Supply-chain technology firm Kewill has expanded its 'MOVE on the Cloud' hosted transportation management and order-fulfilment software platform to equip expanding grocery retailers and distributors to meet the challenges and reap the rewards of omni-channel.
Featuring integrated functionality for companies looking to manage their own order fulfilment, transportation planning and execution, it automates the entire process while providing complete supply-chain visibility and control from order placement to proof of delivery.
The solution combines key supply-chain functions -- order fulfilment, multimodal transportation, parcel shipping, customs compliance and warehousing -- with end-to-end shipment visibility and business-to-business integration.
For new grocery retailers and distributors, the ability to start utilising the system quickly and at a low cost can significantly enhance success by allowing the business to scale with minimal overhead increases in the critical initial months and years of business, when operating margins are tight, but orders (and potentially the list of suppliers) is rapidly growing.
Supermarket retailers and distributors rely on their suppliers to deliver goods into their warehouse or distribution centre, or directly to their customers, with this fast becoming the preferred option for mid-sized businesses, as it allows them to carry a much wider range without physically holding the inventory.
Although this reduces the complexity and cost of internal supply chains, where order fulfilment is completed by a third party, it becomes more difficult to ensure a consistent customer experience, and to maintain brand integrity through packaging and labelling. Any failure to deliver this potentially causes damage to a brand.
With Kewill, retail businesses can exercise complete control over the order-fulfilment process, especially in a direct-dispatch or drop-ship environment.
With more businesses in this sector making moves to flatten their supply chains, the ability to manage order fulfilment direct from supplier to customer has a significant impact on customer satisfaction and delivers bottom-line improvements.
“In today’s omni-channel world, customers are moving from a ‘right product, right place, right time’ mentality to an ‘any product, any place, any time’ expectation,” said Evan Puzey, chief marketing officer at Kewill.
Providing the ability for small to medium-sized retailers to utilise enterprise-class supply-chain execution solutions enables them to be better positioned against their larger competitors with the capability of providing an equivalent fulfilment experience at no extra cost to their customers, Puzey said.
@ 2014 ESM - European Supermarket Magazine To receive ESM news directly in your inbox, send an email with the subject ‘ESM news sign-up’ to [email protected].
To subscribe to ESM magazine, please email [email protected].
