By Noah Balsam, Business Analyst Intern @ Enhanced Retail Solutions LLC

When I accepted my internship with ERS, I knew next to nothing about the retail industry. I wondered how the experience would be valuable for me. All it took was the first three days to wash my concerns away as I realized how transformative an experience this internship would be.

ERS and How it Runs

We spent the first day diving into retail terminology, like POS reporting and sell-through. We learned firsthand how their client engagements work, the data they use, and how to identify trends that can lead to actionable insights for their clients.

I also learned about how ERS processes and integrates their clients’ data. First, ERS’ Intelligentretail.net system acquires EDI 852s, attribute information, and wholesale inventory. Then, data is visualized on the front-end with Microsoft Power BI. We received detailed walkthroughs of several of these platforms, and one dashboard that stood out the most to me was the Item Performance Rankings.

Item Performance Rankings

I found it fascinating how intricate and complicated the process is. Even a simple item can have countless SKUs which can have drastically different performance statistics. Each difference can impact how these items are planned. Doing a walkthrough with a real company’s data, rather than an arbitrary example, deepened my understanding of the material. Factors like seasonality and lead time play specific roles.

Closing Thoughts

My experience with ERS has already been worthwhile in developing my business acumen and understanding POS and the retail industry. I am eager to continue my learning journey and help develop new, exciting tools for the company!