--Top IT Leaders Gather to Explore Key Issues at Three-Day Summit--
IT leaders from the nation's leading retail companies will gather to examine and identify the latest trends in retail technology during the National Retail Federation's (NRF) NRFtech 2005: IT Leadership Summit. This year's invitation-only event will feature programming on leading industry topics, including global sourcing, world-class store systems, multi-channel retailing, cargo security in the supply chain, and reducing technology costs. The conference will be held August 7-9 at the Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines in La Jolla, California.
This year's NRFtech educational programming will include:
Global Sourcing: Blurring the Lines between Retail & Wholesale Businesses
Monday, August 8, 9:15 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.
During this session, leading retailers will cover topics such as developing products and brands, building a sophisticated supply chain and managing supply chain logistics. Additional topics explored will include industry consolidation, rising supply chain costs, global competitiveness, and brand protection's influence on business decisions in the retail supply chain.
Speakers: Peter Burrows, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Reebok International Ltd.; Rosa Hakala, Vice President, International Supply Chain, The Home Depot, Inc.; and Britton Russell, Senior Director, Global Sourcing, The Home Depot, Inc.
Smart & Secure Supply Chains: A Port Perspective
Monday, August 8, 10:30 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.
Efficient port operations are vital for the flow of goods from the manufacturer to the store. This session will address the activities that are underway to use technology to enhance port security in order to minimize disruptions to operations, reduce the chance of port closures and streamline the supply chain by developing 'borderless' supply chains to achieve end-to-end cargo transparency.
Speaker: John Kok, General Manager--CSI, Hutchison Port Holdings
Reducing Technology Costs: Consolidating Internal Process, Data and Hardware
Monday, August 8, 1:40 p.m. - 2:10 p.m.
Marc Saffer, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer of Columbia House Company, will discuss the transformation of the Columbia House IT environment. Saffer will address strategies that he has employed to reduce IT costs and the changes that transformed silos of data, including data across brands and customer segments, so that there now exists a comprehensive view of the Columbia House business.
Speaker: Marc Saffer, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Columbia House Company
Improving the Customer Experience with the Resources You Already Own
Monday, August 8, 2:30 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.
Leading analysts will discuss how retailers can align business process and information technology to improve customer service. The session will feature a retailer case study commissioned by NRF's Associate Member Advisory Council.
Moderator: Butch Jagoda, Vice President, Information Technology, Helzberg Diamond Shops, Inc.
Speaker: Scott Langdoc, Vice President, Research, Retail Industry, AMR Research, Inc.; Hung LeHong, Research Director, GartnerG2; Janet Murphy, President, Ogden Associates; and Paula Rosenblum, Director, Retail Research, Aberdeen Group
Multi-Channel Retailing: Optimizing the Retail Operating Model
Tuesday, August 9, 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
This session will present new insights based on research with over two dozen industry executives and IBM's extensive experience helping major retailers implement multi-channel initiatives. The study was conducted by the Retail Management Institute, Santa Clara University and the IBM Institute for Business Value.
Speaker: Dale Achabal, Director, Retail Management Institute, Santa Clara University, and Julian Chu, Global Distribution Sector Leader, IBM Business Consulting Services
Multi-Channel Retailing: A Panel Discussion
Tuesday, August 9, 10:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
During this session, attendees will hear about the multichannel experience from the retailer's perspective. This panel discussion will include perspectives on integrating online business with in-store practices so that loyalty programs, merchandising strategies and inventory fulfillment are complimentary across channels.
Moderator: Brian Kilcourse, Senior Partner, BEK Consulting
Panelists: Monica Luechtefeld, Executive Vice President, Business Development and Information Technology, Office Depot, and Mike Woodard, Senior Vice President, Business Development, PETCO Animal Supplies, Inc.
The National Retail Federation is the world's largest retail trade association, with membership that comprises all retail formats and channels of distribution including department, specialty, discount, catalog, Internet and independent stores as well as the industry's key trading partners of retail goods and services. NRF represents an industry with more than 1.4 million U.S. retail establishments, more than 23 million employees - about one in five American workers - and 2004 sales of $4.1 trillion. As the industry umbrella group, NRF also represents more than 100 state, national and international retail associations
