Consolidation and Distribution – SOS provides the services necessary to support new store openings, relocations, acquisitions, conversions, remodels, rollouts, reverse logistics and dedicated support and fulfillment.

By freeing valuable labor, space and equipment within our customers’ distribution centers, we help them concentrate on moving merchandise in support of store operations. We consolidate the store fixtures in truckload quantities. The fixtures are stored, picked and shipped complete according to the customer schedule and delivered to the store location on time and damage-free.

This program clearly provides significant savings relative to LTL shipments of individual stores. There are also significant soft-cost savings that accrue, such as eliminating down-time waiting on fixtures, the replacement of lost or damaged parts, and the shortening of the time frame to open the doors.

SOS also provides customers with the tools to maintain a successful warehouse program. Our National Support Center is housed at an over 2 million square foot warehousing complex and we have the ability to tailor programs to meet the needs of our customers. The addition of on-site vendor coordinators and mobile warehouse management teams to our service offering and improved technology has made SOS a leader in the warehouse management industry.

Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) – Store Opening Solutions’ WMS automates the flow of materials throughout the entire warehouse and can be used in conjunction with our clients’ database applications or as a stand-alone management program. It provides comprehensive functionality and technology to manage the entire business flow while providing tools that allow for customization of data and processes.

Capabilities include:

We manage the inbound freight from our customers’ vendors to a consolidation point or direct to the store. SOS’ team of experts can handle the supply chain management of vendors including LTL, TL, Air Freight, Expedited Service, specialized equipment and labor and asset management. Our motto for logistics is “Anything is Possible!”

Our mission is to design, implement, and manage supply chain solutions through a combination of logistics expertise, technology and communication. As an asset-based 3PL integrator, we will package customized solutions to assist our customers in being more competitive in the marketplace. We offer a value-added service that provides operational efficiencies, soft-cost savings, and bottom line increases.

Installation Services (in conjunction with strategic partner and sister-company, Alexander-Otto) – Store Opening Solutions provides clients with turnkey project management and installation services. Our experienced employee teams minimize the down time on the sales floor and understand the sensitive needs of in-store personnel. Our installation services include site surveys, interior construction, fixture and equipment installation, merchandising and project management. Through reliability, experience, and flawless execution, SOS helps customers meet their project goals, keeping the project on time and within budget constraints.

Project Resource and Inventory Management Application System (PRIMAS) – PRIMAS provides real-time information to our customers, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. PRIMAS is specifically designed to meet the specialized needs of the retail industry. It simplifies project coordination and communication by connecting all critical project participants to their project information via the web. PRIMAS provides the ideal platform for securely sharing information quickly and accurately amongst geographically separated personnel. It provides a window into store projects, keeping customers in touch with store schedules, progress logs, issue logs, photos, documents, punch lists and survey information. PRIMAS can be used in conjunction with Legacy Accounting Systems or a number of computer applications. Our program developers work with each individual customer to build a system that is right for their organization.

In addition, PRIMAS takes advantage of our leading-edge warehouse management and distribution software allowing for customizable reporting, via a web interface. All inventory transactions are visible to our customers via customized reporting created in-house by our experienced IT staff. Information can be uploaded at specified intervals daily. PRIMAS inventory management allows for instant access to inventory and purchase orders, receiving, activity reports, and backorder status.

Process Mapping – Store Opening Solutions offers clients Process Mapping evaluations to identify and quantify waste in their organization. While our programs focus on the efficiencies and cost savings associated with transportation, distribution and store support, we realize that the entire process, starting at the corporate staff level, can be streamlined to save valuable capital dollars.

Process Mapping is a discipline promoted by lean manufacturing experts. Its purpose is to show an entire business process in exact detail so that leaders can quantify and identify waste in their organization and help address important questions in today’s competitive market.

We engage an outside professional facilitator specializing in this process to assist retailers in quantifying the waste in their store operations processes, helping them reduce the total cost of store openings and remodels. This includes reducing overhead as well as direct costs