Forecasting

With a supply chain that includes 800 finished goods items, 2,000 raw materials SKUs, four factories in Sweden, 23 production lines, and many more complexities -- inventory control is no easy feat. That's why Findus uses actionable insights to take back control of its inventory.

Britt Fogg, SVP, Product Operations at SPI, reveals the advantages of acting as a community with one unified vision in order to reap the rewards of data and insights transparency along the retail value chain.

The luxury linen manufacturer will use Rootstock's cloud manufacturing ERP software to coordinate its manufacturing data with its customer information to better service its trade, interior design and direct customers.

According to Supply Chain Shaman Lora Cecere, bigger is not always better. Larger consumer goods companies need strong supply chains, and while there is great opportunity in this pending acquisition, it will require the alignment of two very different cultures.

Victoria Brown to spearhead supply chain research program to support IT leaders at leading retailers.

The subject might not be as hot as S&OP or as intriguing as Big Data, but freight optimization is one of the highest-value opportunities facing consumer goods companies these days.

This section is no stranger to prioritizing data, but this year the focus has shifted from a mere buzzword, to a call for a single repository, and the need to ultimately make data actionable. Digital transformation and the Internet of Things are also emerging trends to watch.

Although the experts get a bit more tactical in this section, themes like transparency and data integration stand out, emphasizing the need for collaboration across departments.