Retail Supply Chain Insights Guest Contributors

  1. Automation Substantially Reduces Retailers' Cash Costs And Saves Labor Hours 2/15/2018

    If there’s any doubt about the impact of cash management solutions on the cost structure of retailers, consider this recent finding by IHL Group: Replacing manual processes with automation technology can save retailers an average of 200 to 500 labor hours monthly per store.

  2. Walmart Tightens OTIF Requirements: Strategies For Shippers 2/14/2018

    A recent article in the Wall Street Journal revealed that Walmart executives plan to announce a further tightening of their on-time, in-full (OTIF) policy to go into effect in April 2018. Whereas the previous requirement called for larger suppliers to deliver within a one- or two-day window 75% of the time or be assessed a fine of 3% of the cost of the goods in the shipment, the new requirement raises the target to 85%. Smaller suppliers will see their compliance target rise from 33% to 50%. OTIF targets vary by department, and some of AFN’s clients have seen higher OTIF requirements (as high as 95%) go into effect already.

  3. The Key To Robotic Picking Is To Learn Like A Baby 2/9/2018

    Machine learning is key to the future of robotic item picking. But how will it overcome the three V’s of volume, velocity and veracity? The key may be in mimicking how babies learn.

  4. Question And Answer – How To Break Six Bad Retail Planning Habits 2/9/2018

    Retail has changed a lot in just the last few years, never mind the past 10 or 20 years. In order to keep pace with today’s market and be prepared for the coming wave of even more demanding customers, retailers must eliminate their old and outdated habits before they can achieve improved profitability, greater sell-through and increased service levels.

  5. Modernizing The Exchange Of Supply Chain Data 2/6/2018

    About 15 years ago, I changed industries from healthcare to logistics. As I am an IT professional, you might think it was a jump from an antiquated, paper-based world to a high-speed, technologically advanced one. Actually, I’ve been surprised at the extent to which the exchange of supply chain data in the logistics world remains old-school or simply manual. 

  6. Top 5 Myths Of Shared Warehousing: Myth #1 – Making Goods “Retail Ready” Is Difficult 2/5/2018

    Many logistics executives in consumer packaged goods companies have come to believe that a shared warehousing environment generally requires that you sacrifice your ability to get your goods ‘retail ready’ – that is, ready to meet unique retailer requirements.  Learn more about how this misconception can get in the way of consumer packaged goods companies achieving 99.5% shipping accuracy from their warehouse operation.

  7. Parcel Lockers – A Retailer's Secret Weapon 1/30/2018

    ProShip’s Parcel Locker article is featured on Shep Hyken’s Customer Service Experience Blog and talks to how parcel lockers can benefit retailers.

  8. Buy In Bulk: The Retailers That Keep Thriving 12/28/2017

    Following our previous discussion on traditional retail brands and off-price retailers, another strong category of enterprises which managed to survive the latest disruptions are wholesale companies. These shops focus on selling goods in bulk to large families (and individuals) and small businesses. The most prominent examples are Costco, Sam’s Club, and PriceSmart. With smart investment in PIM solutions, all three were able to increase their revenue at a time of general market downturn.

  9. Reduce Holiday Supply Chain Headaches With Spend Analytics 12/1/2017

    ‘Tis the season when supply chains are under pressure to meet customer demands and to keep internal business procedures running smoothly. Companies not optimizing their holiday supply chain and procurement processes are subject to risk. Disruptions, unpredictable demand, increased customer service expectations, and the need for faster communication between buyers and suppliers have made maintaining a robust and efficient supply chain a necessity.

  10. Why Grocers And Grocery Wholesalers Should Use EDI 11/20/2017

    In the history of grocery operations, electronic data interchange (EDI) may have been one of the game changing developments in the last 30 years. Of course, we’re a little biased, but we’ve seen how EDI has greatly improved back office efficiency, helped operations reduce unnecessary staffing levels, helped reduce the number of errors and even cut down on late payments for suppliers.