Retail

Retail Not Using Big Data to Its Fullest Potential, Study Finds

March 21, 2014

While retailers are facing challenges in delivering the reporting functionality that business users need to enable data-driven decision-making, they are optimistic about Big Data's ability to provide breakthroughs in analysis capabilities across a number of retail processes, says a study by 1010data Inc. In fact, almost all surveyed executives (96 percent) agreed that Big Data initiatives are important in helping retailers stay competitive. They said Big Data insights are most beneficial for merchandising (53 percent) and marketing (48 percent), followed by store operations (42 percent), e-commerce (42 percent), supply chain (27 percent), finance (23 percent), and loss prevention (21 percent).

How Can Marketing and Supply Chain Ever Get on the Same Page?

March 20, 2014

SupplyChainBrain

Analyst Insight: Let's start at the very beginning. Supply chain DNA is focused on costs while providing acceptable service to customers. Marketing DNA is focused on revenues that come from the sales and services. As a result, the only shared value between marketing and supply chain people is the recognition that "stuff has to get to customers." To marketing, the term "minimize" only relates to the number of times a customer is dissatisfied, whereas to supply chain, "minimize" is the Holy Grail. – Robert Sabath, Principal Essentialist SCM, Trissential

Where Is RFID Going - and Where Is It Taking Us?

March 20, 2014

ChainLink Research

Behind the scenes the electronics industry is leaping into brave new worlds of printed electronics, electronic inks, and laser Nano and other innovations. Quite frankly we don’t think any of these innovations will mightily impact the current trajectory of RFID as we know it today. But in our life time there will be radical changes.

Vendors Strive to Make Software Collaborative, Workflow-capable, Easy to Use

March 19, 2014

SupplyChainBrain

Analyst Insight: Consumers now demand that their software solutions be flexible, configurable and are able to accommodate business changes without much business impact. Enterprise software vendors have been forced to shift their dated SOA and legacy-based architecture to more adaptable and configuration-friendly solutions that allow consumers to adjust to changing business practices and processes. – Dylan Persaud, Managing Director, Eval-Source

Rwanda Tops African Retail Development Index for Market Opportunity

March 19, 2014

A.T. Kearney

Rwanda, Nigeria, Namibia, Tanzania and Gabon occupied the top five places of the inaugural A.T. Kearney African Retail Development Index (ARDI), a new study designed to help large, organized retailers determine where and how to best enter Sub-Saharan Africa’s rapidly growing retail market.

Will Ocean Carriers Scuttle Their Future (Again)?

March 18, 2014

Robert J. Bowman, SupplyChainBrain

It looks as though we're in for a year of continued economic recovery and job growth, however gradual. That should be good news for ocean carriers - assuming they don't undermine their own success by flooding the market with capacity, then engaging in rampant discounting to fill it.

Green Beer: Anheuser-Busch In-Bev Taps Into Sustainability

March 14, 2014

Robert J. Bowman, SupplyChainBrain

Anheuser-Busch InBev has laid out a five-year path to sustainability.

What's Next for the Omnichannel Experience?

March 14, 2014

Chris Cunnane, Senior Analyst, ARC Advisory Group

Negotiating the Value of Flexibility

March 13, 2014

SupplyChainBrain

Analyst Insight: The sales and operations planning process has fairly deep roots in most companies. Research by SCM World shows that many have been able to extend the process across most internal functions. However, few companies have extended the process externally to trading partners. The incentive structure of buyers and sellers tends to set these groups at cross-purposes. Flexibility pricing can shift the incentives in a direction that forces companies to negotiate the value of flexibility. - Barry Blake, Vice President, Research, SCM World

Facing the Titans: Build Your Offense to Compete with Amazon and Walmart

March 13, 2014

SupplyChainBrain

Analyst Insight: The titans of business, Amazon and Walmart, are doing an awesome job of growing their companies and transforming the way the marketplace functions. They're innovating supply chain operations and how they are responding to the needs of the customer. They're creating tremendous disruptions that are forcing everyone to play catch up. Lastly, they are on the offensive. They are creating benefits for their customers at such a rate that all other companies are playing at a disadvantage. - Jim Tompkins, CEO, Tompkins International