roadmap retooling the global supply chain...order management systems to unify product de - sign,...

RETOOLING THE GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN Since the mass consolidation of the 1990s, major retailers’ have increased buying and

negotiating power, making it feasible to source more goods directly from manufacturers.

Proprietary products let them garner higher margins, offer better prices, control production

cycles and differentiate.

This has made the global supply chain increasingly sophisticated. It has also made retailers

more competitive — not just with products, but with how quickly and efficiently merchandise

is designed, produced and brought to market.

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R O A D M A P

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RETOOLING THE GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN

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Today, the U.S. imports $123 billion annually in apparel and footwear plus $130

billion in food, feed and beverages, according to the U.S. Census Bureau/Foreign

Trade’s, “U.S. Imports of Goods by End-Use Category and Commodity.”

Much of this massive import business is private label. For example, one third

of Target’s 2016 sales were generated by private brands in home, apparel, food

and consumables. In 2017, Target invested an additional $2 billion in proprietary

lines. Among other chains, Costco and Macy’s each generate 20% of revenue from

private labels. At JCPenney (44%) and Kohl’s (46%) private label represents huge

volume. At Walmart, it is 15%.

But changes in the sourcing landscape are presenting

challenges. Retailers have traditionally sourced in

countries with low tariffs and low labor rates, often

jumping from place to place. As third-world economies

improve, this has become increasingly difficult.

Sixty-nine percent of chief procurement officers

expect sourcing costs to escalate within 12 months,

according to McKinsey & Co.’s “CPO Survey.”

Retailers must also compete with technologically

charged fast fashion retailers like Zara. Cycle times of

three to four weeks let them continually introduce fresh

new items. Traditional lead times are nine months.

McKinsey’s CPO Survey found 62% of companies want

to reduce lead times by two to eight weeks.

Time frames for changing orders are shorter. Ten

years ago, changes could take days; today, retailers

expect them within 24 hours. “Or the order is

cancelled,” said Ashesh Amin, COO of Adrianna Papell,

retailer of special occasion dresses.

Many design, ordering, production and other processes are still manual, dispa-

rate or not visible to the very long list of companies involved in the global supply

chain. This makes it difficult to accurately monitor, track and communicate activi-

annually in apparel and footwear plus

Source: U.S. Census Bureau/Foreign Trade, “U.S. Imports of Goods by End-Use Category and Commodity”

$123

in food, feed and beverages.

$130

The U.S. imports

BILLION

BILLION

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ties, leading to inefficiencies. “The expectation is you can push a button,” said

Amin. “If you haven’t invested in technology, you’re behind the eight ball and can’t

meet customer demands.”

Optimization solutions include PLM-based digital sourcing tools that streamline

communication and collaboration, eliminating disjointed e-mails, Excel spread-

sheets and handwritten notes. Another tool, blockchain, lets companies share

digital ledgers across networks of computers without a central “authority.” And no

single party can tamper with records.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning are being applied to planning, opti-

mization and demand forecasting functions to identify and predict problems and

potential solutions. And by linking technologies across complex supply chains, the

Internet of Things (LoT), can break down “silos,” facilitating monitoring, visibility

and traceability. Retailers are also discovering new RFID applications.

UNIFY OPERATIONS WITH REAL-TIME DIGITAL SOURCINGSaaS-based digital sourcing is relatively new to retail. These industry-specific

PLM tools let retailers “shop” digital showrooms created by manufacturers and

review product designs, associated costs and other details before buying. In

addition to speeding up the process, errors and travel costs are reduced and

responsibilities clarified.

Information is centralized in one cloud-based system, letting retailers virtually

view endless options in real time while collaborating with their team, regardless of

location. Users can input and view bids and timelines. Prospective costs are auto-

matically calculated. Retailers can view variations and “what if” scenarios.

Digital sourcing solutions can even make suggestions as to which suppliers to

69% Companies expect sourcing costs to escalate within 12 months. Source: McKinsey & Co., “CPO Survey”

I N D U S T R Y I N S I G H T S

Q What is the role of digital sourcing and how can it help optimize the global

supply chain?SUE WELCH: The role of digital sourcing is three-fold:• Digital sourcing allows retailers and brands to collaborate, sample and source across their sup-pliers 24/7. This enhanced collaboration reduces costs and improves efficiency across a global network and gives holistic control and visibility of quality, finance, compliance and logistics to all involved. Retailers can shop supplier showrooms before their overseas buying trips, which gives them and suppliers a visual concept of potential assortments in real time. The result: Retailers can see more vendors and products than they would during traditional trips. • Digital sourcing also fuels creativity by allowing retailers to tap into suppliers’ ideas and advice on trends, markets and big initiatives the suppliers are seeing across the industry.• It increases a product’s speed to market. With digital sourcing, retailers bring suppliers into the design cycle before a product is finalized, so by the time the parties are ready to commit to development, all involved have given feedback. Traditional product lifecycle management (PLM) is no longer enough. Digital sourcing is taking product supply chains to the next level.

Q What economic/market conditions have made it necessary?

WELCH: A few key contributing factors in the cur-rent market have made digital sourcing necessary including the intense speed of changing trends coupled with customer expectations for high quality, customizable products. Additionally, retail is in the middle of a digital revolution. With such intense competition in a complex retail supply chain, retailers are continually looking for new technology to stay ahead of ― or on pace with ― their peers. They’re used to shopping online or on their mobiles with the ability to share across multiple platforms with a single click, and want that same efficiency and effectiveness at their

jobs. With an influx of new data and analytics tools, as well as improved software and PLM systems, retailers are paving the way for digital sourcing to become a mainstream tool.

Q What technologies does it replace or consolidate?

WELCH: There’s a severe lack of understanding about the tools that are available today to help make sourcing easier. Most retail profession-als are relying heavily on generic programs like e-mail and spreadsheets to manage compli-cated sourcing operations. For example, 63% of respondents in a recent Bamboo Rose digital sourcing report said they use e-mail to organize their sourcing efforts, 72% use Excel and half use handwritten notes.

These methods don’t make for an efficient sourcing operation, so digital sourcing replaces all this clutter with a retail-specific PLM platform that helps increase collaboration, streamlines communication and doesn’t compromise quality.

QHow widespread is the use of digital sourcing throughout retail?

WELCH: Despite the clear need and benefits — aggregating all sourcing efforts through one source of truth and speeding up time to market — digital sourcing has yet to be fully embraced by the indus-try. The concept itself is still surprisingly foreign, but we are seeing steady growth in implementation as organizations recognize the need to continuously evolve and optimize to stay competitive.

Though many retailers haven’t adopted digital sourcing, those that have are already seeing their return on investment. For example, American Eagle Outfitters replaced its old sourcing and order management systems to unify product de-sign, sourcing and merchant processes across its internal organization. With such a complex supply chain (the company collaborates with more than 500 vendors in 29 countries), AEO needed better visibility into factory readiness of product. Digital sourcing helped American Eagle’s sales explode from $350 million to $3.5 billion

Digital Sourcing and the Global Supply Chain

Bamboo Rose is a leading platform connecting the retail community to discover, develop and deliver products at consumer speed. Our collaborative B2B marketplace plat-form combines modern PLM, sourc-ing, purchase order and sales order management, GTM and P2P. Learn more at bamboorose.com or find us on Twitter at @GoBambooRose.

“There’s a severe lack of understanding

about the tools that are available today to help make sourcing easier.”

SUE WELCH, CEO AND FOUNDER, BAMBOO ROSE

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use for various products. And, they pull up corresponding regulations data and cus-

toms documents. Supply chain visibility and transit tracking are also provided.

Eighty percent of companies believe the digital supply chain will be the predomi-

nant model within five years, and 16% think it already is, according to Deloitte’s

“The 2017 MHI Annual Industrial Report Next Generation Supply Chains: Digital,

On-Demand and Always-On.”

Adidas uses digital sourcing in producing its Neo line. The Millennial-directed

brand falls under its “in-season-creation” (ISC) buying program, a process that

allows it to react quickly to trends and sales patterns. Digital sourcing lets adidas

create showrooms to share concepts with stores, which provide feedback while

products are being designed so adidas can gauge responses and react. Technology

securely captures and catalogs replies.

Once products hit stores, retailers provide selling input, allowing adidas to quick-

ly rework orders up and down the supply chain and ensure the right products are in

the right markets. Issues inherent to poorly selling items are quickly identified and

addressed. Before, this process was manual and lacked retailer feedback.

“Only what is new is relevant,” said Herbert Hainer, adidas group CEO. “We have

to constantly reinvent ourselves to lead change. Speed will be a key competitive

advantage as we transform adidas into the first true ‘fast’ sports company.”

American Eagle, which also replenishes apparel in season, wanted to better

share information with suppliers 10,000 miles away. It also needed to halt the

burial of financial and other information in spreadsheets and e-mails that limited

visibility into key data.

The $3.5 billion retailer applied digital solutions focused on global sourcing, re-

tail product lifecycle management and global order management, putting multiple

80%Companies believe the digital supply chain will be the predominant model within five years; 16% think it already is.Source: Deloitte, “The 2017 MHI Annual Industrial Report Next Generation Supply Chains: Digital, On-Demand and Always-On”

I N D U S T R Y I N S I G H T S

Tata Consultancy Services is an IT services, consulting and business solutions organization that delivers real results to global business, en-suring a level of certainty no other firm can match.

“With a plethora of available digital

technologies such as machine learning,

artificial intelligence, blockchain, IoT, etc.,

there is understandably a race among retailers to be the first to adopt and implement these

in the supply chain and gain the first mover

advantage.”

DHEERAJ SHAH GLOBAL HEAD, RETAIL SUPPLY CHAIN PRACTICE TATA CONSULTANCY SERVICES LIMITED

Q How has the global supply chain evolved in recent years and what new challenges must

retailers address?DHEERAJ SHAH: With the advent of omnichannel, the need/thrust for an escalated customer experience is transforming the retail industry. The last 20 years have seen the supply chain evolve from a lumbering, invisible and inconspicuous cog in the wheel to an agile, conspicuous and pulsating entity that underpins the retail business and retail customer experience. Retailers now are trying to embed the rapid evolution of digital technologies into the supply chain for a successful “phygital” revolution to supply chain 4.0. The key is to focus on 4A’s to evolve into an Algorithmic, Automated, Anticipatory and Accelerated supply chain.

Q What are some key technologies that can help retailers adapt to a changing market?

SHAH: With a plethora of available digital technologies such as machine learning, artificial intelligence, blockchain, IoT, robotics, automa-tion, drones, autonomous driving etc., there is understandably a race among retailers to be the first to adopt and implement these in the supply chain and gain the first mover advantage. Many of these technologies are promising to change the world and make for a better organization. Retailers wish to embrace these digital interven-tions to provide game changing differentiation and a competitive edge, beyond just pricing and assortment. What is keeping retailers awake is the long list of unknowns it entails. It’s about moving beyond what to how and where.

Q How can retailers use blockchain to help optimize supply chain efficiency?

SHAH: Blockchain and/or similar technologies based on collaborative/consensus based cyp-tography enabled operations holds tremendous potential to deliver a transparent supply chain, predominantly in three key areas:

Provenance. To track the product journey from source to customer for assured authenticity and

easy recalls of defective product batch. Smart contracts. Transactions among disparate

partners that are prone to lag, error or demand trust can be reliably automated for more efficiency.

IoT backbone. Enhancing the reliability of sensor data through a meshed network of IoT sensors.

By maintaining and managing supply chain data, chain-of-custody information, and supporting autonomous transactions, blockchain can help retailers ensure customer trust. However, retailers have to consider that blockchain viability depends on careful selection of only the right products, which truly demand authentication. Deciding what to share and what to not will be a key determinant in success of blockchain on emerging private consortiums, which will be formed in the retail ecosystem with competing stakeholders on the same network.

Q What role does machine learning play in making the supply chain more secure, ac-

curate and efficient?SHAH: Machine learning in supply chain is an idea whose time has come. The next few years should see it pervade all aspects of the domain, and deliver unprecedented benefits.

First, with the algorithmic supply chain, where scientific algorithms automate and learn on their own using neural network based image process-ing. Second is the anticipatory supply chain, in which machine learning anticipates shipping for an event. Finally, there is the automated supply chain, which uses AI to help retailers with pro-cesses like auto-replenishment.

It is about identifying how machine learn-ing and AI can mimic simple human actions through automation but in its most esoteric form mimic human intelligence in totality. For example from NLP and bot-enabled partner communication mimicing human action, to deep machine learning algorithms for learning from past actions and its performance mimic-ing human intelligence.

The Future Is Now: Retail Supply Chain 4.0

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systems and vendors on one platform. Orders were automated via a simple select

and build process. Vendors can accept or make changes, collaborating with AE’s

team. Vendors respond to alerts to keep production information updated. When

shipments are ready, the vendor creates an advance ship notice, packing list and

invoice. This shipping/tracking process continues through the order’s receipt.

“It streamlines the whole P.O.

process, allows merchants to

understand and analyze their

businesses better, eliminates

errors caused by mountains of

Excel spreadsheets and ultimately

reduces data entry and training

hours,” said American Eagle CFO

Laura Weil.

American Eagle’s collaborative

communication with 500 suppli-

ers across 29 countries resulted in

factory readiness of product being

eight days earlier. Three weeks have been removed from the design lifecycle. And

the retailer has saved $2 million and reduced the cost of invoice processing 95%.

Digital sourcing is not just for apparel. Netherlands-based Action NL is using a

digital sourcing and product lifecycle management (PLM) platform to speed time

to market, reduce manual workload and operational costs, and provide the data

integrity and visibility needed for global sourcing. With 900 stores in six Euro-

pean countries, the $1.7 billion deep discounter sells toys, home products, HBC

and other non-foods.

“[This] different approach to PLM and sourcing focuses on speed and digital and

is in the cloud,” said Simon Hathway, buying and merchandising director, Action NL.

“The platform supports continued growth and sourcing at the lowest prices.”

SECURE TRANSACTIONS WITH BLOCKCHAINSome retailers — including Walmart — are addressing accuracy and security issues

We have to constantly reinvent ourselves to lead change. Speed will be a key competitive advantage as we transform adidas into the first true ‘fast’ sports company.

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with blockchain. Originating in the financial sector, blockchain records information

on a shared ledger or “block.” Users can immediately verify message authenticity

and identify attempts to alter information. Transaction sequences are preserved

and audit trails are continually updated. Spreadsheets, databases and e-mails are

eliminated, providing accuracy and transparency.

Blockchain can certify products that are frequently stolen or counterfeited,

including pharmaceuticals, luxury goods and electronics. It can also track food

“from farm to plate.”

Among retailers, 31% believe blockchain is a competitive advantage, 41%

support ongoing improvements, and 28% said blockchain has little/no impact,

according to Deloitte’s “The 2017

MHI Annual Industrial Report Next

Generation Supply Chains: Digital,

On-Demand and Always-On” report.

Walmart is among the believers.

In August, Walmart, Dole, Unilever

and Nestle teamed up with IBM to

research applications. They hope to

maintain secure digital records and

improve traceability of foods like

chicken, chocolate and bananas so

food borne illnesses can be traced

within seconds rather than weeks.

It is an opportunity to revamp data management across a vast network of farmers,

brokers, distributors, processors and regulators.

Efforts follow experiments launched in 2016 involving Chinese pork and

Mexican mangos. Working with IBM and Tsinghua University in Beijing,

Walmart began using blockchain to create an indelible transaction list showing

how meat flows through the network, from producers to processors, distribu-

tors and grocers.

For example, with sliced mangos, tracking information is input into the soft-

ware from a package label. Within 2.2. seconds, information regarding their

[Digital solutions] streamline the whole P.O. process, allowing merchants to understand and analyze their businesses better, eliminate errors caused by mountains of Excel spreadsheets and ultimately reduce data entry and training hours.

Laura Weil, CFO, American Eagle Outfitters

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origins from two farms in Mexico and stops along the way is reveled. In the past,

it took almost seven days to collect this data.

Frank Yiannas, Walmart’s vice president of food safety, used the E. coli spinach

outbreak of the early 2000s as an

example of why retailers should

be able to more readily attain such

information. “Consumers stopped

eating spinach. Restaurants pulled

it off menus. If you could pinpoint

where that came from faster, you

could alleviate that and ensure

confidence.”

Walmart also formed an industry

group to further discuss blockchain.

Members include Kroger, McCor-

mick & Co., McLane, Driscoll’s, Ty-

son Foods and Golden State Foods.

Howard Popoola, Kroger’s vp of

corporate food technology and regulatory compliance, said Walmart’s efforts have

given blockchain “legitimacy.” “The food industry is ripe for a solution like that.”

USE MACHINE LEARNING AND AI TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONSThe supply chain’s growth and complexity, coupled with increased data volume, make

it virtually impossible to extract all the insights needed to make informed decisions. As

more supply chain management devices connect to the Internet, the volume of data

continues to increase. These factors give artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learn-

ing increasingly prominent roles in the optimization of the global supply chain.

“Supply chain managers must take into account more data than anybody can pos-

sibly process,” said Nucleus Research analyst Seth Lippincott. “Most don’t understand

the full breadth of supply chain risks and aren’t prepared to respond effectively to

many potential disruptions.”

AMERICAN EAGLE’S APPLICATION OF DIGITAL SOLUTIONS RESULTED IN:• Collaborative communication with

500 suppliers across 29 countries

• Factory readiness of product eight days earlier

• Three weeks removed from the design lifecycle

• $2 million savings, invoice processing costs reduced 95%

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AI is the intelligence exhibited by machines by which they mimic humans’ cogni-

tive functions. Machine learning, sort of a close relative, gives computers access to

data and lets them “learn” for themselves. This involves rule-based algorithms and

computers that identify patterns and trends by automatically

analyzing large quantities of data.

Forty-seven percent of supply chain leaders believe AI is

disruptive to global supply chain strategies according to SCM

World’s “Future of Supply Chain” survey. And 50% of mature

supply chains will use AI and advanced analytics for plan-

ning and to eliminate sole reliance on short-term demand

forecasts by 2020, according to IDC’s “2017 Predictions for

Worldwide Manufacturing.”

In apparel, machine learning can detect patterns and trends

in supply chains that offer intensive insight into real-time prac-

tices and potential improvement. It can help make predictions

regarding inventory, raw material sourcing and shipping. It

finds the best predictive models and uses their historical data

to optimize supply chains and provide detailed business intel-

ligence. And, it brings to light potential problems.

Online fashion retailer Rue La La offers flash sales with limited time discounts

on designer apparel and accessories. Pricing and predicting demand is challeng-

ing, often resulting in quick sale-outs or excess inventory. It employed a combina-

tion of machine learning to predict demand for new items and estimate lost sales

followed by optimization to take into account competing styles and historical price

data when setting prices. Revenue increased 10%.

SEAMLESSLY CONNECT PROCESSES WITH IoTThe Internet of Things (IoT) helps retailers unify their supply chain operations. By

definition, IoT is the interconnectivity of smart devices through a network that ties

them together for the transfer of information. There are several way IoT can opti-

mize the global supply chain.

IoT solutions seamlessly connect business processes like shipping and receiving

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with people, data and things, like pallets, containers and transportation trailers, to

maximize efficiency. Next generation IoT solutions are more software centric, with

cloud technology and open architecture enabling connectivity of fixed and mobile

devices, sensors and actuators. This means ecosystem participants, like custom-

ers and suppliers, can easily become involved, as can different IoT devices. IoT can

help retailers comply with regulations, increase efficiencies and eliminate dispa-

rate functions.

IoT can facilitate quality control by automating handoffs, which are usually

done manually. When perishables are loaded from a warehouse onto a reefer, for

example, the reefer’s door could stay open too long, affecting temperature control

and quality. IoT makes monitoring easier. It also facilitates recalls in the event of

contamination.

It is predicted that the IoT market will grow from an installed base of 15.4 billion

devices in 2015 to 30.7 billion in 2020 and 75.4 billion in 2025, according to IHS

Inc.’s “IoT Platforms: Enabling the Internet of Things.” By the end of 2019 the use of

sensors for real-time information sharing across organizational borders will boost

manufacturing supply chain productivity 30%, predicts IDC in its “10 Projections for

Worldwide Supply Chain” report.

EMBRACE NEW APPLICATIONS OF RFIDMuch has been written about the benefits of RFID in tagging warehouse pallets

and, more recently, for item-level tagging in stores. But the technology is also be-

ing used for item-level DC tagging, providing more finite control over merchandise.

Italy-based apparel retailer Patrizia Pepe produces both traditionally scheduled

collections and smaller, weekly ones to keep offerings fresh. It wanted to improve

warehouse logistics, including acceptance of goods from manufacturing sites,

movement of items through the warehouse and packaging of goods for distribu-

tion to stores.

47% Supply chain leaders believe artificial intelligence is disruptive to global supply chain strategies.Source: SCM World, “Future of Supply Chain”

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The company tried bar codes, which had to be individually scanned within line of sight

and were time consuming, said Lorenzo Tazzi, information technology manager. With RFID,

up to 400 items can be scanned per hour; with bar codes, the rate was 180 to 200. Accu-

racy has also improved, he added. Today, all 2.2 million items have RFID tags.

In addition, RFID can help ensure food safety. Hy-Vee, which has 236 Midwestern

grocery stores, installed RAIN RFID tags that monitor foods that must be kept at different

temperatures throughout shipping and receiving. It achieved 100% cold chain monitoring

and management capabilities both inbound and outbound from suppliers, subsidiaries,

DC’s, transport carriers and stores.

Tags record time and temperature at pre-set intervals. Readers send data to servers

where algorithms are applied to data on a per product basis, allowing each product to be

evaluated according to its temperature guidelines. Hy-Vee uses data to refuse product,

investigate products and determine if items should be discounted based on a shorter

expected shelf life. Data evaluation time went from five minutes to eight seconds, a 97%

reduction. Once data is collected, tags are reused, reducing supplier costs by 22%.

“RFID is the only solution able to do 100% monitoring, because the tag can be reused

and it can be efficient as well,” said Kyle Oberender, safety director for Perishable Distribu-

tors of Iowa (PDI), a subsidiary of Hy-Vee. “We are running at full speed at the Hy-Vee DC

for all fresh items.”

THE WORLD CONTINUES TO SHRINK There is no end in sight to the ongoing growth in overseas sourcing. Not only can the

cycle not be reversed, but it is virtually impossible for companies to go back to an ear-

lier point in time.

In food, for example, consumers mainly ate seasonal produce in the past; today, they

50% By 2020 mature supply chains will use AI and advanced analytics for planning and to eliminate sole reliance on short-term demand forecasts.Source: IDC, “IDC Manufacturing Insights 2017 Predictions for Worldwide Manufacturing”

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want everything year round. And an influx of people from Mexico and the Caribbean

has increased demand for tropical produce. This means retailers must rely on worldwide

suppliers to make sure products like strawberries and avocados are “always” in season.

It also means substituting suppliers due to price, inventory fluctuations and weather to

make sure the strawberries keep coming. This — along with strict food safety regula-

tions — has forced the food industry to be more efficient.

Apparel and home are still lagging. Rather than using technological solutions to

generate efficiencies, retailers often took the “easy way out” by manufacturing in

economically disadvantaged countries. But higher living standards and crackdowns on

child labor and safety violations are forcing them to look for other ways of reducing

costs and boosting efficiency.

“Compared to other industries, apparel is still at the beginning of its journey,”

said McKinsey in its report, “The Apparel Sourcing Caravan’s Next Stop: Digitization.”

“Apparel companies have many inefficiencies to correct. Greater agility and flexibility are

critical if they are to give customers want they want when they want it.”

As the world grows smaller and the big retailers keep growing bigger, they will have

to adopt cutting-edge technologies to continually optimize the global supply chain and

stay competitive.

REQUIREMENTS FOR


Strategy• Segment highly competitive areas of business

that would benefit from shorter lead times, low production volumes and faster speed to market.

• Identify inefficiencies in the global supply chain that are slowing down production, require excessive labor or that frequently lead to error, accident or recall.

• Pinpoint processes where activities, records or accountability are difficult to track, monitor or communicate between supply chain partners, particularly when it comes to accounting, customs and compliance issues.

• Evaluate procedures from end to end to determine where big data can be used to make better predictions and pinpoint and avoid potential errors.

Technology• Utilize SaaS-based digital sourcing tools so buyers

can view everything from bids, timelines, associated regulations and transit tracking to product designs and virtual showrooms in real time.

• By securing and maintaining digital records on a shared ledger or “block,” detailed information can be accessed within seconds by all concerned parties.

• Machine learning finds the best predictive models and uses their historical data to optimize supply chains, making predictions regarding inventory, raw materials sourcing and shipping.

• Implement IoT solutions to seamlessly connect business processes like shipping and receiving with people, data and things to maximize efficiency.

• RFID tags improve warehouse logistics, including acceptance of goods from manufacturing sites, movement of items through the warehouse and packaging of merchandise for retail distribution.

REQUIREMENTS Every major business initiative requires a detailed assessment that examines the project’s impact on internal processes, technologies, strategic goals and costs. One objective of the assessment is to identify granular and high-level requirements that are essential elements in the project’s game plan. Managing and addressing these requirements is critical to success.

FIVE PILLARS OF AN OPTIMIZED SUPPLY CHAIN:

Real-TimeDigital Sourcing

1

Blockchain

2

Machine Learning and AI

3

Internetof Things

4


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RFID

5

roadmap retooling the global supply chain...order management systems to unify product de - sign,...

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