Measuring Microsoft Dynamics for Retail against industry tipping points

The retail supply chain is at a crossroads and is playing an increasingly critical role in either pushing organizations to the top of their games - or completely burying them. In With retail at a crossroads, supply chain value is key, Jennifer Overstreet of the National Retail Federation reported on the association's recent Global Supply Chain Summit, where Jim Tompkins, CEO of Tompkins International, outlined these seven key tipping points facing retailers over the next 18 months: 

1. Amazon. They can't be ignored, so you need to understand why they're winning.
2. Online success. Your website is your front door, regardless of whether you make any money there.
3. Technology. To do a buy/fulfill/return-anywhere model, you need the right tools.
4. Social commerce. People don't need to be together to shop together.
5. Youth culture. Digital natives see shopping quite differently.
6. Bad in-store experience. Service in the store needs to wow customers.
7. Store relevance. Why should someone come to your store?

Tompkins sees supply chain and business strategy alignment as a key tool that retailers can use to distinguish themselves in the competitive retail environment and work through challenges they've essentially ignored over the last few years due to economic conditions. When properly aligned, these two elements positively impact both customer experience and convenience - two competitive elements that retailers need in their back pockets.

Retailers using Microsoft Dynamics could be well positioned to leverage Tompkins' advice. At the same NRF conference, the vendor revealed a vision for a "complete shopping experience" focusing on a ...