Project Description
Leveraging deep retail industry and solution expertise, while maintaining objectivity to assess and select a solution set that will enable improved and efficient merchandising activities and reduce manual tasks
The Client
A global retailer who designs, produces, and distributes quality, on-trend footwear and accessories with multiple banners and varied distribution points.
The Challenge
The client was using a legacy merchandise financial planning (MFP) system, but other activities were performed using a proliferation of spreadsheets, which they recognized was highly inefficient, given their global business model.
The client had initiated an RFP effort to select software with the objective of updating their planning, allocation, and size/pack processes. They desired objective expertise and a structured, proven approach to navigate them through the demonstration and evaluation process.
The Parker Avery Solution
Given an aggressive timeframe, Parker Avery provided industry and solution expertise, guidance, and a neutral perspective throughout the solution selection initiative. Parker Avery 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/item planning, allocation, and size/pack optimization
- Defined meaningful client data to be demonstrated
- 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 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
The Result
The client selected two vendor applications as the recommended 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.