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Submitted by Francis Clark
VP Business Development
Profitect
My challenge to the LP Professionals is to FIRST, change
your Title. Become Asset Protection. The change of name
increases your scope of responsibility and contribution
to your company. Both important. Too many people think
of LP as the 'cop' in the organization and while that
still remains a function it shouldn't be the focus.
Today's retail companies have TOO FEW PEOPLE focused on
PROFIT which is the fuel that drives your company's
engine. Too many LP departments are STILL CONSIDERED
EXPENSE DEPARTMENTS and are in the first line of
'redundancies' when the economy turns a bit soft. Get
out of that cycle and become a profit generating
department and be able to prove it.
NEXT, change what you do. I see so many filled sessions
of how to deal with the 'active shooter' but NEVER see
sessions where someone from LP or AP is reviewing their
company's Annual Report or 10K and illustrating how
their department is contributing to their company's
success. Wouldn't that be an interesting educational
session? Yes, we have to be aware of the negative
aspects of our jobs and the increasing violence
(apparently) in Retail but PROFIT is still what drives
our companies.
THEN, find out how to be indispensable to your CEO, COO
and CFO from a PROFIT GENERATION perspective. Find ways
to show that contribution on a quarterly and annual
basis in real business terms. I recall a well-regarded
VP of LP in the NY City area a number of years ago that
measured his performance on 500 apprehensions (minimum)
per month. I had recently left Retail and joined the
'vendor dark side' and this gentlemen 'took me under his
wing to tell me all about LP'. While I appreciated his
efforts and insights it appeared to me, a Store
Operations guy, that hitting or exceeding 500
apprehensions per month wasn't solving the problem. And
if he really solved the problem, his precious benchmark
for performance would be actually declining. But he was
caught in the old LP trap and couldn't get out. That
company no longer exist, by the way.
I firmly believe that the area of the business that has
more to contribute to PROFIT than any other is Asset
Protection. That requires CHANGE and the COURAGE to get
into the business with both feet. I am proud to say that
there are DOZENS of your peers who have already made
this change and are solidly contributing to their
company's daily PROFIT PERFORMANCE and are growing in
respect within their companies as a result.
FINALLY, you be one of them! Retail is going through
tough times and a perfect time for those with the
ability and courage to step up to the challenge. |
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