Blog

C-Store Success: The Power of Employee Engagement

Google the words “employee engagement” and you get 25,700,000 results.  It’s clear this is a hot topic right now, and employers are looking for ways to understand and improve their engagement levels. Why? Strong employee engagement leads to several outcomes–that are good for both employees and customers. However, Gallup reports show that a staggering 70% of U.S. workers are not engaged at work.

The Hidden Costs of Business as Usual

You’ve likely heard the old saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. And while it certainly is not the worst advice you could follow, for many businesses this way of doing things can result in missed opportunities. It is easy to assume just because something is working – and by all appearances working well – that there isn’t a better way to accomplish the same thing. Let’s take a look at an example of how Quantum Services benefited from discovering a problem we didn’t know we had.

Why Audit Transparency Matters

The importance of transparency in the audit process is often overlooked. While it is important to trust your auditor’s counts, you should also have the ability to verify them. Why?

Transparency ensures that high standards of accuracy are met, proper audit processes are in place, and your workforce is in compliance with procedures. It raises the accountability of each party involved in the audit process, and results in a more accurate audit.

Great People = Great Audits

Great audits start with great people. Therefore, hiring and keeping great people is key to a successful audit program. Sounds simple right? Well… not always. Here are a few tips to help to make sure your auditing program or auditing partner hires the best people possible. Hiring Great People Previous Auditing Experience Wanted? Hiring auditors […]

Are C-Store Audits a Commodity?

According to Investopedia, a commodity is “a basic good (or service) used in commerce that is interchangeable with other commodities of the same type”.  In other words, commodities are goods and services where the buying decision is based on price when all other facets of the service are perceived to be the same. For some, c-store […]

NACS or NAG? The Value of Industry Associations

Have you ever wondered if you should join an industry association?  And, if so, how do you know which one to join?  There are several good reasons to consider joining an industry association, including networking, learning from peers and experts and industry advancement. Let’s look at two c-store industry associations worth consideration. NACS The National […]

The Seven C’s of C-Store Audits

Practice makes perfect. More than 40 years of experience have taught us the right and wrong way to conduct an audit. We call the right way our “Seven C’s.” We use this system for every audit, every client in every division nationwide. These audit best practices are designed to help you get accurate, impartial insights […]

Shrink Happens: Why We Lie and Steal

“It’s just a little white lie”— how many times have you heard that before? A white lie can be seen as a harmless cheat, to save face or to get something we want. With plenty of options for small theft, the same mentality can be translated to convenience store shrink. From minor cheats to major […]

Are Traditional Financial Audits Dead?

Over the past ten years, the c-store industry has increasingly migrated to item level scan audits. It’s a difficult and painful transition for many chains; however, the rewards are significant. Currently, traditional financial audits make up less than half of our business. In addition, several clients that are not ready to make the jump completely […]

Food Service Cost Audits – Do They Have to be so Complicated?

First, let’s start with the obvious. Food service in c-stores is big business. And getting bigger all the time. But how do you control food service shrink? Many c-store chains have treated food service audits a lot like inventory audits for the rest of the store. Count it all. Count it accurately. Count it often. […]