Eric Hinkle

Principal Consultant

Retail Automation, Supply Chain/eB2B, Pricebook, Systems Integration, Data Integrity, Technical Support, Store Operations 

Eric Hinkle brings his in-depth retail and financial reporting automation to client engagements. Clients benefit from his strong retail automation background in centralized pricebook integration, store back office and POS systems, accounting, financial reporting, third party eB2B, and IT initiative management. He applies his extensive knowledge of enterprise systems and software to help clients deploy business-facing solutions, driving store automation of ordering, receiving, and store inventories/auditing, and store reporting.

Eric has served in many roles within the industry. As the Systems Integration Specialist for EG America, he provided support for a large-scale store integration into accounting system areas across all business functions. He facilitated store and pricebook setup, adding new vendors, new items, costs, and retails. Eric’s expertise guided the company through a move of their back-office accounting data from self-hosted to managed services and cloud-hosted server. He provided store level support and built processes to handle the daily paperwork receiving for 1100+ stores. As administrator of new hosted servers, he set up all users, maintained all security, and configured and scheduled all tasks for daily/weekly processes.

Eric also acted as Director of Centralized Pricebook for Kroger C-stores and Small Format where he developed and utilized hands-on training for the entire staff, including those with no or limited pricebook or c-store knowledge. He provided technical expertise in building new processes to support a newly formed centralized merchandising team for 650+ stores. Eric got his start with Town & Country Food Stores, Inc., starting in the stores and working his way up through the company – from Store Manager, Store Auditor, Pricebook Administrator, MIS Support Coordinator, to ultimately Director of Retail Automation.

Eric brings this first-hand knowledge to his client engagements, giving him a deep understanding of employee needs – what it takes to be in the store on the night shift, do the things store employees are asked to do, and the dedication of employees to their store’s success. He has shared his expertise with Conexxus as Chair of the eB2B committee and Vice-Chair of the Board of Advisors. Eric is specialized in many areas of integration with specific solutions, including PDI/RMS and current PDI/Enterprise solution, PDI/Store Assistant, PDI/FocalPoint, Relativity, Monarch, SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS), Business Objects, SAP, and Oracle Financial reporting.

Born in Des Moines, Iowa, Eric traveled to Truman State University, Kirksville, Missouri to gain his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with an emphasis on marketing and later earned his Master of Business Administration with an emphasis on management from Angelo State University, San Angelo, Texas. He holds the honor of serving in the U.S. Army Reserve, finishing top ten among his Finance Officer Basic Course classmates. His career led him across the country, eventually bringing him to his current home in Union, Kentucky, where he now spends time with his wife and family. He enjoyed his experience as a college soccer referee for the Lone Star Conference, American Southwest Conference, and the Big 12. He has dedicated time serving many roles for the Boy and Girl Scouts of America, he himself previously achieving the status Eagle Scout. Eric lives both his professional and personal life according to the infamous Boy Scout motto, “Be Prepared.”