home

Inventory Optimisation


Volatile demand patterns in the current economic downturn have put manufacturers and retailers under pressure to continue to deliver products at optimal costs. As a consequence, inventory reduction has become a major focus. Increased promotional offers, stronger value driven purchases have created complexity in the entire supply chain and lowering inventory levels is the battleground to drive cashflow .

Due to the business inter-dependencies, companies are now forced to overcome the traditional unilateral approach to inventory, focusing only on internal cost efficiency. Inventory strategies have been rising in priority across companies and there is now a declared ambition to decrease total inventory and free cash for all business partners, whilst maintaining speed to shelf, high availability rates to consumers/shoppers and an overall sustainable business performance.

The aim of this new supply chain project is to develop collaborative industry guidelines for end-to-end  inventory optimisation across the supply chain from the manufacturer’s finished goods warehouse to retailer shelves.

Project brief


Member companies

Retailers Manufactuers Others
Asda Barilla IGD
Carrefour Colgate-Palmolive  
Metro Henkel  
Metro Cash & Carry Johnson & Johnson  
Sainsbury’s Kraft Foods  
  L’Oréal  
  Nestlé  
  Procter & Gamble  
  Sara Lee  
  Unilever