Introduction

Although many people recognize technology terms such as enterprise resource planning (ERP) or supply chain management (SCM), RMM and MMS are acronyms that lack such widespread awareness. Moreover, the terms retail merchandise management system (RMM) and merchandise management system (MMS) likely have little more market recognition than their acronyms. Despite their relative anonymity, these systems, also known as retail ERP systems, are the enterprise back-office software solutions upon which the majority of retailers rely to manage and to support their daily tasks.

The following article provides an overview of both retail and the core and non-core areas of retail ERP systems.

Retail Overview

The retail industry evolved from merchants selling goods to local villagers, to the opening of stores by small business owners, to the creation of department stores and big box retailers by major corporations. Although today’s brick and mortar retail industry is dominated by these major corporations, the Internet has provided smaller business owners with new opportunities, allowing them to operate as e-tailers.

Today’s retail industry is diverse. Retail companies come in many different types and flavors. There are retailers, such as BMW, Louis Vuitton, and McDonald’s, that have a global presence. Banks, hotels, and medical professionals fall within the service retailer category. On-line stores, such as eBay or Amazon.com, are e-commerce businesses that represent a relatively new breed of retailers. There are also companies whose activities include more than just retailing. For example, companies like Nike and Guess are both manufacturers and retailers because they produce their own products and sell them directly to consumers. Lastly, wholesalers, such as Costco and Sam’s Club, are blurring traditional lines as they sell bulk items not only to small companies (business-to-business [B2B]), but also to consumers (business-to-consumer [B2C]). This list illustrates that the retail industry in fact has verticals within a vertical.