fulfillment

Surviving and thriving amid the global, digital shopping revolution, in which consumers fluidly browse and buy from their smartphones, computers and in store, calls for a supply-chain makeover. Pressed to offer consumers fast, flexible and even free product fulfillment and delivery in an omnichannel retail landscape, a crowdsourced, collaborative model is taking shape. Traditional roles are blurring as logistics companies, manufacturers and retailers work to meet the growing on-demand economy via the adoption of business intelligence supply chain technologies.

This RSR custom research report explores the impact of omnichannel methods on merchandising, marketing and the supply chain; specifically, what analytical capabilities address the challenges that omnichannel selling and fulfillment pose for retailers. Consumers today routinely begin their shopping journeys online, but complete their purchases in nearby stores, in their “home” stores or delivered directly to their doors. Retail analytics enables organizations to capture data from their customers' journeys. Retailers that successfully deliver relevant omnichannel experiences while gaining a more sophisticated understanding of demand (where and how it is initiated) will enhance their brands’ value and create compelling and profitable customer relationships.

"Unauthorized software, painful software license compliance audits, long fulfillment times, limited visibility, unaccountability... if these issues sound familiar, you are not alone. These are real challenges faced by many IT organizations - with serious consequences if not properly addressed. During our Software Asset Management webinar you will learn how having asset, configuration and other service management processes together in one system of record provides the control and visibility you need to overcome these challenges."

Online consumers are redefining the fulfillment landscape. Wholesalers need to unlock the value of integrated business data. Only full insight into all areas of the distributor’s business will provide the necessary clarity to make decisions they can stand behind. This confidence can be achieved only if they have the required data and technology at hand at the right time. The total technology investment is not small. But, it may mean the future viability of the wholesale distribution segment. Why now is the critical time to invest.

The key to order management success is to recognize that the product alone is no longer what is being sold, but the entire purchase experience from the point of view of the customer. Each retail task is a challenge that brings the customer and their needs to the center of the conversation. With the help of IBM Order Management and Watson Order Optimizer, your company can address the key challenges of optimizing inventory and minimizing cost-to-serve while delivering omni-channel services that satisfy your customers.

Flexible and quick fulfillment of online orders has become a differentiator for retailers in the battle for omnichannel customers. But omnichannel fulfillment is expensive and difficult to execute, eroding already thin margins and exposing fragile fulfillment systems. Furthermore, the amount of data that must be processed to ensure the most profitable transaction is more than a fulfillment professional can handle alone, with literally hundreds of decision points to consider.

"With the introduction of Oracle Database In-Memory and servers with the SPARC S7 and SPARC M7 processors Oracle delivers an architecture where analytics are run on live operational databases and not on data subsets in data warehouses. Decision-making is much faster and more accurate because the data is not a stale subset. And for those moving enterprise applications to the cloud, Real-time analytics of the SPARC S7 and SPARC M7 processors are available both in a private cloud on SPARC servers or in Oracle’s Public cloud in the SPARC cloud compute service. Moving to the Oracle Public Cloud does not compromise the benefits of SPARC solutions. Some examples of utilizing real time data for business decisions include: analysis of supply chain data for order fulfillment and supply optimization, analysis of customer purchase history for real time recommendations to customers using online purchasing systems, etc. "

For any retailer, having a streamlined, efficient warehouse can dramatically improve business operations. This Stitch Labs Guide offers seven tips to help optimize your warehouse organization and increase your productivity.

Any retailer will tell you that giving customers new, convenient ways to purchase a product is good for business. This Stitch Labs Guide offers four tips to help increase your sales channels without increasing your business complexity.

With 237 million active customer accounts, Amazon is often an appealing way for retailers to expand online sales. Learn how teaming up with this online marketplace can take your business to the next level.

From increasing sales to improving customer service and effectively testing marketing tactics, learn how streamlined inventory management can positively impact the critical aspects of your business.

From gathering data to building customer loyalty to closing a sale, more and more retailers are turning to free shipping. Find out what this attention-getting offer can do for your e-commerce site.

Manufacturing suppliers range from approved vendors and contract manufacturers (CMs) who only deliver materials and services to complex strategic partnerships. A transactional relationship based primarily on order fulfillment might work well for some companies. However, by taking a CM relationship to the next level of supplier-partner, organizations gain strategic benefits including cost savings, reduced risks, and optimized profits. The right cultural fit and the right-sized partner for your business can play a key role in building this long-term relationship.

Read this white paper to learn why retail supply chains that once assumed that customers would travel to stores and acquire whatever inventory happened to be there are now obsolete.

Download this whitepaper to discover how global companies are using innovative technologies such as beacons, dynamic pricing and adaptive analytics to flourish in the modern-day, next-generation retail world. Learn what they believe they’re doing well and where they’re struggling as they adapt to today’s rapidly evolving marketplace. These insights can help your business thrive in an increasingly disruptive retail landscape.

The goal of warehouse operations is perfect order fulfillment: to deliver exactly the items a customer ordered, on time and with optimal efficiency. The warehouse module of an enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution can help smaller warehouses achieve this goal. But ERP warehouse modules have limitations that can make it smarter for companies with more complex operations to turn to the added capabilities of an advanced warehouse management system (WMS).

This white paper outlines the challenges associated with IT Request Management and ten best practices that represent the hard-won knowledge from dozens of successful Service Request Management projects. By following these guidelines, your IT organization can provide more responsive service delivery, increase operational efficiency, and improve internal customer satisfaction.

Although typically thought of as an artifact of legacy computing, batch processes remain vital to today’s real-time enterprises. Behind the real time systems that power the real time enterprise, such as customer order fulfillment, account management, supply chain scheduling and optimization, or financial trading systems, are regularly-updated back office business systems. Over the years, batch technology has evolved from script-based automation to rules or policy-driven workload automation.

Batch Application Integration allows you to process critical transactions, such as payment authorizations, in real-time, and cue fulfillment (such as packaging and shipping) or other lower priority actions for batch processing. Learn more about Batch Application Integration, and how BMC CONTROL-M makes it possible.

Industry leaders are engaging in multichannel integration for some very good reasons. More effective cross-channel strategies lead to more satisfied consumers as well as more efficient, more profitable retail operations. In fact, as the survey indicates, consumers expect integrated multichannel experience from their favorite brands.

Learn from industry leaders on how to maximize omni-channel fulfillment, eliminating unnecessary costs and optimizing souring decisions. Read this ebook to learn about: How changing customer expectations require anywhere, anytime fulfillment of their orders and what this means for retailers How you can manage the rising cost and complexity of these increasing demand How AI technology can help you identify, and therefore minimize these costs, and determine the best sourcing decisions

In this report, Forrester reveals how order management systems (OMS) solve the omni-channel deficiencies of traditional systems, allowing retailers to orchestrate complex order processing scenarios - from the point of capture, through the supply chain, and to the point of fulfillment. Read the report today.

Experience IBM Watson Order Optimizer How can retailers efficiently leverage inventory from one channel to serve another without breaking the bank? See how IBM Watson Order Optimizer helps Fulfillment, Operations, and Inventory: Gain a holistic view of omni-channel operations across different functional areas Optimize in real-time against multiple, competing business objectives Utilize inventory at its most profitable price point Make better fulfillment decisions with cognitive insights

Hear from industry leaders on how to maximize omni-channel fulfillment, eliminating unnecessary costs and optimizing sourcing decisions.

Understanding how to optimize Omni-Channel Order Management is key to your business’ success. Today, consumers want seamless possibilities for selecting and receiving new products and services. Intelligent order management systems allows brands and retailers to make informed decisions on how to profitably satisfy customer expectations. It’s not just about understanding what you are offering in the present, but transparency and greater understanding of each aspect that impacts your inventory, fulfillment network, and capability to deliver across your channels.