PITTSBURGH, PA – July 22, 2003 – SmartOps Corporation, the leading provider of enterprise-class supply chain optimization software solutions, today announced that Shaw’s Supermarkets has purchased a solution suite from SmartOps to support corporate-wide initiatives in enhancing total supply chain performance. The Company will implement the SmartOps solutions in several phases to drive improvements within key planning areas: sales forecasting through advanced management of demand uncertainty and variability, multi-location inventory planning from distribution centers to its retail stores, and optimization of replenishment decisions to reduce total costs of carrying inventory.
“We selected SmartOps because they deliver an impressive, end-to-end solution that will facilitate Shaw’s efforts to improve our inventory planning, drive down the total cost of inventory, and allow us to ensure higher product availability and service to our customers,” said Brian Pijanowski, Senior Vice President of Buying & Merchandising at Shaw’s. “We found that SmartOps clearly offers the most appropriate approaches to solving today’s supply chain planning complexities.”
Michael Griswold, Business Program Leader at Shaw’s, said, “The Shaw’s team became very impressed with SmartOps in two key areas: First, they offer solutions that address inherent supply and demand uncertainties and many of the complexities prevalent in retail and distribution environments. Second, their team brings strong retail experience, the ability to customize the solution to fit our unique needs, and an outstanding methodology for solution and process integration. We are confident that Shaw’s will significantly benefit from each application and that the SmartOps solution will allow us to operate even more effectively.”
The suite is comprised of several SmartOps software applications that optimize key supply chain operating targets, including Inventory Planning & Optimization, Advanced Forecasting, Supply Planning & Optimization, and Recommended Order Quantity Planning. All of the SmartOps applications are designed to both separately and collectively reduce the inefficiencies and costs that result from supply and demand uncertainties, multi-location/multistage complexities and interdependencies, silo-based planning decisions, and aggressive customer service goals.
The suite will leverage data from Shaw’s existing legacy and warehouse management system applications to dynamically optimize planning targets and offer decision support to planners and executives across multiple departments and functional roles.
“SmartOps strives to offer comprehensive solutions that enable our customers to make the best possible inventory and replenishment decisions based on their business goals. It is very exciting to partner with Shaw’s, a company that has maintained its position as a leader and innovator in the supermarket retail industry for nearly one and half centuries. We look forward to helping them achieve their financial and market position objectives,” said SmartOps founder and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Sridhar Tayur.
