Beyond Point of Sale: Leveraging Demand Signals for Forecasting

For almost a decade, Point-of-Sale (POS) data have been considered the gold standard for demand signals in the retail supply chain, forming the basis for a variety of demand-driven replenishment programs such as Collaborative Planning, Forecasting and Replenishment (CPFR). However, POS data is historic in nature and therefore not necessarily indicative of what will occur in the future. How can retailers and suppliers gain visibility into future consumer behaviors with forward- looking demand signals? The continuing growth of electronic commerce may provide us with the answer as to how to overcome the historical limitations of POS. STEVE KEIFER | Mr. Keifer is the Vice President of Industry and Product Marketing for GXS. He has a responsibility for marketing and positioning the entire GXS product line ranging from EDI services for SMBs to B2B e commerce outsourcing solutions for enterprises. In addition, he leads the strategy and marketing for GXSs vertical industry programs. Prior to his role at GXS, he served the Director of Product Management for Web-hosting service provider Digex and as a Senior Consultant in Accentures Communications and High Tech Practice. F F or almost ...