Strong Technology And Supply Chain Provide Winning Formula For Target

In the year since Mike McNamara took over the CIO job at Target, he realized that prioritizing the company’s 800 IT projects was Job One. He and his team whittled the “to do” list down to a hundred that represented Target’s top business objectives. These included enhancing the company’s online and in-store shopping experience, supporting small-format stores, modernizing the supply chain, and improving in-stocks. The result, according to McNamara, was “nothing short of sensational,” as the company reduced reliance on third party IT consultants from 70 percent to 30 percent, saving hundreds of millions of dollars. Stability and performance of key retail systems – i.e., cash registers and hand-held devices – have improved. McNamara believes that retailers with the strongest technology and supply chain  have the best chance of success.