Performance and labor
Sales pacing, labor plans, productivity, exceptions, and scorecards that show leaders where attention is needed.
Brian Howard · Retail operations systems · Fort Wayne, Indiana
Operating systems for multi-location retail.
I help retailers improve labor, reporting, store execution, and manager accountability—combining 20+ years of operational leadership with custom software and practical AI.
Labor productivity
KPI visibility
Manager accountability
Store execution
Workflow automation
Operating proof
Built from responsibility, not theory.
20+years in high-volume retail operations
6stores across Indiana and Michigan
$12Mannual revenue responsibility
6new store openings led
Selected figures from Brian’s documented retail leadership work.
Where I help
Start with the operating problem.
The goal is not more software. It is a clearer system for the decisions, standards, and follow-through that determine store performance.
Execution and accountability
Manager rhythms, assigned priorities, proof of execution, and follow-up that turns expectations into repeatable work.
Inventory and merchandising
Practical controls for inventory flow, shrink, merchandising standards, replenishment, and store-level visibility.
Marketing operations
Photo intake, content preparation, campaign planning, approvals, publishing, and reporting inside one accountable workflow.
Flagship case study
A system built from the floor up.
This private production platform began with the daily realities of multi-location retail—not a generic software template.
See how an engagement starts
Private production deployment
Multi-location retail operations system
A role-aware PWA used daily across multiple locations, bringing sales pacing, labor planning, merchandising, inventory, supply workflows, and marketing execution into one operating view.
Recommended first engagement
Retail execution system diagnostic.
Before building software, I map where information, ownership, and follow-through break down across the operation.
The diagnostic creates a practical starting point:
- An operational workflow and friction review
- A KPI, reporting, and accountability map
- A prioritized system-improvement plan
- A recommendation for one measurable pilot
The operator advantage
I know the floor, not just the framework.
More than two decades in retail operations taught me where processes break, how teams actually adopt tools, and why clarity matters under pressure. That experience shapes every product decision—from the first workflow map to the final interface.
20%labor-productivity improvement
23%shrink reduction
1company-wide source of operational truth
How an engagement works
From operational friction to measurable adoption.
Find where execution actually breaks.
Map the people, decisions, handoffs, measurements, and recurring work before deciding what technology belongs.
Prove one workflow before expanding.
Build the smallest usable intervention, give it to the people doing the work, and measure whether behavior improves.
Expand only what earns its place.
Standardize the proven workflow, automate what repeats, and extend visibility without adding unnecessary complexity.
Product lab
A broader record of shipping.
Independent products that demonstrate full-stack, mobile, product-design, and live-data capability beyond retail operations.
Any Given Pick
A weekly pro-football pick’em product with autosaved entries, schedules, scoring, standings, secure sign-in, and eligibility controls.
VoltMap
A native SwiftUI app that ranks nearby EV chargers by confidence and carries that decision into routes, saved commutes, alerts, and issue reporting.
Retail operations projects
Bring me the operating problem.
If you run multiple locations and a recurring workflow depends on spreadsheets, manual follow-up, or information that arrives too late, let’s map a better system.