There is a strong likelihood that over the past two years, you have experienced the stress that has been placed on the global supply chain, either in the form of goods no longer being available, or extended delays on the replenishment of some stock.

The uncertainty that this has produced for retailers and consumer goods manufacturers has meant that they need to be able to anticipate shopper needs and shipping disruptions more effectively.

With the global supply chain crisis still raging, the need for agile, accurate demand planning has never been greater.

The good news is that there is technology that addresses this need, namely SAS^’ Cloud for Intelligent Planning.

The software-as-a-service solution is available now in private preview exclusively on Microsoft Azure. SAS is part of integrating the new Microsoft Cloud for Retail launch, helping businesses build resilient supply chains. 

Brian Kilcourse, Managing Partner at Retail Systems Research, said the pandemic has pushed retailers and consumer goods companies to their limit in terms of anticipating demand. “There’s still massive pressure,” Kilcourse continued. “And SAS helps relieve that pressure. SAS’ collaboration with Microsoft gives companies needed agility in a use-as-needed delivery model. Now with the benefits of the industry cloud, retailers will get access to more timely data, increasing supply chain transparency.” 

The company explained that SAS Cloud for Intelligent Planning helps users:  

• Use artificial intelligence (AI) to create self-tuning plans to make sure the right products are in the right place at the right time.
• Stay ahead of consumers with short-term demand sensing that turns consumer insight into action.
• Balance, scale commercial goals across every department in your organisation.
• Visualise a forecast in any way on any device – spreadsheets, reports, dashboards, tablets, smartphones.
• Pay for the horsepower you need when you need – bump up for holiday planning or when you move into different regions.

The SAS solution predicts forward-looking demand signals: When, where and how sales will happen. By using comprehensive shopper data, the software recommends balanced, profitable commercial plans across a retailer’s channels and customers. Automated with machine learning, the cloud offering is always up to date to help users remain on top of their business.

Richard Widdowson, SAS Vice President of Global Retail & Consumer Goods Solutions, explained that SAS can help a retailer realise as much as a 5% revenue improvement because of its agile, short-term forecasting capabilities. “When put into practical terms, that means better on-shelf availability and a maximum return on investment for your inventory dollars,” Widdowson added. “The solution on Azure will help boost shelf performance by up to 50% and reduce the time it takes to complete a forecast faster than ever before.”

“Microsoft Cloud for Retail partners provide more integrated solutions to reduce risk across the ecosystem, identify opportunities, and decrease time to market to better serve our customers,” said Shelley Bransten, Corporate Vice President, WW Retail & Consumer Goods Industries, Microsoft. “Partners such as SAS can drive innovation, extending and enabling the value of the platform to address the most pressing challenges retailers face today,” she concluded.