Retail Audits: Wren Issues New Advisory to Help Retailers Make Store Audits More Effective in 2011

News provided by

Jan 11, 2011, 08:00 ET

ATLANTA, Jan. 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- With the start of a new year, retailers are emerging from the 2010 holiday season and preparing for another calendar year filled with new expectations, challenges and revenue goals. To help them with the process of monitoring and measuring their operational improvements in the year ahead, retail experts at Wren have issued a new advisory to help managers leverage audits to achieve their customer service and operations goals in 2011.

"Whether managing a handful of retail locations or a global brand, retail loss prevention and operations management can use audits to gain insights into business, marketing and security processes and ultimately identify areas that require improvement in the months ahead," said Eric C. White (CHS-V, FABCHS), who leads the retail strategy practice for Wren. "Unfortunately, complicated or poorly designed audits can negatively impact their effectiveness, rendering a massive effort a failure if not designed or implemented well."

As the company's advisory details, Wren recommends retailers take a second look at not only what they audit, but how they audit, to become more successful at the practice. The key tips detailed in the article include simplifying audit questionnaires; strategically designing coordination between smaller, more frequent audits with more comprehensive, long-term audits; asking for the right information; and following up.

"With these tips in mind, retailers can ensure their audits deliver meaningful information and serve as a catalyst for action. From prioritizing risks that should be mitigated by loss prevention to identifying operational issues that need to be addressed, the effective use and follow-up of audits can position retailers to maximize their efficiency and dedicate more resources to the real priority: serving customers," says White.

To read this latest series in Wren's Bird's Eye View advisories, click here. Additional retail industry discussion and resources are also available on the Wren LPXtra blog.

About Wren

Wren specializes in physical security technologies and services for retail, education, healthcare and government facilities. The company's solutions, including enterprise-class video management software, access control systems, security assessments, surveillance cameras and hardware, and professional services, enable organizations to protect people, assets and facilities, while empowering them with operational insights for better performance. Established in 1983 and headquartered in Jefferson City, MO, Wren is a member of the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO), the National Association of School Safety and Law Enforcement Officers (NASSLEO), and the National Retail Federation (NRF). Visit us at our website www.wrensolutions.com.

Wren®, the Wren logo and The Power to See Your Business are trademarks of Wren. The trademarks that are followed by ® are registered trademarks in the U.S. All other trademarks and/or registered trademarks mentioned herein are properties of their respective owners and are for reference purposes only. The use of such third party trademarks does not indicate any affiliation with or sponsorship of or by Wren.