Consumer Packaged Goods Industry: Exceed Consumer Expectations Across Channels

Catering to changing consumer tastes is the number-one challenge for consumer packaged goods (CPG) manufacturers. Companies like yours must remain responsive to constant changes in styles, colors, and assortments across different regions and localities. Changes of season and fluctuations in retail demand signals further complicate planning. And retail promotions can catch CPG manufacturers off guard, forcing them to adopt a costly “whatever it takes” to delivering product where it’s needed. Fortunately, the latest supply chain planning technology can not only help CPG manufacturers overcome their current chaos, but also speed high-quality products to market, accurately manage the new product introduction process, maintain profit margins, manage suppliers and production, and increase customer service levels across all purchasing channels.

The Demand Solutions Digital Supply Chain Platform can help CPG manufacturers stay ahead of changing consumer tastes while keeping inventory in balance using the principles of integrated business planning (IBP).

Consumer packaged goods companies use Demand Solutions to:

  • Stay ahead of changing market needs and new product launches with powerful simulation and optimization capabilities.
  • Respond to seasonality and demand variability by achieving one-number planning.
  • Boost sales and margins by gaining better control over inventory and planning processes within the supply chain.
  • Keep shelves stocked by maintaining visibility into what’s happening at the retail level—and incorporating those learnings into assortment and inventory planning.
  • Cater to consumer demands for greater transparency into ingredients and manufacturing processes.
  • Implement an IBP strategy in which every stakeholder is contributing to the overall success of the business.

Delight Customers Through Better Demand Planning

As consumers use today’s omnichannel environment to buy packaged goods—while expecting the same level of service you’ve always delivered—you face the age-old challenges related to delivering disposable products that have a limited shelf life. With global visibility into your supply chain and production operations, you can make breakthrough improvements in your demand planning, finding ways to retain and engage existing customers while winning new ones.

With Demand Solutions, CPG manufacturers can:

  • Meet service goals cost-effectively using customer-specific forecasting capabilities, “what-if” analysis, and time-phased inventory policies.
  • Move towards autonomous planning, allowing analysts to leverage their expertise.
  • Streamline new product introduction by considering service requirements, capacity restraints, handling needs, transportation costs, and lead times.
  • Balance inventory by optimizing allocation among multi-echelon supply chain points using demand sensing.
  • Automate time-consuming tasks related to demand, replenishment, and availability.