Through our outreach channel of Supply Chain Matters, The Ferrari Consulting and Research Group announces the release of a new June 2018 Research Advisory Report: Orchestrating Digitally Enabled Response Network Capabilities in Retail Telecom Customer Fulfillment- A Case Study Example.
Purpose and Overview
There is little doubt that the inescapable movement toward online is having compelling implications on B2B, B2C and B2B-to-B2C customer fulfillment expectations and required experiences.
Competing in the new retail economy requires closing the gaps between sales, marketing, supplier, and supply chain teams in responding to actual B2B and B2C required customer experiences and expected service levels. How such experiences are supported, managed, and synchronized leads to what we have termed as Digitally Enabled Response Networks. 
The objective of this initial, of a two-part research advisory series, is to put into context the process, the people and the information technology implications needed to achieve the full aspects of what we are terming as digitally enabled response networks. We address specific implications for end-to-end supply chain and integrated business planning information and decision-making needs.
The report further highlights a case study example of how an innovative telecommunications network and retail services provider located in the United Kingdom has embarked on the initial foundational business planning and customer fulfillment capabilities needed for such capabilities. Our advisory explores the specific industry retail telecommunications industry challenges, the background, supply chain profile and business challenge response of O2, the commercial brand of Telefonica UK Limited, and how this organization has moved forward with the foundational capabilities of a multi-channel demand response customer fulfillment capability.
Implications and Takeaways
Our interviews with early adopter businesses and technology enablers continue to reflect added reinforcement that on-demand services and consequent expected service levels have quickly become table stakes in the new gig economy. The online customer expects fulfillment expectations to be seamlessly met across multiple retail channels, either online, or combined online and physical retail presence. It requires a purview that extends beyond just supply chain planning or supply chain execution to dimensions of network response management that literally integrate multi-enterprise or B2B planning and execution capabilities towards synchronized action and response. It requires retailers and service providers to be able to continually monitor point-of-sales product demand, and dynamically align the response network to changing customer preferences or inventory needs at the lowest possible cost.
Today, many retailers and services providers are hamstrung with marginal product demand forecasting, limited planning and multi-channel inventory management capabilities required in an omni-channel fulfillment process. They need to raise the bar on anticipating customer needs with the most-timely response to such needs.
In other words, the status quo of traditional retail supply chain customer fulfillment is no longer an option for industry competitiveness or revenue growth.
Obtaining Your Copy
This new Research Advisory is being provided as a thought leadership resource in conjunction with the support of Supply Chain Matters sponsor ToolsGroup.
The report can be downloaded on a complimentary basis from this dedicated web link.
Some basic user registration data will be requested.
Bob Ferrari
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