3 Phases of Effective Supplier Onboarding

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A formal, documented supplier onboarding program will ensure that new suppliers understand and are capable of meeting retailer compliance requirements. This white paper walks you through three critical phases of effective onboarding, and reinforces the value of ongoing collaboration and communication, to illustrate how best-in-class retailers help new suppliers succeed.

All About Retail Compliance™

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RVCF's "All About Retailer Compliance" is now available.  We've combined retailer requirements with industry standards and decades of experience to develop this all encompassing training and reference resource that is a "go to" guide for anyone connected to compliance in the retail supply chain.  

Users will be able to quickly and easily:

•  locate standards and prioritize those needing special attention
• decipher industry terms and acronyms
• understand the order fulfillment process - step by step

This 90 page guide features individual chapters dedicated to EDI, Purchase Orders, Direct to Consumer, Floor Ready, Packaging & Marking, Transportation, Accounts Payable, Returns, Vendor Compliance and is available at no cost to RVCF Members ($295.00 for non-members).

Deduction Policy Review

Retailers requested a reference point for their own expense offset policies so RVCF compiled a cross-section of policies for 50 Retailers to normalize deduction types, violation description, and penalty charges. With all of this data, the Deduction Policy Review is an eye opening study that will have you looking at your own processes.

To request a personalized evaluation, please contact Susan Haupt.

Expediting the Investigation and Reconciliation of Deduction Claims

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RVCF conducted a survey of merchandise suppliers to find out what information is required to identify the reason for a deduction and determine its validity as quickly and efficiently as possible. By sharing the survey's findings, we hope to improve the communication of information related to deduction claims, accelerate deduction investigation and resolution, encourage the automated flow of documentation between trading partners, and provide a foundation for industry guidelines for issuing deduction claims.

Fill Rate Challenges for Retail Trading Partners

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The ability to close the sale every time because the exact item the customer wants is available for purchase, in the store or on the website, is a high priority and constant challenge for retailers. This RVCF survey sheds light on common obstacles and how to drive fill rate performance improvements.

Merchandise Supplier Survey: Compliance Management

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RVCF conducted an extensive survey of merchandise suppliers to assess the current state of compliance management. This white paper illustrates how best-in-class suppliers are approaching compliance in terms of best practices for the management of compliance requirements and deduction, effective onboarding, technology used to optimize these processes, the structure of cross-functional teams, and frequent collaboration. The goal is to help struggling suppliers see what is working, implement the necessary changes, overcome challenges, and manage compliance more effectively.

The Recommended Structure for Compliance Manuals and Websites

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With the input of a dozen major retailers, RVCF designed a common structure for compliance guides and website navigation. The goal of the RSCMW is to provide commonality amongst all compliance guides and sites in that the end user, whether merchandise supplier or factory, knows where information will reside regardless of trading partner. The Recommended Structure for Compliance Manuals and Websites is a guide for all compliance manuals and sites – domestic or international; brand or private label; brick-and-mortar or e-commerce.

The State of Compliance Management from the Retailer's Perspective

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RVCF conducted an independent survey to assess the true state of compliance management, which is often diluted because the data assumes all suppliers have equal value to the retailer and are treated equally.

This white paper discusses what is driving compliance programs, the level of performance, common reasons for compliance issues, the effectiveness of current compliance programs, and changes that must be made to ineffective compliance programs – all broken down into supplier segments. The study also revealed just how few suppliers participate in retailer compliance programs.

The State of Drop Shipping Compliance

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With drop shipping, the supplier fulfills the retailer's e-commerce order from the supplier's warehouse or a third party facility without the retailer ever touching the merchandise. Retailer requirements and compliance priorities are very different for this type of order, resulting in new headaches as drop ship initiatives expand.

This white paper identifies areas of alignment and disconnect between retailers and suppliers, pinpoints causes of existing issues and opportunities for improvement, and predicts where drop ship practices and initiatives are headed.

Understanding Partnerships Between Merchandise Suppliers and Drop Shipping/Direct-to-Consumer Service Providers

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RVCF decided to survey merchandise suppliers specifically about their experiences working with EDI service providers as required by their retailer trading partners. The goal of the survey was to better understand the role of these service providers, the value they deliver, and the challenges faced by suppliers, and make initial recommendations for improvement.