Flowcasting the Retail Supply Chain - groundbreaking book

As product lifecycles grow impossibly short and the public remains as fickle as ever, one of the most vexing problems facing supply chain managers worldwide is persistent and pervasive out-of-stocks at the retail store shelf. Help may be at hand though, with the launch next month of a new book entitled “Flowcasting the Retail Supply Chain.” To be released on May 21, 2006 at the Retail Systems Conference in Chicago, the new book reveals how a single forecast conducted at the retail shelf level can drive the entire retail supply chain, eliminating forecasting at all other nodes. The book suggests by using "Flowcasting," instead of forecasting at each level of the supply chain, trading partners will be able to be able to remove US$600 Billion (USD) worth of costs out of the US$10.36 Trillion Global Consumers Goods Industry. Read on to see the praise the book has earned already from those who have seen advanced copies. The first five chapters of the book can also be downloaded free of charge here.

Authors Martin, Harrop, and Doherty are recognized experts in supply chain management, and have been retained by Sears Department Stores, Canadian Tire Corporation, Procter and Gamble and other enterprises. In Flowcasting the Retail Supply Chain, the authors make the point that attempting to manage retail supply chains without starting first at the retail store is akin to managing headless retail supply chains. As an example, they cite retail store out-of-stocks (usually in the 5 percent to 8 percent range) that simply have not changed in the past twenty years despite the variety of efforts to do so.

According to co-author Andre Martin, the acknowledged 'father of DRP,' "None of the movements and technologies implemented in the past twenty years has focused on the core issue: one unique store level sales forecast is all you need to drive a retail supply chain. The retail store is both the beginning and the end of any retail supply chain. It's the beginning of the information flow and the end of product delivery."

Advance Praise Flowcasting the Retail Supply Chain

"Andre, Mike, and Jeff have done a great job of demonstrating the practical application of Flowcasting concepts with everyday Retail challenges. Flowcasting is a great read, and worthy of serious consideration." Geoff Frodsham, Senior Vice President, Canadian Logistics, Loblaw Companies Limited

"The future is now here and what was previously unmanageable in real life is now possible - driving the factory floor from the store shelf." Robert Bruce, Former Vice President, Supply Chain Strategies, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

"What's remarkable about this concept is its utter simplicity. It's easy to understand and implement, and it can revolutionize the kinds of things we can do to improve supply chain operations... You will appreciate the potential of this method to cut through supply chain complexity." Franz Dill, Manager, Procter & Gamble Beckett Ridge Innovation Center

On May 22, Andre Martin will be a guest speaker at the Retail System 2006 Conference & Exposition in Chicago. His presentation will focus on experiences to date on the latest of several actual Flowcasting simulations for a Fortune 100 Consumer Goods Manufacturer. The three authors will also be available to talk with conference attendees at the Extended Retail Industry Think Tank booth at the Retail System Conference from May 22 to the 24.

The Retail Systems 2006 Conference & Exposition is organized by Retail Systems Alert Group. Retail Systems Alert Group is the leading provider of objective, high quality information resources for the Extended Retail Industry (ERI). The company follows the advancements of technology and business process innovation in this industry, and delivers insights and analysis through high-value conferences and tradeshows, publications, research, training and web based services. For more information, please visit