The Process/Free Analysis
Free Up-Front Analysis
RMSA will work with you to prepare a preliminary analysis of your operations. This analysis is offered free of charge and will give you an understanding of the areas in which RMSA can aid your performance.
From you we’ll need the merchandise hierarchy (department, class, and subclass) that you wish to plan, and some straightforward information on inventory levels and inventory turns. This will allow RMSA to develop a proposal for your review. The proposal will include pricing, terms of our standard agreement, and an estimated start date for processing.
For a more detailed financial review of your business you may submit a detailed performance history of your operations. A review will then be provided by one of our analysts who will further explain the insights provided by the RMSA system.
The free analysis is available to qualified retailers; it’s a quick and easy way to understand the powerful benefits of working with RMSA.
The RMSA Planning Process
To build a complete forecast for your business RMSA will collect actual sales, buying, and inventory information for each retail location. This data collection is done through a simple integration with your point-of-sale (POS) system, and it utilizes the RMSA Retail Solutions software application (“RSS”). The RSS application resides on your system and it is the tool that periodically and automatically delivers planning information to RMSA. The RMSA technical account specialist will help you with all technical issues related to set-up, data collection, and data integrity.
Once we receive your data it is checked for accuracy and completeness. Once verified, the data is processed through the Retail Intelligence system and a preliminary plan is produced. This is then reviewed by one of our senior planners and any necessary adjustments are made. The final plan is then delivered to the client electronically.
Your assigned Analyst reviews the final plan with you. This review is designed to be an in-depth analysis of performance, and a session to uncover opportunities for operating improvements. The analyst will guide you through managing your inventory and planning your cash flow. Your discussions will include maximizing cash flow, adjusting inventory levels, avoiding excessive markdowns, scheduling inventory deliveries, open-to-buy, and seasonal merchandising strategies.
The RMSA planning cycle is a monthly process. More frequent analysis is easily accommodated by using the RSS application, and the RMSA merchandising team is available to support your needs.