Is Supplier Collaboration Such a Risk?

This is the headline story in the October 2006 Integrated Solutions for Retailers magazine.  The story details the efforts Dillard's is making to share store level sales and inventory data with suppliers.  On the one hand, we are pleased to see another large $7.7 billion dollar retailer that "get's it", on the other hand we are surprised by the question in the headline.  Is vendor collaboration really a new and untested business model as the article suggests?  Just the opposite, the model has been shown to produce higher in-stock percentages and better assortment planning.

The obvious conclusion one reaches when reading the article is that vendors need a set of tools to better turn raw EDI 852 data into actionable decisions.  This is accomplished using a tool like our Accelerated Analytics service.  By using a comprehensive service, the vendor can get out of the data management business and go straight to making smart decisions.  Reports can be quickly created that highlight stores with too little inventory or declining sell-thru.