Project Description
Retailer Expects Strong Results from Best-of-Breed Merchandising Solution
Client Challenge
This global retailer designs, produces, and distributes quality, on-trend footwear and accessories with multiple banners and varied distribution points. The company was using a legacy merchandise financial planning (MFP) system, but other activities were performed using a proliferation of spreadsheets. The company recognized this practice was highly inefficient, given their global business model.
The client had initiated an effort to select software to update their retail planning, allocation, and size/pack processes. They desired objective expertise and a structured, proven approach to navigate them through the retail system selection demonstration and evaluation process.
Parker Avery Solution
Parker Avery provided guidance, industry and solution expertise, and a neutral perspective throughout the solution selection initiative. Given a tight timeframe, Parker Avery’s activities and deliverables included:
- Reviewed RFP and vendor responses and narrowed to a vendor shortlist
- Developed demonstration agendas
- Identified and wrote relevant demonstration scripts for MFP, assortment and item planning, allocation, and size/pack optimization
- Defined meaningful client data and prepared client participants and vendors for the demos
- Prepared evaluation scoring approach and configured Parker Avery’s online feedback tool to quickly manage responses from over 25 client attendees across four vendors
- Compiled feedback results and assisted in assessing vendor performance upon demo completion
- Evaluated vendor approaches to implementation strategy, timeline, and resources
- Analyzed costs, risks, and stakeholder preferences for each solution provider
Results
Using a best-of-breed approach, the client selected two vendor applications as the solution set across the four capability areas. One vendor will provide planning and allocation capabilities, while the other will handle size/pack optimization. The client expects to achieve better use, placement, and visibility of inventory, improved assortment offerings, improved data accuracy, and reduction of manual activities.
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