Recommendations

We have identified three problems within the Hollister Co.’s information system that the company can improve. The three information systems are PeopleSoft HR (my.anfcorp.com), Information Sharing (customer, products, and salesperson database), and social media interaction.

Problem:

PeopleSoft HR

  PeopleSoft HR is the system that all employees of the parent brand Abercrombie & Fitch (Hollister Co., Gilly Hicks) use to complete employee related tasks such as viewing schedules, changing availability, benefits and their personal information on file. Employees can’t make any availability changes for the current week (or the following week) they can only cancel previous decisions that were made. Most employees can only make availability two weeks from the date they are trying to change something. Sometimes employees have emergencies or things they must attend during that week which just pops up and they can’t cover their shift. 

    Our Recommendation:

  Sometimes other employees may be asking for extra shifts throughout the week, but they’re already filled. We recommend creating an extra tab within the database that’ll allow those who want extra shift to put their availability for the days they are not scheduled. Allow all employees and managers to see this information. If an employee can’t come in to complete their shift for a day that doesn’t fall in the two-week time frame to change availability allow them to give their shift to another employee who has that day listed as available in the database. As long as they can contact and confirm with the employee who will cover at least two hours before their shift. Although they can’t cancel it on the schedule there could be a comment section where both employees add the name of the employee who is covering for them and/or who they are covering for so the managers can see that they didn’t just not show up but had someone to cover for them. This is beneficial for employees who have emergencies and can’t go into work avoid getting written up for showing or calling out so late. This database will already have the phone numbers and availability of employees for that day so if an employee isn’t close to another employee and doesn’t already have that information, they don’t have to go through the manager to get it or ask the manager to help them find someone who can cover their shift.

Problem:

Information Sharing (customers, products, and salesperson database)

   The information in the customers, products, and salesperson database isn’t always available to salespersons. The managers have access to the information but isn’t always shared with the sales associates. The information that is shared with the employees is only that relating to their department. If the information they need doesn’t pertain to their job description, then they don’t have access to it. If a customer wants to know about a product being restocked or if the location will begin selling an item, they seen online the employee that was asked will have to continuously go back and forth to get the information from a manager.

Our Recommendation:

We propose giving all the employees iPad mini’s or tablets to use during their shifts. On this tablet to if they’re employee ID is active, they will have access to the same information as the managers, so they don’t have to keep going back and forth to the manager for the information. They don’t have to have access to all of the information but the main things that are relevant to customers. Such as current inventory, new items that will be available, items that will be restocked, and items that won’t be restocked.

Problem:

Social Media Interaction

Although Hollister Co. is very active with posting on all their social media accounts, they lack on interaction with customers who leave negative reviews. Many of their consumers have left many negative reviews about their experiences online and in-store but the company doesn’t respond back to them like they do with comments praising the company and its products. Comments asking about a product, becoming a brand ambassador, or other great things related to the corporation and its products are the ones they focus on replying to. This problem gets consumers upset more then they may already be since they feel as though they can’t get help from anyone at the company. Some consumers have even went as far as calling the company a fraud.

Negative Statements (Have 0 comments) 

Positive Statements (were replied to)

Our Recommendation:

Hollister Co. should reply to both negative and positive comments regarding the company. Even if they just don’t reply directly to whatever the consumer said on the post, they can use a prewritten message giving an email, phone number, or telling them to send a private message. This will show the consumers that the corporation cares about the bad experience they had and would like to help them come up with the best possible solution in a private manner.