Ace Hardware takes practical approach to supply chain

6/7/2016

The do-it-yourself vertical is all about getting things done correctly, and Ace Hardware International is building the proper foundation for seamless commerce.



Ace will implement Blue Ridge supply chain planning technology to unify and optimize supply chain planning functions across its global distribution centers and retail locations.



“In order to support 600 global stores, across 62 countries, efficient and accurate supply chain planning is required,” said Brian Cronenwett, VP, international logistics at Ace Hardware. “Generating demand plans and creating forecasts required extensive manual effort to consolidate information from multiple applications, increasing our risk for errors. Blue Ridge provides a complete solution, with extensive multi-echelon inventory optimization capabilities, enabling us to increase service levels by efficiently and effectively aligning inventory across our worldwide supply chain.”



Additionally, Ace saw value in the ability of Blue Ridge’s cloud-native technology to more accurately predict and forecast customer demand patterns, manage long lead times, and improve internal collaboration and visibility with anytime, anywhere access. Furthermore, the vendor provides real-time monitoring of Ace’s supply chain by experts who will alert the retailer of any potential issues.”



Allowing customers to shop across channels on the front-end without alignment of inventory on the back end is like building a mansion on a foundation of mud. No matter how shiny and impressive the outside appearance, the structure will collapse due to lack of internal support. Ace is following the same advice it gives customers on their projects by ensuring seamless commerce has the stability and infrastructure it needs to stand on its own.


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