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When Loss Prevention/Asset Protection looks for a case management or incident management solution, it can multiply the benefits by including users beyond its own department. LP/AP does not work in isolation. It draws information from other departments, and it provides information back. With the right fit for incident and case management, it can provide high quality information to other departments with ease.

Discussions about the possibilities for a centralized, shared case management solution can draw surprisingly strong support, and one LP manager discovered when she began discussions at her company.

“Inventory control, merchandising, store support–it continued to evolve,” she said. “As more people got on board and more people got involved, the interest in it snowballed.”

It turned out that other departments had an unmet need to manage store events more efficiently. A centralized, corporate-level system was seen as a way to simplify record keeping and communication for all.

This revelation led to deeper discussions. Within each department, who was going to use the system? What was the expected benefit? She advised, “You need to make sure the system has the capability to do what you’re proposing.”

Not only must it execute the desired tasks, but it needs to be built in a way that is compatible with company-wide use.

  • Can it be used effectively with a limited amount of training time?
  • Can information access be allowed or restricted by user role?
  • Does it have an API that allows integration into a variety of systems (not just LP)?
  • Can it easily incorporate the terminology of each department or the company as whole?
  • Is it useable out of the box, or is customization required?
  • Is it scalable?
  • Does it offer any-device compatibility?

While Loss Prevention may spearhead the effort, reviewing the solutions and making the purchase decision may become a shared responsibility when the solution is meant to serve multiple departments. This is when change management comes into play. Breaking the selection process down into short term goals can keep the sense of momentum within the selection team.

The results are worth the effort.

Effectively implemented, a cross-functional solution manifests results in many ways. Sales may see an uptick because the sales team is spending more time on the floor. Store environment may improve because Maintenance has easier access to audit findings and has a way to monitor follow-through. Human Resources can have access to more staffing details. Loss Prevention can have a richer database of information for research as well as a better means to communicate findings.

Ultimately, it is all about delivering greater ROI.

Learn more about case and incident management.

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Author

Carrie Cassidy, Director, Marketing, Appriss Retail

A technology advocate for more than 25 years, Carrie makes information about advanced data analytics solutions accessible to retail professionals through a variety of media. She has written numerous white papers, case studies, and articles for a variety of industries ranging from motion control to human resources.

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