Execution: The Missing Link in Retail Operations
研究发现零售商的库存记录不准确和商品错放导致利润下降超10%，并分析了同一连锁店不同门店间的执行差异，提出改善运营执行的措施。
In spite of making substantial investments in information technology planning systems, retailers are struggling with two execution problems— inventory record and stock keeping units (SKUs)—that are hurting their performance and ability to satisfy customers. At one leading retailer, sixty-five percent of their inventory records were inaccurate (i.e., recorded inventory levels did not reflect actual inventory levels). Misplaced SKUs, at another leading retailer, prevented one in six customers who requested help from a sales associate from finding the products that were available in a store. These execution problems reduce profits by more than 10%. Moreover, performance along these two dimensions of execution varies substantially among stores within the same chain that use identical information technology. By examining the systematic differences that exist among stores, this article identifies the drivers of inventory record inaccuracy and misplaced SKUs and recommends steps retailers can take to improve operational execution in their chains.