Demand Planning

The Demand Planning solution was created to meet information needs concerning future demand trends.

Alongside the power of forecasting indicators that help predict demand at different product classification levels (from sector to type to individual articles), this suite offers business support modules featuring simulation tools and instruments for collaborative management and data quality verification.

Data Quality

The Data Quality module allows users to identify and process outliers. This will improve the data item inputted to the forecasting/simulation/optimisation engines, with immediate advantages in terms of quality of results.

Demand Forecast

The Demand Forecast module produces accurate forecasts for individual articles, managing the quantities typical in retail. Through the Demand Forecast module, procurement can be improved for individual points of sale, preventing gaps on the shelf, optimising storage in warehouses, and managing products with a short shelf life (e.g. highly perishable articles) more accurately.
Forecasting activity takes into account all the factors that could affect product sales, starting from a baseline and then adding the effects of price, promotions, and changes in the assortment.

Collaborative

The collaborative component of the Demand Planning solution allows users to distribute information outwards (e.g. to individual stores in a chain) or to collect data from the periphery and then centralise it. Whether it is forecasts that need to be shared, or information to bear in mind when specifying a new forecast, Collaborative implements the joint planning process, enabling all the information available at all levels of an organisation to be channelled to the demand forecasting activity.

Long Term

Just as it is essential to have accurate short- and medium-term forecasts when deciding operational activities, having long-term forecasts is important for strategic planning. Through the R4C Long Term module, users can forecast food and non-food consumption (totals and by macro-sectors) within timeframes of over a year. Long Term allows then to analyse the application data, as well as macro-economic indicators (trends and forecasts concerning GDP, unemployment, the GDP/deficit ratio ...), business and consumer confidence indicators, and also trends and forecasts concerning production and commodity prices. Long-term forecasts can provide good information support for defining strategies and anticipating macro-trends.

What-if

The simulation component. With the What-If module, users can change the parameters associated with the business levers (promotional pressure, price scales, article quantities in the assortment) that have the most influence on sales forecasting by product category and identify the best strategies for achieving sales and margin targets.

Workforce

The optimal management of the resources employed in the point of sale results in better work organisation and higher customer service levels. The Workforce module lets users forecast the flow of customers to the store (day, time of day) and provides useful information for shift and staff planning.