7 Key Insights from the Retail & Wholesale Summit 2023: Shaping the Future of Planning
Read time: 5 minutesThe 2023 edition of the Retail & Wholesale Summit, organized by ORTEC, brought together industry leaders, trend watchers, and valued customers. Hosted by George Ninikas, the Global Industry Director for Retail & Wholesale, the summit aimed to achieve three primary objectives: fostering collaboration, providing insights into industry developments, and building a networked community.
Here are the key takeaways from this impactful event.
Shaping the Future of Planning
The agenda featured external leaders from Deloitte Consulting, discussing vehicle trends and tactical planning. George Ninikas provided updates on ORTEC and the industry. The summit showcased four customer cases, covering areas like e-Grocery Delivery, Wholesale distribution, Workforce planning, and grocery store delivery. A vision of the new world of planning was presented by Suzanne, closing the event.
With 175 subscriptions and participants from over 25 countries, the summit showcased a diverse and engaged audience. The key takeaways included real-life examples, industry insights, and a collaborative community focused on shaping the future of retail and wholesale planning.
Retail Trends & The Upcoming Need For Tactical Planning
The first speaker at the Retail & Wholesale Summit 2023, Marc Den Boogert from Deloitte, highlighted key trends and challenges in the industry. Gen. Z's changing shopping habits, the growing importance of sustainability, and the integration of customer-centric channels were discussed. The last mile in the supply chain emerged as a crucial battleground. Furthermore, the summit emphasized the need for effective tactical planning, bridging the gap between short-term and long-term strategies. Marc's insights underscored the importance of proactive problem-solving to prevent firefighting, reduce costs, and ultimately enhance the consumer experience. The retail landscape is evolving, and strategic, aligned planning is key to staying ahead.
Strategic Focus and Optimization by ORTEC
Next, George Ninikas from ORTEC shed light on the company's strategic focus. They're narrowing their attention to four key areas: store delivery, e-grocery delivery, food & beverage wholesale distribution, and workforce for the warehouse. The emphasis is on offering end-to-end solutions and migrating to cloud-native products tailored for each focus area. Beyond this, ORTEC is optimizing its approach, moving beyond traditional cost minimization to incorporate objectives like maximizing driver happiness, ensuring customer satisfaction, and embracing sustainability. The integration of machine learning with optimization is a key part of their strategy, enhancing forecasting and analytics for a more comprehensive industry solution.
Optimizing E-Grocery Delivery for the Albert Heijn Delhaize Brands in the US
Paul Kapellas, Director Last Mile Services at Peapod Digital Labs – Ahold Delhaize US, highlighted key phases of their collaboration with ORTEC. The relationship, initiated over pizza in Chicago, aimed to evolve their e-commerce capabilities to meet changing market demands. The three-phase approach successfully replaced outdated routing solutions, leading to impressive results, including a 75% same-day delivery rate. The collaboration with ORTEC enabled Peapod Digital Labs to achieve significant savings, enhance efficiency, and position themselves for future growth, marking a pivotal success in their journey.
Optimizing Deliveries for Growth: The Success Story of ReadyRefresh's Project Defrag
In a groundbreaking initiative, ReadyRefresh, a leading home and office DSD delivery company, spearheaded Project Defrag to revolutionize its outdated delivery structure. Justin Lawler, the Director of Service Optimization at ReadyRefresh, shared the company's success story at a pivotal presentation Recognizing the need for change, ReadyRefresh leveraged ORTEC's technology to streamline routes and enhance efficiency. The results speak volumes: an outstanding amount saved in costs, a significant reduction in the number of routes, and an impressive savings of millions in mileage expenses. By embracing innovative tools like decision analytics, ReadyRefresh is not only staying ahead of the curve but also paving the way for continuous improvement. This success story highlights the company's commitment to providing exceptional service to its 1.3 million customers while maximizing productivity and optimizing for growth.
Navigating Complexity: ORTEC's Journey in Optimizing Grocery Store Delivery for a Retail Giant
In the next compelling session, James Dwight, Senior Business Consultant at ORTEC, shared insights into a significant retail store delivery case. With over a decade of experience, James outlined the complexities of optimizing grocery store delivery for a large European retailer. The case delved into the heart of business operations—the supply chain—addressing challenges such as extensive planning centers, diverse store locations, and high daily delivery volumes. ORTEC's role in this dynamic landscape involved not only tackling operational hurdles like driver shortages but also optimizing planning for in-store execution. James highlighted the journey towards continuous improvement, emphasizing a transition from localized planning to a centralized, automated process. The partnership with customers, seen as a mutual exchange of insights and innovation, reflects ORTEC's commitment to meeting the evolving demands of the retail industry.
Workforce Planning and Continuous Improvement
Stephan Bobbaers, Program Manager at Colruyt, shared insights into the retail giant's successful workforce planning strategy at the Retail & Wholesale Summit 2023. Colruyt Group, known for its diversity in food retail and beyond, emphasized the importance of synergy benefits and strategic standardization in supply chain processes. With 11 business units in focus, Colruyt undertook a logistic workforce management project, partnering with ORTEC for guidance. Despite facing a temporary setback in 2021, the project resulted in optimized planning, forecast-driven processes, and improved operational productivity. Stephan highlighted the key to their success: a decentralized planning approach within a standardized framework. Looking forward, Colruyt aims to introduce employee self-service, focus on continuous improvement, and explore SaaS solutions for a future-proof platform. George Ninikas, expressing gratitude for Stephan's transparency, emphasized the enduring commitment to collaboration for achieving success in the ever-evolving retail landscape.
Proactive Recommendations and a Vision for the Future
The Retail & Wholesale Summit 2023 showcased exciting developments in leveraging smart innovations for proactive decision-making in the complex world of B2B planning. Suzanne Thomasson, Analytics Industry Lead at ORTEC, presented a vision of the future where data-driven insights mirror our everyday lives, seamlessly integrating into the operational landscape. With a focus on grocery delivery, the summit highlighted the challenges faced and innovative solutions underway, including experiments with proactive suggestions, enhanced planning accuracy through machine learning, and the integration of smart analytics into operational tools. The key takeaway emphasized the imminent fusion of technology and decision-making in the retail industry, promising improved efficiency, sustainability, and customer satisfaction.
Dynamic Q&A Session
The Retail & Wholesale Summit 2023 provided valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities facing the industry. During the Q&A session, the question of trusting AI solutions for suggestions and recommendations emerged, with varied perspectives on embracing machine-driven decisions. Paul Kapellas highlighted the importance of industry adaptation and trial-and-error processes. Another key focus was on productivity improvement, as discussed by Stephan Bobbaers from Colruyt. Despite significant business changes, maintaining employee satisfaction remained a challenge. Justin Lawler emphasized the need for continuous improvement in operational processes and understanding the human element in adopting new technologies. The event showcased the dynamic nature of the retail and wholesale sector, with a call for a balanced approach to innovation and workforce management.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Retail & Wholesale Summit 2023 illuminated the evolving landscape of the industry, emphasizing collaboration, innovation, and adaptability. The insights shared by industry leaders and the success stories presented by companies like Peapod Digital Labs and ReadyRefresh underscored the transformative power of strategic planning and technology integration.
As we navigate the complex terrain of retail and wholesale, ORTEC remains committed to driving positive change. Our focus on end-to-end solutions, cloud-native products, and a holistic approach to optimization positions us as a catalyst for industry growth.
Let's Connect
Connect with ORTEC to explore how our innovative solutions can transform your retail and wholesale operations. Whether you're looking to enhance delivery efficiency, streamline workforce planning, or embrace sustainable practices, our dedicated team is ready to collaborate on building a future-proof strategy tailored to your unique needs. Reach out to us today and let's shape the future of retail and wholesale together.