This past February, we held a successful seminar on Performance-based Outsourcing, which combined case studies from leading companies with think tank discussions on the topic. This coming February 8-10 at the Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld Hotel in Orlando, Florida we’re applying the same learning and networking model to another timely and important topic in the supply chain and logistics industry:
Beyond the Perfect Order Metric: Bringing Together Supply Chain, Category Management, and Mobile Technologies to Improve On-Shelf Availability
As my colleague Steve Banker highlighted in a previous posting, a paradigm shift is taking place in the fast-moving consumer goods supply chain. A manufacturer’s job is no longer done when the goods arrive at the retailer’s distribution center (DC). Instead, a manufacturer must now collaborate with its retail partners to ensure strong, in-stock performance at the retail shelf, which ultimately leads to increased revenues and profits for both parties and more satisfied and loyal consumers. The perfect order metric, as traditionally defined, is still important, but no longer sufficient. Service levels and metrics linked to a customer’s shopping experience are more important than a manufacturer’s delivery performance to a retail DC.
Keynote Presentation by Bill Pollard, VP of Customer Service & Transportation
Many of today’s supply chains start and end at the retail shelf. And this perspective requires companies to better integrate, synchronize, and transform their supply chain processes. For example, integrating demand management and replenishment processes with category management is a best practice that will differentiate leaders from laggards in the consumer goods industry (see “Why Can’t My Supply Chain Team Think More Like Category Managers?”). Likewise, tomorrow’s industry leaders will also leverage mobile technologies to streamline and optimize their merchandising and direct store delivery operations and to gain more real-time business intelligence, which will all contribute to further improvements in on-shelf availability.
This 1.5 day seminar is a must-attend event for supply chain, category management, and other executives interested in discussing and finding answers to the following questions:
- What are the root causes of retail shelf out-of-stocks? Why does this problem persist?
- How are leading CPG companies and their retail partners collaborating to address these root causes and improve on-shelf availability?
- What organizational and processes changes are required? Is better integrating supply chain with category management part of the answer? What are the right metrics to create organizational alignment and drive desired behaviors and outcomes?
- Which technologies will play an important role? What capabilities should companies prioritize? Are demand signal repositories and mobile technologies part of the equation?
- How do you develop the business case for making the necessary investments in people, process, and technology? What is the ROI and payback? How do you get the CEO, CFO, and CIO on board?
Bill Pollard, VP of Customer Service and Transportation at Del Monte Foods, will be one of the keynote speakers. Bill will share Del Monte’s experience and perspective on how CPG manufacturers and retailers can use demand-driven supply chain execution data to improve store level in-stocks and working capital results (ARC clients can read about Del Monte’s success in this area in “Shelf-Level Collaboration” published in March 2010). Stay tuned for other high-profile keynote presenters to be announced in the weeks ahead.
This seminar is a must-attend event for:
- Supply chain and other executives at consumer goods manufacturers and retailers with responsibilities in demand planning, replenishment, category management, merchandising, customer logistics, direct store delivery, and other functions linked to on-shelf availability.
- Third-party Logistics (3PLs) companies that provide supply chain and fulfillment services to CPG manufacturers and retailers
- Chief information officers and supply chain IT executives that support the supply chain organization in enabling business process transformations and new initiatives.
Due to the networking format of the seminar, attendance will be limited to only 100 executives from CPG, Retail, and 3PL companies. Early registration is highly recommended (and you also save $200 by registering before the end of the year). Reserve your place today to avoid missing out on this valuable learning and networking experience!
To register and learn more about the seminar, please visit the seminar website. I encourage you to check the website often as we continue to update the agenda. Also, if you have any questions about the seminar, please send me an email at adriang@arcweb.com.
I hope to see you in Orlando in February!
