Spring 2016 Hardlines Strategies

EMPLOYEE PROFILE

look for our website, and we’re making some internal updates to keep systems running at optimal speeds,” says Griffin. Have a question for IT? Contact Andrew Cross at the IT Help Desk by calling 800-995-0525, ext. 142. IT Staffers Are Here to Help

Have you recently had a technology challenge in your store? If you have, you’ve probably spoken with Andrew Cross at the IT Help Desk, or maybe one of his colleagues in the IT department. The six members of the team stay busy updating the Blish-Mize website, working with handhelds, designing ordering software and more. If a retailer or anyone in the corporate office or distribution center has an IT-related problem, the department is there to help. “There’s never a dull moment,” says David Griffin, vice president of information technology. “Right now, we’re working on voice-picking technology in the warehouse. We do just about any project that comes up that’s technology-based. There’s always

something we can develop and build to be better.” Besides Griffin and Cross, other members of the department include David Webb, IT technical and database specialist; Darren Reder, IT software developer/analyst; Scott Howard, IT software developer/analyst; and Mary Therese Lee, computer operator. Webb was responsible for developing the Blish-Mize mobile app. “The obvious best feature of the app is the barcode scanner that makes it easy to look up item information,” says Webb. “The less-obvious best feature is the way the shopping carts are kept in sync so that you can start an order from the app and finish it on our website, or vice versa.” And the IT department continues to stay busy. “Right now, we’re working on a new

The IT staff of (left to right) Howard, Webb, Griffin, Lee, Cross and Reder.

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30 Spring 2016 • Hardlines Strategies