seemingly random numeric patterns. By Matt Pillar, Integrated Solutions For Retailers magazine