Alan Morris is the Managing Director of retail IT outsourcing specialists, Retail Assist. He is a skilled business systems practitioner and visionary with more than 20 year's experience of the retail industry. He began his career in the mid 1980s with the Sears Group (UK), including Foster's Menswear and Adams Childrenswear, managing major projects throughout the entire supply chain, including the implementation of POS, Merchandise Management and Warehousing ERP systems.

In the mid-1990's He observed a gap between the retailer and the IT solution provider and the need for an expanding/retracting pool of resources. To bridge this gap, he set up retail IT services company Compass Retail Associates with the other founders in 1995. Four years later, the business and concept evolved into what is today's Retail Assist.

Alan's vision for the Retail Assist model was, and remains, based upon employing people with right blend of retailing and systems skills and experience, who can understand business requirements and translate them into effective business solutions. By providing a portfolio of services that can be fully or partly engaged, the company can deliver tailor-made solutions to satisfy specific needs. In 2007 the Merret supply chain ERP solution was acquired from Grantfort Computer Systems.

He remains hands-on, closely involved with client accounts and overseeing business development. The breadth of his experience has enabled him to write extensively for the retail technology press.

Publications/ Books/ Papers
He has many articles on his credit.

Articles Contributed

	In a shrinking market, IT must reduce its price tag to stay relevant
	Alan Morris says retailers need to look again at IT cost models. As turnover falls, new cost management principles are required to reduce IT spend and contribute to a leaner business. IT spend in retail is normally between 0.9 and 1.9 percent of turnover per annum, so taking 1.6 percent as an average would mean £1.6 million for a £100 million turnover business

	A Trouble Shared is a Trouble Halved
	In the most testing economic climate that our sector has experienced in a long time, the majority of retailers continue to 'go it alone' and try to fully fund the technology infrastructure and skills that their company needs.Alan Morris argues that this is folly and urges them to wake up to the cost and efficiency benefits that come from using shared services and applications.

	Turning data into information for intelligent retailing
	Every business needs to gather information and to make informed decisions based upon it. In-house systems can provide an operational insight from the data they produce if this can be consolidated, analysed and presented in the way that the business needs

	Achieving Supply Chain Excellence
	Today’s supply chains are complex networks of interdependent elements. Whilst each element must be optimised, nothing contributes more to supply chain excellence than good communication between all parties.

	Are you being served?
	Just how helpful is your Help Desk and is it playing its part in contributing to smooth store operations? Regardless of how you resource this critical function, it must be staffed and structured to deliver in ways that positively impact store operations. It’s important too to measure its performance by regularly seeking feedback from those most affected by Help Desk services: staff at the point of customer interaction. (Alan Morris)

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