Supply Chain Management Special technology report
“As manufacturers seek solutions that leverage the benefits of Supply Chain Planning applications without the traditional investment of implementing on-site technology, Cloud computing comes into play. Cloud computing and SaaS enables manufacturers to improve forecast accuracy and provide more reliable demand visibility, leading to enhanced customer delivery performance, improved cash flow and reduced inventory across the supply chain. Furthermore, the metrics are quantifiable – the ability to deploy sophisticated planning solutions in just a few weeks and with minimal staffing requirements creates an exciting new opportunity for manufacturers to rapidly optimise operations, respond to new market challenges and reduce costs.”
Revisiting with the multichannel theme he cited earlier, Sears-Black believes that, in the near future, in-store assistants will require very different skills and technologies to deal with customers who have comprehensive
information on their own smart-phones about competitive pricing, product availability and alternative products. “To maximise sales in this situation the assistant has to be a ‘supply chain’ expert,” he claims, “able to offer convenient service at a competitive price, knowing how to get the goods to the customer in the way they want. This service requires stock visibility on the shop floor and the flexibility to reserve or deliver stock instantly.” Campbell foresees an increased level of Cloud and SaaS offerings, and more one-stop-shop solutions for end-to- end business requirements.
Sears-Black believes that to deliver their new supply chain and IT skills – for example scheduling deliveries from supplier or
arranging a pick-up in-store – shop
assistants will be able to use tablet computers to obtain instant supply chain visibility, as well as process payments and triggering complex processes to ensure the customer gets the goods. “This sort of mobile distributed selling enables the shop assistant to take the customer the entire way through the process,” said Sears-Black, “checking stock levels in alternative stores, distribution centres and suppliers, identifying available items, processing payments and fulfilling the delivery. This approach will be an increasingly important element in ‘zero- disappointment retailing’ – not only increasing customer satisfaction with a greater chance of repeat business, it can also increase order take by several per cent and millions of pounds.”
www.logisticsit.com
October 2011
MANUFACTURING &LOGISTICS
IT 17
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