Inbound Logistics | December 2022

RETAILRETHINK 4. FLEXIBLE LOGISTICS EXECUTION. Whether products are moving upstream or downstream, flexible logistics plans create a greater need for order visibility, track-and-trace capabilities, and sophisticated planned alternative options. Even the simple option of leaving tailored delivery instructions can boost your logistics agility and increase customer satisfaction. By designing greater flexibility and transparency in your retail touchpoints, you can enable greater trust in your processes and improve the quality of your customer promise. As you design a customer-centric supply chain, leverage technology and processes that boost operational agility. Building an adaptable intelligent supply chain plan is not easy, but you can enrich the process. Consider customer demand at every step and prioritize clarity throughout the fulfillment experience.  n

Cultivating consumer trust and satisfaction stems from efficient and adaptable supply chain processes.

Cultivating consumer trust and moments of consumer satisfaction stem from efficient and adaptable supply chain processes. As you begin the journey to building customer-centric supply chains, here are four essential technologies and processes to integrate into your strategy. 1. DEMAND SENSING AND SHAPING. To adjust your supply chain to evolving demand patterns, leverage demand sensing and shaping technology. These tools lean on artificial intelligence, machine learning, and real-time data capture to enable alternative supply routes that ensure products move effectively through all supply and demand stages.

2. AVAILABLE-TO-PROMISE TECHNOLOGY. Informed by historical customer data, available-to-promise technology increases inventory visibility and helps you understand which orders you can realistically execute. With greater control over inventory and distribution planning, you can more accurately fulfill order commitments. 3. DYNAMIC INVENTORY. When demand patterns change, you need the right amount of inventory in the right places to fulfill consumer needs. Dynamic inventory enables granular management of inventory allocation and tracking, and facilitates phased order reviews to ensure fine-tuning of order allocations and inventory selections.

December 2022 • Inbound Logistics 29

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