We recently had the pleasure of attending our first PRSM National Conference in almost a decade! The annual gathering of retail facility maintenance professionals gathered at the Gaylord Opryland in Nashville from April 8th - 11th. We had attended the mid-year conference in Indianapolis back in September, but this event was on a completely different level.
As with all of these events, our team left with some great ideas for future growth, a better understanding of what our competitors are doing, confirmation that our business strategy continues to be the correct one, and a suitcase full of brochures advertising the latest and greatest tools and technologies! I did however make sure to leave room for some giveaway goodies for my boys, as well as a power-bank and in-car charger which are always helpful on out of town work trips.
Here are our top 5 findings from our walking of the exhibit floor, participation in classroom workshops and seminars, and communication with retailers and fellow suppliers.
1. Technology - As with most events these days, technology was without a doubt the most talked about topic. The IoT (Internet of Things) and it's enabling of prescriptive and
2. Service
3. Proactive maintenance - This was addressed from two angles. Firstly, the negative issues that your store can experience if you neglect to implement a thorough preventative maintenance program. Secondly, what happens when you defer your maintenance in an attempt to save money, which ends up actually costing you much more due to necessary repairs and replacements.
4. Consolidation of stores - As has been the trend in recent years,
5. The need for turnkey service providers
We are already looking forward to this falls' MYC in Phoenix and suggest you check out the latest industry news on the PRSM website. If you would like to discuss the above items, or any others involving your retail store environment, please schedule a consultation today.