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Business Intelligence vs. Inventory Optimization: Are You Solving Symptoms Instead of the Real Problem?

22 January 2020

In my decades of working in replenishment and inventory optimization, I’ve noticed that many companies seek solutions to symptoms rather than the underlying problem. I want to let you in on a secret: software companies are happy to sell you[...]

Six Most-Read Supply Chain Planning Blogs of 2019

14 January 2020

Six Most-Read Supply Chain Planning Blogs of 2019

Happy New Year! 2019 is officially in the books, and it’s a perfect time to reflect on the past 12 months as we dive into planning for 2020. Throughout the year our ToolsGroup supply chain planning blog contributors kept you[...]

Four Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Inventory Planning and Sustainability

Four Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Inventory Planning and Sustainability

You can’t scan the headlines without coming across an article or advertisement about sustainability, but there is precious little information about how supply chain planning software supports green initiatives. I think it’s time we started spreading the good news: when[...]

Supply Chain Predictions 2020: Uncertainty Demands Resilience

10 December 2019

Supply Chain Predictions 2020: Uncertainty Demands Resilience

It’s been an interesting decade for supply chain: just when you think things can’t get any crazier, a new extreme weather event, political drama or tech start-up pops up, disrupting entire industries. Global supply chains are particularly vulnerable to the[...]

26 November 2019

Powered by State Resources, Chinese Companies are Advancing

Powered by State Resources, Chinese Companies are...

Will a Chinese company become your biggest competitor by 2025? This fall ToolsGroup was pleased to attend our Nordic partner Optilon’s annual Supply Chain Conference.[...]

13 November 2019

What You Missed at the Gartner Supply Chain Planning Summit

What You Missed at the Gartner Supply...

Last week was the exciting inaugural kick-off of the Gartner Supply Chain Planning Summit. If you were there, you likely sensed the electric atmosphere in[...]

30 October 2019

Four Ways Blockchain Will Transform Supply Chain…and Beyond

Four Ways Blockchain Will Transform Supply Chain…and...

Public ledgers dating to the Italian Renaissance may help us see the potential of today’s blockchain technology for data accessibility. I chuckled today at the[...]

15 October 2019

Understand the Three-Part Lifecycle of Your Promotions to Maximize Profit

Understand the Three-Part Lifecycle of Your Promotions...

The anticipation, the demand curve and spending patterns during the promotion, and the post promotion periods all require unique logic with machine learning to keep[...]

Infographic: Digital Transformation in Supply Chain Planning

Infographic: Digital Transformation in Supply Chain Planning

Digital transformation is a radical rethinking of how an organization uses technology, people, and processes to improve business performance. But even with the wealth of[...]

Digital Transformation in Supply Chain Planning: Barrier or Enabler?

Digital Transformation in Supply Chain Planning: Barrier...

Study shows most companies are still formulating and gaining support for a digital strategy, and fear of change is the biggest roadblock Has your company[...]

17 September 2019

‘Tis the Season to Make Sense of Seasonal Demand with Machine Learning

‘Tis the Season to Make Sense of...

Demand forecasting augmented by machine learning helps you better meet customer expectations with reduced inventory investment. Most companies view seasonality as a pattern of[...]

4 September 2019

With Brexit Looming, New Supply Chain Requirements Emerge

With Brexit Looming, New Supply Chain Requirements...

On October 31st, the United Kingdom will leave the EU, with or without an exit deal. This, combined with the 2019 EU election results that[...]

14 November 2019

Common Pains of Outdated Forecasting and Inventory Planning

Common Pains of Outdated Forecasting and Inventory...

Infographic: How to Win Big with Machine Learning for Demand Planning

Infographic: How to Win Big with Machine...

So you’ve done your homework and know that machine learning and demand planning go together like peanut butter and jelly. But whoa there! Don’t dive in quite yet.[...]

Supply Chain Planning BPO: What’s Driving It and Should You Get On Board?

Supply Chain Planning BPO: What’s Driving It...

You know that great feeling you get when you have an expert getting the job done? More and more businesses are hopping on the outsourcing[...]

Robots in the Building: The Positive Influence of AI for Supply Chain Planners

Robots in the Building: The Positive Influence...

Have you looked at a job listing for a supply chain planner recently? The planner’s role has expanded to include a combination of technical skills[...]

Keeping It Local: How Shorter Supply Chains Impact Supply Chain Planning

Keeping It Local: How Shorter Supply Chains...

After decades of longer and more global supply chains, some are becoming shorter and more localized. This trend has important implications to supply chain planning. [...]

The Franke Story: Three Points to Learn about Supply Chain Complexity

The Franke Story: Three Points to Learn...

Nowadays everyone’s writing and speaking about supply chain complexity, but not many are talking about how to turn around all that complexity and variability for[...]

Take Five: Quick Takeaways from the Gartner EMEA Supply Chain Executive Conference

Take Five: Quick Takeaways from the Gartner...

Back home today after a fantastic trip to Spain including the Gartner EMEA Supply Chain Executive Conference. I think with all the delicious fish I[...]

Five Things You Need to Know about Inventory Optimization in the Digital Age

Five Things You Need to Know about...

With all the buzz around digital transformation, someone peering in from outside supply chain may assume most businesses have already digitized essential tasks like inventory[...]

Points to Ponder from the Gartner Supply Chain Executive Conference…and One Unanswerable Question

Points to Ponder from the Gartner Supply...

“What was once considered disruption now becomes strategy”. This line from the opening keynote got me thinking about the continuous evolution of markets and customer[...]

The Absolut Company: Balancing Service and Inventory Creates a Delicious Mix

The Absolut Company: Balancing Service and Inventory...

The world’s #2 selling vodka brand leaves nothing to chance when it comes to quality and sustainability. Here’s how they teamed up with ToolsGroup partner[...]

Quick Start Guide to Using Machine Learning for Demand Planning

Quick Start Guide to Using Machine Learning...

Anyone who has done demand planning knows it is extremely complex, with forecasting challenges and rapidly shifting consumer demand, often exacerbated by seasonality, new product[...]

Featured Resources

eBook Why You Need to Adopt a Service-Driven Supply Chain Strategy

Executive Briefs Inventory Optimization

Executive Briefs Demand Forecasting & Sensing

Featured Resources

eBook Next Generation Retail Strategy

Executive Briefs Aftermarket & Service Parts Planning

Executive Briefs Telecom Retail Distribution

Featured Resources

Brochure Corporate Brochure

Blog What’s Your Forecast Accuracy Target for 2019?

eBook How to Optimize Inventory in the Digital Age

Featured Resources

Blog How Procter & Gamble is Thriving on Supply Chain Complexity

Video Telecom Provider O2 Drives Up Forecast Accuracy and Shelf Availability

Success story Lennox

Sales & Operations Planning Software S&OP provides the critical link between inventory, customer service and business performance by enabling cross-functional planning and bridging the gap between strategic planning and operational execution.

Promotions Planning Software Promotions Planning gives cross-functional teams the visibility to synchronize demand shaping campaigns and promotions with supply chain operations ensuring that inventory is in the right place to meet demand on a daily basis, right down to the store level.

Production Planning Software Production Planning provides unparalleled visibility, insight and control of the entire production lifecycle to improve efficiency and quality control, and service demand.

Inventory Optimization Software Inventory Optimization factors in multiple planning variables and probabilities to generate an optimal multi-echelon inventory plan for every item in a portfolio to achieve target service levels.

Allocation and Replenishment Software Allocation and Replenishment automatically calculates optimal inventory levels for both existing and new items to create a phased, time-series plan that achieves target service levels even in the face of demand variability and distribution complexity.

Demand Planning & Sensing Software Demand Planning & Sensing automates the creation of demand plans using machine learning and by incorporating detailed short-term demand signals and demand collaboration, it reduces forecast error and optimally deploys inventory.

Planning as a Service Planning-as-a-Service provides business-focused, technology enabled resources to help customers quickly achieve value from their SO99+ implementation. It accelerates time-to-value over a traditional implement and learn approach.