The Co-operative Group has struck a multi-million pound deal with Manhattan Associates to undertake a radical overhaul of its supply chain systems.
The move is part of a group-wide systems revamp (The Grocer, December 13, p8), and covers warehouse management, transport planning, performance management and billing.
The Co-operative Group has almost doubled its food retail estate in the past two years, which has put a major strain on its distribution network, said general manager of retail logistics, Trevor Ashworth: “We needed a much more efficient
inbound operation as well as a more flexible and store-friendly outbound supply chain.
“The advanced functionality of Manhattan Associates’ solutions and their ability to help us exploit real-time information within our own organisation and to exchange it with suppliers will give us greater control over everything we do.”
Speaking at the ECR Europe conference in Brussels earlier this year, Susan Fernley, head of supply chain and trading, said the society’s existing systems were operating at full capacity.
Part of the systems overhaul would include an interactive web portal for suppliers in a bid to work more collaboratively on store and depot replenishment.
“We want the EPoS data to drive the depot order - for suppliers to take responsibility for store as well as depot replenishment, because everything will be driven by one forecast,” she said.
Elaine Watson

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