The Demand Intelligence Advantage
Driven by deep retail and CPG industry expertise, Enterprise Intelligence is Parker Avery’s software-as-a-service demand planning platform powered by the latest in advanced analytics and artificial intelligence. But it seems like every software company in the industry touts this same story.On a recent “Talk Retail to Me” podcast, Chief Analytics [...]
Groceryshop 2021: Omnichannel, Wellness, Sustainability, and Supply Chain
Last week, we had the privilege of presenting at the Groceryshop conference in Las Vegas. This four-day event was filled with great content and insights from grocery and CPG industry leaders, as well as research firms. Best of all: it was in person! The conference theme, “Gradually, Then Suddenly, [...]
Launching a Best-in-Class Analytics Solution
When I joined Parker Avery in 2014, we started discussing bringing in analytics capabilities to complement the firm’s already best-in-class consulting services around merchandising, omnichannel, and supply chain for retail and CPG brands. Parker Avery’s expertise in business processes, systems, and change management was well known, [...]
Project Planning: Four Considerations for Data Readiness
One of the most overlooked aspects that can have a significant impact on project estimations and timelines is client data readiness. If proper analysis of data availability and cleanliness is not factored into the overall timeline, project estimates will become woefully underestimated. In this post, Senior [...]
True Business Transformation Needs Change Management
A few weeks ago, Parker Avery blogged about the key distinction between software and solutions. We suggested that despite the proclamations of most technology vendors, software alone will not solve business challenges. Solutions will. This week, we take a different perspective on that same theme as we unwrap what true [...]
Organizational Culture: Leaning on Strength
Most will agree, this is a tough time of year on multiple fronts. It’s almost the end of summer, and many are returning from what may have been their first family vacation in well over a year. Recent unsettling world events and back to school preparations are creating [...]
Software is Not Your Solution
Through many conversations with Parker Avery clients and technology partners, as well as in industry articles about the latest innovations and technologies, the words solution, system, and software are used interchangeably. Despite what most technology vendors proclaim, neither software nor a system alone will solve your business challenges. However, [...]
Considerations for Remote Software Selection Projects
A few weeks ago, Partner Amanda Astrologo and retail expert Julie Cheney were featured on Parker Avery’s “Talk Retail to Me” podcast, where they discussed remote software selection projects. The two experts provided their perspectives on retail software selection changes stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic as well [...]
Opportunities Backed up with Belief
“The best opportunities are the opportunities that are backed up with belief.” ~ Coach Mike Krzyzewski Although Clay and I are die-hard Georgia Tech fans, having spent our college years toiling on the Flats, last week, I took a moment to watch a portion of Coach K’s retirement press conference. The legendary [...]
Mobilizing and Sustaining a Resilient Organization
During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, we conducted a 4-part webinar series, Reconstructing Retail. The series was about helping our clients and friends in the industry. We shared our pragmatic and meaningful thoughts and perspectives, recognizing that for most or all of us, the year [...]
Considerations for Remote System Implementations
Recently, Principal Marty Anderson and Senior Manager Russ Smith got together on Parker Avery’s “Talk Retail to Me” podcast to discuss how system implementation projects changed over the past year due to the myriad of global and national disruptions. During the podcast, the two retail experts discussed [...]
Driving Success in 2021
As we quickly approach the summer season, our retail and consumer goods clients are increasingly becoming more optimistic about their prospects for a successful 2021. With many parts of the country progressing in getting the COVID pandemic under control and as personal freedoms return, we are [...]
AI Adoption in Supply Chain Planning
Recently, I had the pleasure of joining a panel of analytics and supply chain experts on the Clubhouse social media platform for a discussion on artificial intelligence (AI) adoption in supply chain planning. The panel included Jay Koganti—Vice President of Supply Chain COE at Estée Lauder, Mike [...]
Demystifying the Unified Demand Signal
Demystifying the Unified Demand Signal In this post, we demystify the concept of a unified demand signal, explaining it in plain terms. We begin with level-setting how retailers and consumer goods companies are currently operating and why this concept of collaborative demand planning is still so [...]
Analytics: A Win-Win Approach
Recently on Parker Avery’s Talk Retail to Me podcast,", our Chief Analytics Officer, Sam Iosevich, and his long-time colleague, George Arutyunyants discussed George’s continuous journey through advanced analytics. As the firm’s Senior Director of Analytics, George explained how Parker Avery uses a win-win approach to analytics [...]
Gaining Proficiency Through Virtual Learning
In today’s remote environment, following a traditional shadowing or “on the job” (OTJ) training model is challenging, if not impossible. As a result, many companies are focusing on technology investments to allow users to become more accustomed to virtual learning. In addition to Zoom, Teams, and other remote [...]
2021: The Year of Collaborative Decisiveness
Retailers and consumer brands cannot rely solely on past performance to predict the future. The above tenet has always been true, but 2020 and the pandemic have intensified the focus and accelerated the need for self-reflection and change. Let's unwrap what [...]
Overcoming Resistance to Change
A few weeks ago, on our “Talk Retail to Me” podcast, Parker Avery’s change leader Kathi Toll interviewed change management expert Carrie Habel. The two retail veterans discussed how company leaders can understand and address their teams’ and their own resistance to change. This week’s blog post reveals [...]
A Game-Changing Advanced Analytics Solution
On a recent Parker Avery “Talk Retail to Me” podcast episode, Chief Analytics Officer Sam Iosevich discussed Parker Avery's advanced analytics solution development efforts with the firm's Director of Solutions Architecture, Leo Greyz. Leo is enhancing Parker Avery’s “Results as a Service” (RaaS) offering and bringing [...]
More than Success: ROI Significance
We talk often about organizational change management for our clients, but last Friday, The Parker Avery Group sponsored an event that has the ability to truly change the world: the RetailROI (Retail Orphan Initiative) SuperFriday Virtual Event. Spearheaded by Greg Buzek, Founder and President of IHL [...]
Insights on the State of the Logistics Report: Resilience Tested
I just finished reviewing CSCMPs (Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals) Annual State of the Logistics Report, authored by Kearney with input from a number of industry professionals. The report primarily covers 2019, and I was surprised to see it was the 31st year [...]
7 Tips for Solution Demonstration Success
Quite often The Parker Avery Group is engaged to manage retail software selection projects, and solution demonstrations are a typical part of the process. Having participated in a wide variety of software demos over our firm's history, as well as countless demonstrations when working in the retail industry (as participants), [...]
Unleashing Your “Superpowers”
In this transcript version of our Talk Retail to Me podcast, we welcome the newest member of the Parker Avery team, Rob Gentry. While he’s fairly new to our firm, Rob is certainly not new to the retail industry. He has over 20 years of consulting [...]
Three (or Maybe Four) Key Takeaways from Analytics Unite
Last week, The Parker Avery Group sponsored and participated in Consumer Goods Technology’s Analytics Unite event—a groundbreaking virtual conference that brought together around 500 retail and consumer goods professionals from a variety of different backgrounds and from around the globe. While indeed, the virtual setting was [...]
Strategic Sourcing Considerations for a Disrupted Supply Chain
In this episode of Parker Avery's,"Talk Retail to Me podcast," we take a deep dive into strategic sourcing decisions for retailers and consumer brands. I interviewed Robert Kaufman, Parker Avery’s CEO, along with Senior Director Rob Oglesby, one of our resident inventory and supply chain experts. Listen to the [...]