AGR

“Accessible web tools”

Pros

Right from the web front end, this solution has been a strong fit for us! People tend to get comfortable with it quickly, the navigation feels accessible and it's simple to customize the screen so the right information is visible in the way you need it. Connecting it to our ERP was fairly easy, even with all the custom work we already had in place. We've also been able to keep building our own developments which has been a big plus. The newer bulk update feature is especially useful and being able to copy and paste from Excel into different filter fields saves time. Support is usually very responsive and overall the system has been reliable. It now handles all of our nightly store replenishment automatically and also generates the supply proposals for the business.

Cons

This wasn't really a negative but to get the most value from the system we found that we needed to bring in an internal resource with forecasting system experience and a stronger technical mindset. That helped us make better use of the system and the different ways of working it supports. They could have provided consultancy in this area but for our situation it worked better to have that capability in-house.

“helpful forecasting and visibility”

Pros

Having this tool in place gives me a clear view of the forecast for each item, the potential order quantities and the dates I need to review on a daily basis. It can be customized to the specific views and date ranges that suit your needs which makes it practical to work with. The results are only as reliable as the data entered so the more accurate the inputs are, the better the output becomes. Visibility across the data is good and the reports and planning tools are genuinely useful. Even though it is computer-generated, it still leaves room for human judgment when placing orders. It was also simple to roll out across the portfolio and having a dedicated customer service log to send issues through is a real plus.

Cons

Biggest frustration comes when the data does not update although that is not always caused by the tool itself. There are also times when plans can be changed without it being obvious and because the data structure is quite complex, the way some figures are generated can feel a bit cryptic. The platform also seems to reset back to default settings at random although I am not completely sure whether that is due to the software itself or something on the Microsoft side. If some of the input data is lost, everything has to be entered again manually which is very inconvenient.

“Stronger sales”

Pros

One of the biggest advantages has been the way it handles our replenishment process. It has helped us simplify and prioritize daily allocations and replenishment tasks which has led to better efficiency, more accessible trading, higher sales and a more cost-effective approach to replenishment overall.

Cons

It would be even better if the forecasting and reforecasting could happen more frequently to better support dynamic trading.