"Predictive commerce" is a new concept that links customer demand data, planning and the execution of transportation. Pat Smith, general manager of ToolsGroup, tells how it was implemented at Costa Express, the U.K.'s fastest-growing coffee shop chain.
The popular online purveyor of skin care and beauty products undergoes a natural process of maturing. Rapid sales growth dictates that the Seattle-based merchandiser hire an outsourcing partner to handle order-fulfillment duties in the eastern U.S.
Enterprises are increasingly adopting asset-management systems that record location data from more vantage points, and with greater precision, to be analyzed and visualized, says Randy Rhodes, a Gartner analyst.
A hot topic among retailers, customers and logistics professionals alike for years, omnichannel fulfillment is finally here. Whether shopping in person, buying online and picking up in store, or having merchandise sent directly to them, customers expect access to the same inventory.
Achieving forecast accuracy is both an art and a science. Rahul Tyagi, associate director of retail and CPG with TCS, explains how the science part can help companies to solve this thorny problem.
"Planning for disruption" can seem like a contradiction in terms, but there are measures that food companies can take to protect themselves from the inevitable crises that threaten to derail their supply chains, however unpredictable they might be, says Brian Benjamin, senior director of strategic accounts with Havi Global Solutions.
Epicor Software Corp. has made generally available version 8.7.9 of Epicor Eclipse, its enterprise resource planning (ERP) software for wholesale distribution.