Welcome to the second edition of the Retail Ops Weekly. August is here, which means it’s time to start thinking about back to school sales and summer's end... or summer's beginning as we call it in San Francisco. I've pulled together another set of relevant thought pieces, news stories, and tips & tricks from the past week. Enjoy!

Industry

• Every retailer has an omnichannel strategy in place, but there’s still a lot to learn about how to manage its effectiveness. Jason Ankemy does a fantastic job breaking it down with some practical advice for how to make it work. Why retailers still struggle with omnichannel—and how they can conquer the challenge [RetailDive]

• The rapid growth of connected devices has affected every industry. Shaun Kirby shares how monitoring and edge processing can maximize efficiency from the supply chain to the checkout line. (Gated article) Can the Internet of Things Finally Deliver on the Promise of Frictionless Retail? [RetailingToday]

Culture

• Hiring managers have a number of ways to filter candidates and narrow searches, but Michael Wolfe explains why it's more about culture fit than specific past experience. Don’t “Hire By Keyword” [Startup Answers]

• In the Digital Transformation Era, we're being told that every company must become a software company, but is that always the right approach? Gareth Rushgrove brings up some considerations. Everyone is Not a Software Company [DZone]

Technology

• Jason Rushforth explains how the technology behind an omnichannel strategy is about Automation, Execution, and Analysis. Beyond Traditional Tools: How Technology Empowers Retailers to Create an Omnichannel Customer Experience [Apparel]

• Technology has enabled more effective distribution for many retailers, but it doesn’t stop there. Brian Gracely takes things further. When Physical Goods Become APIs and Services [PointB + Beyond]

Experience

• Pop-ups have had a bad name since the early days of the Internet, yet they are still prevalent across many eCommerce sites. Justinmind performed a study digging into what works and what doesn't. Pop-Ups Vs. Usability, Conversions And Bounce Rates [UsabilityGeek]

• With mobile as such an important channel for any retailer, it's crucial that the experience is clear and friendly. Jason Miller shows it's more about performance than anything. M-commerce is better, but not perfect, with responsive design [Internet Retailer]