How does replenishment work in your warehouse? It is probably very manual, lots of paperwork and different stakeholders involved making it impossible to be be agile and efficient. Because of that I thought it was important to introduce you to a company that is revolutionizing this. Andrew is the CEO of ShelfAware, a company that helps suppliers see in real-time what is on their customers’ shelves through hardware tracking RFID technology. This technology allows companies to see the exact moment a customer takes an item off the shelf, how many items they take and how much is needed to replenish stock.
Using RFID technology together with real-time software means that suppliers can easily replenish stock without worrying about waste, workers don’t have to waste time counting items and companies can gather data on their customer habits. From a cost effective standpoint, everyone wins. ShelfAware works as a 3rd party SaaS (Software as a service), so they don’t need to touch the product at any point in the supply chain. The software connects with a tracking code that can easily be printed by the supplier and is put on the product itself.
Who is ShelfAware’s ideal client? As Andrew says, he keeps discovering new industries this system could be useful for. They started with industrial suppliers and manufacturers, but anyone from a dentist to a large scale conglomerate can make use of their product and software. Andrew has helped businesses drastically lower inventory without losing the rate at which they replenish items. Once again, this is proof that collaborating with other companies can make them stronger together.
Lastly we get a sneak peek into Andrew's new show on The SC Supply Chain TV on Youtube called From the Frontlines where he brings us into the frontlines of business, entrepreneurship and supply chain!
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Alloy was founded 4 years ago when Joel and his co-founders realized there was a huge lag between supply chain and the retail industry. From the very beginning, the company focused on customer centricity and invested most of its resources into R&D. Now, Alloy helps everything from small companies to Fortune 500s optimize their supply chain by connecting their data to customer demand. Focusing on customer experience for not only their customers but their customers, customer has been their key to success in this very competitive landscape of supply chain technology.
The main challenge when it comes to retail supply chain is the huge shift in consumer habits, partly due to e-commerce. Nowadays, consumers expect a seamless customer experience, an infinite amount of stock and personalized offers. However, realizing that that there is a direct mis match between customer demands and retail distribution, Alloy were really able to dive deep into this challenge and come up with solutions that are not seen on the market yet, that is why they have a growing base of some of the biggest names in retail. Alloy really wants to make sure that their clients supply chains are giving them a competitive advantage and they do that by helping retailers coordinate all the different moving parts of their supply chain.
The landscape and technology is constantly evolving, so how does a startup like Alloy adapt? You guessed it: collaboration. Right from the beginning Alloy was partnering with companies and made sure to be grounded to real world problems. As the number of partners and clients increased, the more they were able to take a holistic approach to resolving their clients’ pain points. Alloy’s future involves more effort on the data side through R&D, and more specialization of every element of the supply chain.
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Today’s special episode features Scott and Greg from Supply Chain Now! Scott, Greg and Sarah have a lively discussion about whether we are seeing the death of the end-to-end supply chain. You will also hear about how the circular economy and supply chain is the answer plus how the role of sustainability will play out with consumers and the future of consumerism.
Organizations have spent a lot of time and money trying to perfect their end to end supply chain, but Greg says the circular supply chain is here to stay. The circular supply chain consists mainly of turning waste into opportunity. As the world’s resources become increasingly limited, companies are having to look for other ways to source and distribute their products and services. This, together with a huge shift in consumer behaviour towards sustainable practices, means companies will soon have no other option but to adopt a circular mindset.
How can companies adopt a more sustainable supply chain? Sarah talks about collaborating with startups in order to find innovative solutions and challenge the status quo. Scott and Greg talk about the importance of changing mindsets and focusing on customer experience. This includes encouraging suppliers to take on more responsibility and looking for materials that are economically viable, sustainable and convenient for the customer (like 3D printing, for example). Companies should put more effort into building a brand and communicating their concept and vision, as well as identifying specific ambitions and building business cases. Some best practices include educating employees, finding the right KPIs and being willing to “do good” and talk about it.
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Angie has worked in supply chain all her life, with her earliest career memories involving a master thesis and meeting Ted Ruhly, the CEO of Maersk. Since then, Angie has continuously sought career growth and built extensive experience within the industry. Featuring Angie in our "women in supply chain" series has a personal significance to Sarah and is a career highlight for Angie with all her hard work in helping to close the gender gap. In this episode, Angie talks about the guidance she received from her father, why she is passionate about this industry and how the people make all the difference.
Angie’s main challenge in supply chain was the pushback she got from colleagues and coworkers when she advocated for change and innovation. Angie knows that disruption is what encourages progress, but it can be difficult to implement when leaders are being pulled in so many different directions. As a woman in supply chain she has worked hard to challenge the status quo at all times in her career in order to encourage more diversity amongst male and female leaders.
What’s her advice for the younger generation? She explains that it’s worth exploring the different partnerships your universities may offer. Be willing to go to conferences and reach out to leaders, look for ways to optimize the supply chain ecosystem and consider getting into cyber security. As she says, there is a shortage of talent and therefore many opportunities for students looking to get into the industry. For Angie herself, the future is focused on finding a healthy work balance and driving innovation forward.
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