ChainLink Research CEO Ann Grackin will discuss how innovative companies are using excellence in B2B integration as a competitive advantage, particularly in service-based industries, in a webinar scheduled for 12 p.m. EST, Dec. 11, 2012.
Imagine a day in the not-so-distant future:
A woman strolls past "dress shop #12." A GPS application on her smartphone pings the store's CRM system, alerting it of the woman's proximity to the store. The system automatically searches her purchasing history, connecting her most recent internet search for floral, pleated skirts to the last such skirt in stock now at Dress Shop #12 - in her exact size. The system then texts her a 10-percent discount on the desired item, along with the store's address.
The woman sees the store, enters and purchases the item. The transaction is processed and the sale is reported to the inventory system. A replenishment order is sent to a 3PL warehouse in the Philippines, and on the next delivery, a new floral pleated skirt arrives at the store.
The woman leaves with the merchandise, and before she gets home, an email is already waiting in her inbox providing a coupon for her next store visit.
Recent Intermec research reveals that in the last six months alone, 79 percent of warehouse managers have been tasked with finding an average 19-percent cost saving from existing operations. Despite this mounting pressure to cut costs and the need to find efficiency gains in every process, managers admit to losing time and money through known inefficient workflows.
The payment point in a retail environment is an under-utilized opportunity to up-sell and cross-sell. It says that both retailers and brands could benefit from considering ways to capitalize upon this crucial step in the consumer journey, as apart from driving sales, it is an excellent moment to increase customer loyalty.
ERP software was notorious for years for its tenuous usability, due to the software's overall complexity and lack of appropriate technical instrumentality to provide desired interface features. Not any more.
In today's rapidly changing market, companies are increasingly competing on the efficiency, effectiveness and agility of their supply chains. Much has been written about the agility of Apple's supply chain - a recent article in The New York Times highlighted this when they described how Apple switched from plastic to glass screen six weeks before the launch - and in that time-frame they had to find a new supplier, perfect the fabrication of samples, and get to production-level volume. In a recent Gartner survey Apple was at the top of the list in key metrics, including inventory turns (Samsung's inventory turn was 17.1, while Apple's was 74.1).
Projected cost modeling can help supply management organizations reduce procurement costs and generate information that could improve cost performance throughout the supply chain. Supply management professionals are aware that cost is often an important factor in making an informed business decision. And cost models can turn cost data into cost information, which can help organizations make better business decisions.
Over the last two decades, businesses have worked feverishly to optimize their physical supply chains. Virtually every discussion about improving the supply chain has been centered on the physical movement of goods - the flow of products from raw materials to consumption. However, a growing number of companies are now taking a similar interest in optimizing the flow and management of the information related to these products.
