Accenture-A-New-Era-For-Retail

Business area #3Supply chainPotential benefits of using cloudcomputing to meet the three businessimperatives in the supply chain area:• Simplified supply chain management• Decreased overhead costs, andreduced wasted store and shelf space• Global capabilities• Cost savings• Efficient supply chain (e.g., greener,and more sustainable)Few retailers have supply chain systemscapable of adequately handling theircurrent business without stock-outs,expedited deliveries, or high inventories— though some grocers are gettingclose. Fewer still have systems fed byreal-time data on customer purchasingpatterns and the company’s growthplans. As a result, these outmodedsupply chain systems may shackle theretailer’s aspirations and reduce theeffectiveness of other efforts (e.g.,promotions or localized product mixes).Supply chain and inventory managementare generally run by applicationsthat are unique to retailing andcritical to success. This is preciselythe category of applications inwhich there has been the least cloudpenetration to date. In contrast,there has been far deeper penetrationin business applications used byany enterprise and in omnichanneland marketing applications. 38Efficient supply chain(green/sustainable)Cost savingsSimplified supply chainmanagementSupply ChainGlobal capabilitiesDecreased overheads andreduced wasted store/shelf space25