CRA Technology & Digital Tools 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which technology enables retailers to automatically reorder inventory when stock falls below a predefined threshold?
- Manual purchase orders
- Automated replenishment systems (Correct answer)
- Periodic cycle counting
- Vendor-managed inventory audits
Correct answer: Automated replenishment systems
Automated replenishment systems use real-time stock data to trigger purchase orders when inventory reaches reorder points.
Question 2: A retailer uses heat-mapping software in their store. What primary insight does this technology provide?
- Employee productivity metrics
- Customer traffic flow and dwell-time patterns (Correct answer)
- Product expiration tracking
- Shrinkage detection at checkout
Correct answer: Customer traffic flow and dwell-time patterns
Heat-mapping software analyzes customer movement patterns to reveal high-traffic zones, dwell times, and engagement hotspots.
Question 3: What does the term 'API integration' mean in a retail technology context?
- A physical self-checkout kiosk interface
- Seamless data exchange between different software platforms (Correct answer)
- An annual performance index for IT systems
- Automated price indexing across product lines
Correct answer: Seamless data exchange between different software platforms
API (Application Programming Interface) integration allows different retail software systems—such as POS, ERP, and e-commerce—to share data automatically.
Question 4: Which metric is most directly tracked by a retail workforce management (WFM) system?
- Gross margin return on investment
- Employee scheduling and labor cost versus sales (Correct answer)
- Customer lifetime value
- Inventory turnover by SKU
Correct answer: Employee scheduling and labor cost versus sales
WFM systems optimize staffing levels by aligning scheduled labor hours and costs against forecasted sales demand.
Question 5: A retail analyst evaluates a mobile point-of-sale (mPOS) system. Which scenario best demonstrates mPOS value?
- Processing transactions only at fixed checkout lanes
- Enabling associates to check out customers anywhere on the sales floor (Correct answer)
- Replacing the back-office ERP system
- Automating supplier invoice processing
Correct answer: Enabling associates to check out customers anywhere on the sales floor
mPOS devices untether the checkout process, allowing associates to complete sales anywhere in the store and reduce queue lengths.
Question 6: Which type of retail analytics uses historical data to forecast future outcomes such as demand or sales trends?
- Descriptive analytics
- Diagnostic analytics
- Predictive analytics (Correct answer)
- Prescriptive analytics
Correct answer: Predictive analytics
Predictive analytics applies statistical models and machine learning to historical data to forecast future events like demand spikes.
Question 7: What is the primary function of a retail Order Management System (OMS)?
- Managing employee performance reviews
- Orchestrating order fulfillment across multiple channels and locations (Correct answer)
- Tracking store lease agreements
- Monitoring social media mentions
Correct answer: Orchestrating order fulfillment across multiple channels and locations
An OMS centralizes order data from all sales channels and routes fulfillment to the optimal warehouse, store, or drop-ship vendor.
CRA Technology & Digital Tools 2
Which technology enables retailers to automatically reorder inventory when stock falls below a predefined threshold?