Our People

Robert M. Amster

Mr. Amster has served the retail and distribution industries as both a Consultant and Systems Manager. He has been involved in retail systems design and management since 1971. He was a Senior Manager with the Northeast Retail Consulting Group of Ernst & Young. Prior to joining Ernst & Young, Mr. Amster held Systems Management positions for large retailers such as Kmart Apparel, Waldenbooks, and Caldor. In addition, he has consulted almost exclusively to retailers since 1985. Mr. Amster's hands-on experience encompasses strategic planning; operational reviews; and systems design and implementation. He specializes in needs assessments; software analyses, selection and implementation; operational procedures; and systems integration. His project experience includes numerous engagements in the evaluation, selection and implementation of merchandising, financial, warehouse and store systems, as well as IS organizational reviews, strategic planning and a host of special projects. In addition, Mr. Amster provides assistance to investment firms in due diligence efforts. Mr. Amster has served on various boards, where he provided retail and fulfillment industries perspective. He has published in Computerworld and Retail Tech magazine, has been quoted in other retail trade publications, and has given executive briefings on information technology in retailing. Mr. Amster began his retail systems career at Kmart Apparel.

Barbara V. Anderson

Barbara V. Anderson has served the retail industry as a consultant, lecturer, author, marketer, and systems specialist since 1977. Ms. Anderson has been involved with the development of leading-edge systems. She has continually pursued next generation concepts and technologies. Ms. Anderson's industry experience includes Grocery and Drug, Hard Lines and Soft lines. Particular areas of expertise include Supply Chain and Inventory Management including Forecasting, Order Determination, and Load Building, Store and DC Replenishment, Assortment Planning and Size Spread Analysis, Promotion and Price Management, Space Utilization, Category Management, and Data Mining Applications. A widely respected consultant, Ms. Anderson has worked with many leading retailers in the US, Canada, Asia, and Europe. Her efforts have included Cost/Benefit Studies, Packaged Software Selection, Overall System Requirements Definition and Design, System Audits, Design Review, System Implementation, Training Programs, and Management Decision Facilitation. Ms. Anderson has worked with leading software companies in product direction, design and development. Projects have included Market Identification, Product Strategy and Development, Partner Strategy and Development, Product Design and Improvement, Customer Identification, Marketing Collateral Development, and Customer and Partner Presentations. For many years, Ms. Anderson has spoken at industry seminars and conferences throughout the US and Europe. She was a featured writer in several trade journals including Progressive Grocer, Retail Systems Alert, and Frozen Food Age. She created and presented a series of seminars for retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers including:

• Computerized Buying,
• Forward and Diversion Buying,
• Data Mining in Retail, and
• Computer Assisted Ordering (CAO, store-level reordering).

Quorum books published Barbara's newest book, "The Art and Science of Computer Assisted Ordering, Methods for Management". This book has been used worldwide by retailers, consulting firms, and software developers for automated store ordering implementations.

Robert M. Berger

Mr. Berger has had over twenty-five years of experience in retail, distribution and computer automation. He specializes in retail automation, including decision support, inventory control, store systems and expense reduction. He began his career position at Sears, Roebuck and Company. In the parent organization he developed and implemented the nation's first large scale Point of Sale system and directed several national expense control projects. For the next several years, he designed and managed retail, catalog order and warehousing systems including the Sears National Distribution System, which was a pioneer methodology in distribution center automation. At Primerica's Musicland Group, he managed all retail systems projects including inventory control and POS. As a founding member of Home Express, a venture capital financed retail startup, he was first responsible for the systems functions, warehousing, distribution and administration as Administrative Vice President. He joined Oracle, founding the Oracle Retail Office, where he established Oracle as a significant retail presence by increasing its Alliance and Customer relationships. He also initiated industry versions of software templates, and data warehousing and participated in the origin of retail content for interactive television. Berger Management Services specializes in assisting medium and large retail chains in matters regarding planning, decision support, expense control, the selection of store and host systems and the restructuring of operations to gain efficiencies. In addition, he consults internationally to computer hardware and software manufacturers concerning the shaping of their offerings to best fit the retail marketplace. Bob specifically focuses on providing retail content and advanced methods of decision support in customer loyalty programs, merchandise placement and promotional effectiveness.