As a panel representing the IT worlds of Sears, Carter’s, and Saks addressed yesterday’s loss prevention attendees, one message came through in almost each topic: We are partners.
While acknowledging that – like every department – LP has to compete for IT resources, by engaging more regularly with their IT counterparts loss prevention professionals are able to ensure that their concerns are addressed with any new piece of technology. As one attendee mentioned, getting the opportunity to weigh in should come before IT has invested too much time and money into a project that LP might find challenges with. The attendee went on to ask the panel how, exactly, he could get that opportunity with his IT department.
That question, or rather the answer to it, was addressed through out the session. Here are a few ways that the CIO panel suggested loss prevention can foster better communication with IT:
1. Create a Business Systems Advisory Board. One of the panelists shared the success with his advisory board, which includes the heads of various departments. Each representative understands that IT isn’t going to accomplish everything everyone wants, but they know where IT is spending, why, and what implications the new investment will have on their specific department.
2. Include IT in loss prevention projects. In a room full of loss prevention professionals, most attendees were asking how they could better get included in IT discussions. The CIO of Carter’s agreed that partnership and collaboration are paramount, but turned the scenario around, suggesting that LP departments include IT in their projects early on in the process. By actively engaging their counterparts, LP and their concerns will be on the minds of IT when they are working on their own projects that may affect loss prevention.
3. Know the strategic initiatives of other departments. “Partner with”, “talk to”, and “ask” was the answer when one attendee said, “We know what we know. How do we learn what others are working on so we can get included?” The panelists went on to encourage attendees to ask every department what their strategic initiatives were for the next year. From marketing to e-commerce, the strategy is to simply to get a conversation going.
All groups benefit in return. Sharing information from the get-go may not guarantee there won’t be any surprising road bumps as retailers pursue new IT technologies, but it can sure limit them.