KangaSafe™

Pouch product protection

Save space while protecting your merchandise

KangaSafe™ security pouches are a new take on product protection. Hard cases take up too much shelf and storage space and are difficult to manage at checkout. KangaSafe™ provides protection of product and limits access while being easy to apply, merchandise, and remove.

The KangaSafe™ Pouches come in various sizes and styles to accommodate a wide variety of products. The conductive, tamper-proof pouch seals around product and will alarm if the pouch is cut or if it passes through EAS gates. It is also food-safe and works in freezers and cold storage applications.

Call us at 800.422.2547 or visit www.siffron.com for your free catalog.

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LPM: Cita, you’ve always had a passion for what we do and how we do it. You’ve been involved in helping develop the industry certifications. You’ve gotten certified through the LP Foundation. You’ve taken part in countless industry initiatives. You’re on the LP Foundation’s board as well. You have really provided a lot of extra value above and beyond what your company does. Can you talk a little bit about that?

Cita Doyle: Absolutely. A lot of it is about giving back to the industry and really understanding what the industry does. Robb, Hedgie, and Tony nailed it. It’s about partnerships, but it’s also about understanding what their pains are, and where you fit into the scheme of it all. We have to empathize with the challenges retailers are dealing with, and what we can do to help.

Sometimes, it may not be offering what your product or solution is. Sometimes, it’s introducing them to another solution provider that can help with their needs. To do that, you really need to understand what they are dealing with and the different challenges they’re facing.

We wouldn’t be where we are today if we didn’t learn to become an extension of our clients’ teams and understanding what we could do to help. That’s really made a big difference for us, and why we’ve invested so much in certification. It’s why we help their teams become better educated as well by providing certifications to them, helping our colleagues and their employees grow.

LPM: If you had to name a common mistake that solution provider partners make, what might that be?

Bartol: An unwillingness to openly listen. Too often we already have our minds made up, assuming we’ve answered our own questions. With any conversation you have, it’s important to listen and be willing to accept a different way of looking at things, or a different way of thinking. The other thing I would add is the essential need to be open, honest, and willing to have a conversation. I’ve had many folks in the industry that have been very candid and honest with me, leading to some of the best conversations I’ve had. And at the end of the day, we were able to find a resolution. It may not have been the resolution that I would like, but it’s a resolution, and I’m still gratified by having helped get there.

LPM: We’re going to put you on the spot here a little. What do you think is important to look for in a practitioner partner from the solution provider’s perspective?

Sheppard: I think it’s the ability to truly communicate, whether sharing thoughts and ideas or the willingness to actively listen. We as solution partners need to listen to our customers. You’ve got to be receptive. But I think that goes both ways. There’s knowledge, information, and experience on both sides.

It can only add value when retailers are receptive to your suggestions, even if they don’t decide to go in that direction. When they’re willing to listen, we can come up with the best solution that makes the most sense. An unwillingness to consider other options or opinions can be counterproductive, rather than showing the ability to be open to discussions that might ultimately be to their benefit. When we’re talking, we’re not learning. Communication is a two-way street.

Northrup: It’s also about finding the retailer that’s equally engaged in the process. Testing different solutions takes time, and retailers have their own processes and timelines. But those willing to engage in the necessary back-and-forth dialogue, those retailers willing to be open and keep you up to date on the process while keeping their teams engaged in that process as well tends to make for a more successful outcome.

There have been times when a solution is implemented and the follow-through or the communication just isn’t happening. And as a result, the solution isn’t as successful as perhaps it should be. Was it a good solution? Was it not a good solution? In those situations, it can be hard to tell. Finding retailers willing to be equally engaged with you in that process is important and leads to the best possible results.

Doyle: I think that it’s important that practitioners really share what their goals are, what they’re looking to achieve, and what their long-term strategy is. By having those components, they’re going to find a solution provider that is going to listen and really help figure out the best possible outcome. By establishing partners that can provide a longterm ROI and mesh with the overall strategy of their program and what they’re trying to accomplish, we find the best possible solutions for all involved. It’s a big win for everyone.

Jacque Brittain, LPC, is editorial director for LP Magazine Prior to joining the magazine, he was director of learning design and certification for Learn It Solutions, where he helped coordinate and write the online coursework for the Loss Prevention Foundation’s LPC and LPQ certifications. Earlier in his career, Brittain was vice president of operations for one of the largest executive recruiting firms in the LP industry. He can be reached at JacB@LPportal.com.