LeadTime and Seasonality: Top 5 Replenishment Blogs of Summer

Hottest Summer Topics of 2013: LeadTime and Seasonality

LeadTime, Lead Time Forecasting and Seasonality /Market Trends are the top interest blogs (stories) from Summer 2013. Based on the number of blog viewers and average time each viewer spent on each page, the following five blogs are 3-1 favorites from Summer 2013. These blogs indicate the key areas that companies want to improve going into the key fall sales season in 2013.

LeadTime and Lead Time Forecasting Do’s and Don’ts

LeadTime and Lead Time Forecasting (LT) are critical in the supply chain today. Tracking lead time variance and vendor fill rates may make a nice report; but reports don’t help you manage product service levels. We have customers who grew their gross margin over a million dollars from implementing our Lead Time Forecasting module; the ROI from effective Lead Time Forecasting is huge. While knowing when lead times change is important, most of you agree that how you use your lead time variance and fill rate (you are tracking lead time variance and fill rates right?) to improve your product/location service attained is the real goal in your supply chain

The Unseen Dangers of Seasonality in Your Inventory

Methods to more accurately manage seasonal product inventory continues to be a primary goal and discussion in 2013. Events like: short product life cycles, lower logistics costs, and increasing web competiton have combined to shrink the reaction time for retailers and to force a need for greater demand forecast accuracy. Now, Demand Forecasting complimented by accurate and dependable seasonal indexes are needed to help move in and out of products more rapidly. Companies need to see and channel resources quickly and accurately based on good demand forecast, seasonal indexes, and market trend projections to stay on top of their business.

Read the Top Blogs of Summer 2013 Now: Find Your Opportunities

A little Demand Forecasting Mistake that Cost a Retailer >$250,000

Do you know the types of Demand and how each is managed in your supply chain? ‘Lost Sales’ are mis-used and not understood by many companies. Lost Sales are not rain checks and not the same as out of stock; sadly many retailers lose a fortune due to the lack of a lost sales strategy in their supply chain. This was the #1 summer story and ties to another top blog: Differences between Demand Forecasting and Sales Forecasting for Inventory Replenishment

Do You Make These Mistakes with Slow Demand Products?

Replenishment Errors with slow demand products often deliver out of stocks that can be avoided with good demand forecasting and service level planning. You need the right demand forecasting software and the right plan to manage Slow Movers. Read and Compare how you measure to others.

Seasonal Indexes Serve Up Lost Sales and Low Service

Seasonality is in reality a multiplier that was first seen in replenishment systems of the late 90’s like Inforem. The problems in old and some new forecasting systems with seasonality still exist today: how and where to adjust seasonality when events occur in different fiscal weeks between years; what is the best method to create a seasonal index; how are seasonality and market trends different. Read on to see why.

Do you make these mistakes with Lead Time?

Lead Time Days and Supplier Lead Time Quoted can wreck your inventory investment. Learn from others: what to track and how to improve your Lead Time processes. Tracking your Lead Time variance and vendor fill rates is not enough to improve your replenishment, Do You know Why? – Hint: think about how changing lead time impacts a ‘just in time’ inventory order date. Limited Time Offer Free Lead Time Forecasting Kit.

Differences in Inventory Replenishment Methodology: Facts and Myths

Inventory Replenishment uses a tops down ~push OR bottoms up ~pull methodology. While a top down push is easier to plan, it costs more to manage and isn’t customer centric. A bottom up pull methodology is driven by service, not plan. Bottom up is customer centric, reacting faster to market changes, and costing less to operate. Your software cannot run both its impossible, there must be a parent child relationship. Learn the differences and when each method is best used in your business.

Get Accurate LeadTime and Seasonality Demand Forecasting Now

Managing Lead Time, Seasonality, Slow Products, When to place a PO, and Lost Sales will still ultimately depend on the accuracy of the Demand Forecast. We see in each of the 5 blogs that Demand Forecasting accuracy is central to the success of each process. Key industry analysts Gartner, IDC and AMR continue to focus in 2013 on Demand Forecasting. We believe the industry is starting to follow these ideas based on what was read the most and we believe this is a good for our industry and job growth.

Get Accurate LeadTime and Seasonality Demand Forecasting Now

Would you like to learn more about how we deliver Lead Time Forecasting, Seasonality and accurate Demand Forecasting in LESS THAN 30 DAYS to our customers? Request LEARN MORE, and we’ll show you a more effective way to Profit in your Data.

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Stuart D

Stuart Dunkin is a strategic visionary who leads by calling on his broad range of experience as a former retail executive as well as a consultant for top retailers and for the E3/JDA software company. He founded Data Profits to solve a real-world problem plaguing retailers today – the disjointed relationship between supply chain data, people and business goals. He has experienced first-hand the challenges and frustrations that occur when decisions are made based on wrong data, which often leads to the wrong actions being taken with crippling results like overstock, out-of-stock, and increased working capital.
Stuart graduated from Auburn University, with bachelor of science in business administration.