Already a leading player in the workforce management space with more than 2,000 retail customers and over 5 million store associates using its Workbrain applications, Infor has extended its suite with the addition of a task management application. Today the company announced general availability of the new task management add-on for users of Infor WFM Workbrain, which is being demonstrated today at the National Retail Federation’s BIG Show in New York City.
The task management module is powered by a partnership with WorkPlace Systems, a leading provider of task management solutions to European retailers. The module can be purchased and installed separately, giving retailers the option to add only the capabilities they need, with less disruption to their established business processes.
“The retail industry has been and continues to be a top priority for Infor, and we take the needs of our more than 2000 retail customers very seriously,” said Sandra Rousseau, Director, Solutions Marketing, Workforce Management, Infor.
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Rousseau said Infor clients have expressed a strong interest in task management in 2010, but they are looking for solutions that can adjust to the way they do business, not the other way around. “By using a modular framework and partnering, we are bringing advanced task management capabilities to market faster than otherwise possible, with the most flexibility we’ve ever offered in the Workbrain suite,” she said.
The Infor WFM Workbrain Task Management module is designed to reduce the inherent complexity of completing tasks, such as countrywide or even international in- store merchandising campaign rollouts, enabling improved project visibility. The feature set is split into two specific functions, Store Communications and Store Execution.
The Store Communications function is designed to provide a direct data link between headquarters and each retail location, allowing for real-time sharing of information, requests and product updates between dispersed sites. Bulletins and other communications can be targeted by role and pushed down quickly to the relevant audience. Additionally, information can be requested or “pulled” by store personnel from headquarters.
The Store Execution function is designed for managing the implementation of projects and tasks, tracking and reporting their status, and balancing workload across each location to prevent conflict. A project can be broken into component tasks and in-built workflow controls the distribution, time keeping and also any escalations when tasks are not completed according to the established timelines. In-store personnel can be requested to provide feedback on tasks to signal compliance and also improve the planning phase for the next time a similar task is required.
