Retail Task Management

Solid retail task management strategies have a powerful impact on your bottom line, your employees’ performance, and your customers’ satisfaction. Here’s what that means (and how you can do better).

What is retail task management?

Retail task management is:

• The coordination, execution, and tracking of projects large and small
• The best way to optimize the management of human resources
• A streamlined system that organizes all tasks and their completion

Why is retail task management important?

Compliant stores that are staffed by happy employees providing a better customer experience: that’s the benefit and importance of thoughtful retail task management.

Improved customer experience

Solid retail task management means that customers have a better in-store experience.

Why?

Because employees can dedicate their time on the floor in service to the customer. This improves everyone’s interactions and makes it easier for customers to navigate the store and find what they need.

And a happy customer is more likely to spend more time (and more money) in a store that offers a better customer experience.

It’s a win all the way around. 

Focused, supported employees

For employees, retail task management means less stress, more guidance, and improved prioritization of tasks.

In a constantly changing retail landscape, employees are pulled in multiple directions. For employees who have a hard time shifting focus, retail task management removes the uncertainty of what’s next. There is a clear direction, with ample guidance on how to prioritize the work.

The result of this clear guidance is more employee engagement and satisfaction. Research shows that employees who rate their work experience as positive put approximately double the effort into their job. 

Employees also appreciate a manageable workload that balances mundane tasks with exciting projects. When retail task management responds to employees’ needs they feel more valued, more engaged, and more recognized.

Retailers

Employees complete the easiest tasks first, even when they aren’t the most important ones. This can hurt the long-term performance of both employees and your retail space. Retailers can use retail task management software to coordinate which tasks are high priority (and which can be done easily during downtimes).

Retail task management also helps to keep eyes on whoever is in the store, shuffling schedules and work space as needed. This results in fewer disruptions to customers, more efficient project management, and a more coordinated retail space.

And in an era where the slightest dip in the supply chain can provoke panic among both retailers and consumers, retail task management software means you’re better able to plan ahead, pivot, and rise above your competitors — even during difficult times.

How retail task management software can help

Gone are the days of clipboards stuffed with poorly organized, tattered pages. Inefficient task management with old-school paper forms results in errors and can lead to non-compliance fines for retailers.

A retail task management app puts the power of exceptional retail project execution in the palm of your hand.

No more outdated digital tools throwing up roadblocks at every turn.

Instead, clear expectations and nearly-instant feedback on how things are going — both for employees and for retailers.

So how does it work?

Retail task management software takes both a macro- and a micro- approach to retail. It’s a tool that forges a direct connection between the mission of the company and the day-to-day work of employees, with a clear vision and focus for both.

It’s a tool that allows you to set goals and organize the progress towards them. It directs retail execution at its finest.

Picking the best retail task management software

At a minimum, the best retail task management software includes tools for task planning, assignment, and execution, but look for a tool that does way more. 

The best retail task management software is:

• Easy to use and ready to go when you need it
• Able to provide real-time data that guides decisions
• Scalable and integrated with tools you already use
• Mobile friendly
• Capable of connecting all retail teams including external partners

Here’s what Movista’s platform looks like.

Picture and video options 

Retail task management software should have multiple photo and video tools that help employees get the job done (think retail photo AI, file sharing and storing and visual instructions). 

And once it’s done? One quick upload and a time-and date-stamped verification of completion is on its way.

Geolocation tools

Geolocation tools provide a time and location stamp to every photo an employee snaps and sends. This ensures that everyone is exactly where they say they are and encourages transparency among employees.

These tools can:

• Track routes between stores
• Improve timekeeping
• Set targets for multiple store visits

Movista’s geofencing tools also allow for easier expense reports for field reps and their managers.

Route suggestions

GPS-enabled retail task management software means that employees visiting different locations are as efficient as they can be — no more circuitous routes or detours.

This saves time and money for employees in terms of gas and wear and tear on their cars while protecting the company bottom line with more reasonable mileage reimbursements.

Retail merchandising software

If you’re still ticking boxes on a paper form to complete your inventory, chances are good you’re missing something. Retail merchandising tools should be included in whatever retail task management app you select. An added bonus would include ordering and returns so that employees can handle those tasks without ever leaving one application.

Tools for prioritization and troubleshooting

Movista’s retail task management app allows managers to set priorities. Flag something as urgent, then schedule an automatic follow up if needed.

And if things don’t go as planned (or priorities need to shift), our software makes it easy to troubleshoot and share solutions. Built-in chat and mass communications keep everyone collaborating and on the same digital page.

Coordination with third-party vendors

When tasks are sent out and a plan for execution is made, don’t leave third-party vendors in the dark. Movista’s retail task management software makes it easy to collaborate alongside all stakeholders, from employees performing the tasks in store to home office management and third-party labor or vendors.

Analytic tools

Once the plan is in place, you’ll need a way to measure how it’s going. Movista’s analytics give you real-time updates on workflows and productivity, broken down by store, by task, and even by employee. This allows you to modify what’s not working for more effective, efficient retail task management.

How we know

We know our retail task management works because our clients tell us it does. We offer a single solution for retail execution and workforce management that makes a difference for customers, for employees, and for your business.

To learn more about how Movista's retail task management software can help you, schedule a demo today to get started.