By Margaret Core, Vice President, Marketing & Industry Relations & Dan Ratner, Senior Director, Member Services, FMI
The current pandemic has drastically impacted how we normally do business. As operating procedures shift, reliable, fast information has become critical. To meet the need and supplement our FMI Coronavirus Resource page, FMI has launched a knowledge sharing forum tailored for all subsets of food retail called FMI Jam, powered by SAP.
Through discussion-based forums, FMI Jam provides a valuable opportunity for participants to discuss topics of mutual interest focused on workforce, operations, supply chain, and worker safety. This allows community participants to compare approaches for addressing shared challenges, gain new ideas for optimizing customer needs during COVID-19, and develop a network of industry peers as a knowledge resource in preparation for future crisis situations.
“At the beginning of the pandemic, when the FMI team was helping to support the industry in so many different areas, we saw a need for FMI members to have a private and secure site to discuss key issues,” commented Mark Baum, FMI senior vice president for Industry Relations. “We turned to our long-time industry partner and Associate member, SAP for possible solutions and through their Jam platform, FMI Jam was born.”
In addition to Jam, SAP has provided other complimentary services for the food retail community to include Thrive Global, SAP Qualtrics Remote Work Pulse, SAP Remote Readiness & Productivity Academy and SAP Ariba.
Matt Laukaitis, global general manager of consumer Industries for SAP, said, “FMI is the voice of the food industry – with a history of leading in times of crisis. We are proud to support FMI and the membership with a platform to collaborate on best practices and access critical information in real time. This has been grocery’s finest hour, as millions of consumers once again turn to their grocers for support. SAP is here to help the industry respond and heal from the impact of COVID-19.”
Within the topic forums, there are currently discussions on leading your company at every level, FMLA changes, temporary workers, worker safety and customer safety resources, SNAP funds, remote auditing and more. In addition to discussions forums, FMI Jam has 100+ PPE resources organized for you to discover, print and explore.
FMI members are cordially invited to take part in this private, FMI member community, to provide connections and answers to your critical business operation questions.
To request access, please complete this form. Here’s a handy FMI Jam Quick Start Guide. For the purpose of open forums, no media will be part of the FMI Jam Communities.
Also, we're hosting FMI JAM Sessions where FMI subject matter experts will be available for live online discussions in the community. Join in one of these sessions below.
Operations & Asset Protection (including Civil Unrest Guidelines)
- Thursday, June 18 from 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. EDT with Doug Baker &
Chad Ross
Worker Safety & Health and Well-Being
- Thursday, June 18 from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. EDT with Hilary Thesmar
- Thursday, June 18 from 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. EDT with Adam Friedlander
Industry Topics address your specific area of expertise with resources, reports, events and more.
Our Research covers consumer behavior and retail operation benchmarks so you can make informed business decisions.
Events and Education including online and in-person help you advance your food retail career.
Food Safety training, resources and guidance that help you create a company food safety culture.
Government Affairs work — federal and state — on the latest food industry policy, regulatory and legislative issues.
Get Involved. From industry awards to newsletters and committees, these resources help you take advantage of your membership.
Best practices, guidance documents, infographics, signage and more for the food industry on the COVID-19 pandemic.
