(Catalog Age) Nashville, TN–This time of year, the word “audit” tends to have a negative connotation. But while you probably see no need for an income tax audit, your catalog operations could likely benefit from a systems audit, said consultant Ernie Schell at a session of the National Conference on Operations and Fulfillment (NCOF) here.
If you invest in new systems or components without conducting a detailed analysis of your current system, “you’ll be trading one set of problems for another,” said Schell, president of Southampton, PA-based Marketing Systems Analysis.
A systems audit, said Schell, is not simply a matter of taking stock of your systems applications. Rather, it’s an opportunity for the company to assess the capabilities of the current system. Among the questions that Schell said should be addressed in an audit: * Are you using your systems to your best advantage?
* Do you see any lost opportunities, such as upselling and cross-selling?
* What needs are being met by your current system?
Another piece of advice: When conducting a systems audit, include all departments, not just your fulfillment and MIS teams. Operations systems affect all departments, including marketing–and Schell noted that you don’t want to alienate any of them.
Cosponsored by “Operations and Fulfillment” magazine and the Direct Marketing Association, NCOF runs through Wednesday at the Opryland Resort in Nashville.
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