IRCE 2009 Session Descriptions

Listed below is the individual session description. To view a speakers' bio simply click the links inside the session description.

Day Two—June 16, 2009: Track A: Managing Technology

Managing Technology: Cost-Effective Approaches in an Era of Tight Budgets
Track Chaired By: Bernardine Wu, CEO, FitForCommerce
Technology is never a set-it-and-forget-it proposition. From the selection through implementation and operation, technology requires constant management. This track will guide retailers through the management process, from determining which investments will provide the greatest return, to managing vendor relationships, doing it yourself and making sure you have the right personnel to make it all work.

4:00 PM - 4:30 PM

Mitigating the risk, maximizing the benefits with outsourced software

TJ Ferrara, E-Commerce Director, L-R-G

Rebecca Wettemann, Vice President, Nucleus Research

A big trend in technology is software-as-a-service: a vendor delivers the software's functionality over the Internet on an as-needed basis. This relieves the retailer of the need to hire staff and maintain and upgrade the technology. But it also raises such important issues as ensuring the technology is always state of the art and the vendor is financially sound. This session will give retailers tactics for managing the relationship with the vendor and getting the most out of such arrangements.