Every day, everyone at RMS gets together for a quick 5 minute meeting. We take turns hosting. Sharing articles, thoughts, and experiences that everyone can use to learn, grow and be just a little bit better than we were the day before. This daily "standup" has become a big part of who we are as a company and every day I look forward to learning from my peers here at RMS. This week, I wanted to share a talk given by our Director of Operations, Brandon Bieleski. Happy reading! 

A few weeks ago I met a man named Rudy. Rudy is from a small village just north of Liverpool... England.... He's been in the United States for 32 years, 22 of them here in Washington, but you couldn't tell that from his accent. Rudy talks as if he's spent the whole of his 54 years in that small village. And yes, he prefers tea over coffee, which he reminded me of with uncanny frequency.

I met Rudy in the parking lot at the Paradise visitor's center in the Mt Rainier National Park. He was a tag along to our normal hiking group. That day, along with the rest of my hiking group, we would spend the next 5 hours making our way up to Camp Muir. We were all expecting a challenge -- our journey would start at a higher elevation than we'd even finished at on previous hikes. It would take us from sunshine and 70 degree temps into the clouds with 15 feet of visibility and a chill so sharp I would end up layering every piece of clothing I had in my pack.

In 2018, more than 14% of retail sales in the United States were completed via Ecommerce. With 15% growth from the previous year and more growth expected, Ecommerce has become the big bad wolf of retail competition.

The bottom line, if you're a retail pharmacy with a large and diverse front end, online competition might be taking a bite out of your profits. So how can you operate "three little pigs" style and build a house strong enough to weather all of the huffing and puffing that so many retailers are finding difficult to withstand?

The easiest answer lies in the old saying, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em". Which is exactly what the newest integration from RMS aims to help retail pharmacies do.

RBC 2019 with Cardinal Health kicked off this week and Thursday is the first day for attendees to visit the Exhibit hall. This year, RMS is debuting a brand new booth and teaching pharmacies about some great new features.

This is awesome for anyone happening to be at RBC this week. But...if you aren't, here's a sneak peek at some of things we're sharing.

A couple of years ago, I decided that I wanted to be better at baking. I invested in some supplies, bought a few recipe books and spent my spare time obsessing over baking shows and how-to articles. Today, I'm still on my quest for baking excellence, and my RMS co-workers are often subjected to whatever recipe I'm trying to perfect.

So , when one of our front office staff mentioned a craving for brownies, I thought I'd whip up a batch. My brownie recipe is tried, true, and always a crowd favorite. (Assuming I can get out of the house with a tray intact). One problem, I didn't have the same chocolate that I usually make the recipe with. But no big deal, I had something I could sub in. It wasn't up to my normal standards, but I thought it couldn't matter that much. It was getting melted down and mixed with half a dozen other ingredients. Plus if it worked, I'd save some money every time I made that recipe.

The results? Complete disaster.

When I was a kid, the moment the bell rang on the last day of school, summer officially started. It didn't matter if the skies were cloudy and gray for another month. Or that the time off school meant a ton of chores. That cutoff meant that summer fun could truly begin.

As an adult it seems harder to make that transition from the frigid winter and slightly gloomy spring. Throughout June I find myself missing that feeling of glee that used to accompany the temporary freedom from daily routine.

So for me, the Fourth of July has become sort of a sign post that summer has really begun. And that even though the alarm still rings every morning, I can still recapture a bit of that summer time joy by spending a day of celebration with my family and friends.

One thing that helps me do this is getting all of my ducks in a row before I leave the office for the day. Even 1 day can still create a backlog of to-do's if you haven't prepared properly. Here's a few point-of-sale to do's to make sure you're ready to have a stress free time away.

When you think of holiday spending, Independence Day may not be number one on your list. It's not a time when we exchange gifts or plan elaborate meals. But as it turns out, the 4th of July weekend posts some pretty big retail sales every year.

Maybe it's the summer season. The call of outdoor play and that barbecue that's been neglected all year. Or maybe it's the idea of celebrating something that's bigger than any one person. Whatever the reason, July 4th puts Americans in the mood to celebrate, and that celebration comes with some increased spending.

Have you ever played a game without fully understanding the rules? Frustrating right? You get the concept and the end goal but the first time or two you play there's confusion, arguing with team mates and opponents alike, and just a general feeling of exasperation.

Whether we're playing a board game or trying to understand the concept of Frisbee golf for the first time, there's only one thing that gets you through those first awkward attempts. Understanding how the game is supposed to be played.

Slow and steady wins the race, or so the saying goes. It's applicable in so many different ways. Most of them speaking to the power of perseverance.

But what about the other side of the coin? Baby steps can certainly get you to a larger goal, but what if you're taking those same tiny steps in the other direction? That's a race you probably don't want to win.

Here are a few tips to help you save your bottom line from all those little things that add up.

A good customer loyalty program can make a world of difference in your pharmacy. But in many pharmacies, customer loyalty is thought of either as unnecessary, or representing too much effort and cost to make a difference. But is that really true?

In a new article, published in this month's Computer Talk, RMS President & CEO Brad Jones explores the reasons why pharmacies need a customer loyalty program and provides some helpful tips to get you started.