Too many businesses are often brought to their knees by inefficiencies lurking within their supply chains. Disconnected systems, inventory mismanagement, and last-mile delivery failures are more than operational hiccups—they’re competitive liabilities. Companies need to embrace an End-to-End (E2E) supply chain approach, integrating every aspect of operations, from manufacturing to last-mile delivery, the rewards are clear: agility, efficiency, and an unassailable edge in the market.

Imagine the scenario: you've placed an order online, received confirmation, and yet, upon arriving at the store, the in-store staff seem to be in the dark about its existence. It's a classic case of the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing. In this inaugural installment of our "Left Hand, Right Hand" series, we're exploring the all-too-common disconnect between in-store operations and online customer interactions. This gap not only creates confusion and frustration for customers but also reflects deeper issues within a company's communication and operational structures. Join us as we delve into why this disconnect happens and what can be done to create a seamless bridge between the digital and physical realms of shopping.

Consider the experience of a customer who orders online expecting a swift, hassle-free in-store pickup, only to find upon arrival that the staff cannot locate the order within their internal POS/Inventory system. This scenario is all too common and results in confusion and frustration for the customer and a scramble by the staff to resolve the mix-up.

Integrated commerce platforms extending ERP systems are game-changers for supply chain logistics. To some degree they have been for years, but only recently outside of the enterprise-scale custom projects, has the commerce-platform to ERP platform relationship been accessible to smaller and medium sized operations. And to some degree we have the pandemic to thanks for accelerating this trend.