E2E retail supply chain must strengthen to meet changing shopper needs

Shoppers adapted quickly to the pandemic, switching to buy groceries and other consumer items online and many, if not most, won’t be changing their habits anytime soon.

The ease with which shoppers moved has accelerated change in the retail industry, which in turn has created challenges and opportunities in supply chains.

DSV is actively developing solutions in FMCG, consumer health, white and brown goods, food and, particularly, fashion and apparel – and it’s necessarily a learning curve as Covid19 accelerated the growth of eCommerce by at least five years.

It was not long ago that retail implied consumers buying goods in a store, but today it involves multiple channels, all of which are connected and simultaneously available to the consumer. Shoppers still want to visit stores for the social and sensory experiences they offer, but telephones, social media, mobile phones and the web have all become part of this integrated omnichannel marketing experience.

DSV is meeting the challenge head-on by deepening understanding of client industries and analysing consumer behaviour – and then exploring how we can innovate in the supply chain to improve both the shopper and client experiences.

However, while end-to-end supply chain solutions offer seamless experiences, forwarding, warehousing and last mile delivery have their own operational and technological peculiarities and integrating them is not always straightforward.

Managing supplier behaviour is perhaps more important in the retail vertical than any other, and key elements include synchronizing with suppliers around shipment window planning, booking on time and adhering to quality requirements.

Partnerships which deliver multiple options are crucial too, particularly with carriers and bond stores, and this is particularly important when disruption occurs and around peak seasons or events, when demands spike and resources need to be adjusted accordingly.

The pandemic has disrupted supply chains making supply chain forecasting and using our Purchase Order Management more critical than ever before to restore stability and predictability.

Our easy-to-learn and easy-to-use modular support function for inbound operations provide visibility and proactive control of critical events within supply chain processes while saving capital investment and manpower.

This service is designed for small, medium and large companies and enables proactive, pre-emptive and predictable, cost-efficient control of product and material flows from a supplier to an inbound facility or warehouse. We give you the basis on which to take fast decisions upstream and report exceptions at order, item or even SKU level.

So important has POM become that we see it as the conductor, with the rest of the supply chain as the symphony.

There are insurance and hijacking challenges to moving some shipments, and so we have devices that we hide in consignments that measure live location – should the need arise to track it – and it can measure humidity, which is a concern to many retailers when mould damages shoes or clothing, for instance.
 
But perhaps the distinguishing feature of the fast-moving retail environment is the human element – problem solving and negotiating alternative solutions often separate success from failure. Flexibility and responsiveness are critical features of successful retail supply chain solutions.