Aptos, a recognized market leader in retail technology solutions, yesterday concluded its two-day virtual conference, Aptos Engage Digital. Attracting registrations from 1,100 retail professionals from around the world, the event spanned three keynotes, four tracks and 15 breakout sessions. Recurring themes across the event were the impact of COVID-19 on the retail industry, the resiliency retailers demonstrated, and Aptos’ commitment to supporting its customers throughout the crisis and beyond.
To help retailers address their most immediate challenges, Aptos unveiled during the event four new product offerings that were developed to help retailers accelerate their post-pandemic recoveries.
These Quick Start solutions offer rapid implementations and tackle some of retail’s thorniest issues, from managing unsold spring stock to fulfilling product at curbside to restarting global suppliers.
Aptos’ Quick Start Solutions for COVID-19 Recovery
- Omnichannel Quick Start — BOPAC and BOSFS: As we move toward recovery, the urgency for retailers to profitably meet consumers’ expectations to buy, receive and return products anywhere continues to increase. To aid retailers in this effort, Aptos Enterprise Order Management Quick Start enables retailers to roll out buy online, pick up at curbside (BOPAC), buy online, ship from store (BOSFS) and other popular omnichannel capabilities in a matter of weeks.
- COVID-19 Planning Adjustments Quick Start: Retailers around the world are asking the same question: “How can we plan sales and inventory when our 2020 data is invalid?” To support customers with this complex issue, Aptos’ COVID-19 Planning Adjustments Quick Start offers packaged solutions of development services, process flows and consulting to help retailers readjust their in-season and preseason plans with a variety of options to account for the pandemic’s impact and current reality.
- Merchandise Financial Planning (MFP) Foundation: From lessons learned during hundreds of implementations of Aptos Merchandise Financial Planning (MFP), Aptos has released MFP Foundation, a Quick Start version of its core application. As merchandise planners grapple with unprecedented levels of complexity from COVID-19, omnichannel proliferation and globalization, MFP Foundation offers a best-of-breed solution out of the box that supports critical financial planning functions, from strategic planning and budgeting all the way to in-season plan adjustments.
- Supply Chain Management Quick Start: From precipitous drops in consumer demand to mass order cancellations, COVID-19 wreaked havoc on global supply chains, exposing the need for greater collaboration between retailers and their suppliers. With Aptos Supply Chain Management Quick Start, retailers can deploy a cloud-based supplier collaboration portal in just six weeks, offering full visibility to orders as well as streamlined communication with supply chain partners.
Commenting on Aptos’ release of new Quick Start offerings, Aptos CEO and culture leader Noel Goggin said:
“The consumer is disrupted, and that disrupts all of us. As the largest technology provider focused exclusively on retail, we deeply understand the devastation the pandemic has caused our customers. We acted swiftly to develop Quick Start solutions that can help retailers recover sales and margin as quickly as possible while streamlining operations.
“As retailers prepare for the Next Normal, omnichannel acceleration, the digital transformation of traditional merchandise planning processes and a retail experience platform are the new requisites for success. While we can’t predict the next wave of disruption, by focusing Aptos’ investments in these areas, we are best preparing our customers for long-term success, customer loyalty and adaptability.”
