Low-costcountriesprovideavaluablesource
ofsupplyforprivatelabelbrands. Asaresult,
retailersfaceamultitudeofchallengesin
keepingtrackofnumerousdistantsuppliers
andtheirfactorypractices. Thequalitycontrols
requiredtosustaingrocery,non-foodand
apparelprivatelabelprogramsaresignificant.
Notonlymusttheproductspassconsumer
tasteorpreferencetests-consumersalso
expectretailerstodeliversafeproductsthat
havebeenmanufacturedinsociallyand
environmentallycompliantfactories.
Theriskofnegativeheadlines,blowsto
consumerconfidenceregardingproduct
issues,thecontinualthreatofsupply
disruptionandotherrisksloomasdaily
concerns. Buttoselect,profileandwork
collaborativelywithanincreasingnumberof
suppliersandagentsinlow-costcountries
throughmanualprocessesistimeconsuming
andcanbepronetohumanerror.
Withtheonusontheretailertodefinebest
operatingpracticesandholdsuppliers
accountable,leadersareeffectivelybuilding,
developingandmanagingrelationshipswith
theirsuppliernetworksandconstantlyfinding
waystostrengtheninformationsharingand
vendorrelationships. Theseretailersare
establishingstricterassessmentcriteriafor
suppliers,factoriesandagentsandusing
technologysolutionstocommunicateand
enforcetheirpolicies. Adoptingabest
practiceapproachtogatheringinformation
andevidenceacrossthesupplier’s
organizationmakestheassessmentprocess
mandatory:noaudit,noorder.
Frominitialsupplierregistrationtofactory
audits,correctiveactionprogram
management,complianceandproduct
testing,
EqosQuality&Compliance
assists
retailersinmanagingtheirsupplier
relationshipsinastructuredandthorough
manner. Thisprovidesaplatformforretailers
andsupplierstoimprovenotonly
performance,butalsothequalityoftheir
relationshipsandthesubsequentabilityto
collaboratemorecloselyandeffectively.
KeyBenefitsinclude:
•
Improvethesupplierselectionprocessand
strengthen theabilitytomeetregulatory
requirementswithacomprehensive
supplierinformationrepository
•
Maintaincustomerloyaltybyensuringthe
qualityandsafetyofproducts
•
Protectthebrandthroughworkingwith
ethicalsuppliersthatadheretostandard
factorypractices,areenvironmentally
responsibleandstrivetoimprovethe
qualityoflifefortheirworkforce
•
Avoidcostlycorrectionstoproductsand
potentialrecallslateronbybuildingquality
intodesignsandadoptingstringenttesting
processes
ProductSourcing
RetailPLM
Quality&Compliance
Order& Logistics
connect • collaborate • comply
Quality & Compliance
Sourcing product
or sourcing risk?
Successfulretailershave
discoveredthatbyincreasingtheir
percentageofprivatelabelgoods
theycanincreaseoverallgross
marginswhilemeeting,andoften
beatingthenationalbrands.
Butatwhatcost? Asthepressure
mountstomeetcustomer
expectationsforsafeandethically
sourcedproducts,retailersare
becomingincreasinglyawarethey
areultimatelyresponsiblefor
maintainingtheintegrityoftheir
brand. Alackofinsightinto
supplierpracticescanhavea
devastatingeffectonthe
reputationandbrandofaretailer.
"Eqos prevents orders
being raised to suppliers
and factories that carry a
negative rating. As a result,
costs associated with poor
quality are reduced and we
are better able to meet
social responsibility goals."
HarmVan-Weezel
CommercialITDirector
TescoPLC
Today’shighrateofnewproductintroduction
andhighvolumeofproductsalesthroughput
hasmademanagingtheretailsupplychainan
increasinglytenseanddynamicchallenge.
Withalargenumberofproductsbeing
sourcedfromoverseasitiscriticaltokeep
leadtimesanddelaystoaminimum,ensuring
thatproductsareavailableonshelfwhenthe
customerwantsthem,helpingtoreducethe
possibilityoflostsalesorhighmarkdowns.
Afterproductshavebeendesigned,suppliers
selectedandbuyershavemadepurchase
decisions,theorder-to-deliveryprocess
becomesthefocusofattention. Itishere
whereleadtimescanbecomelengthenedand
keydeadlinesmissedduetothetimeitcan
taketoraisepurchaseorders,manage
inevitableamendmentsandprovidethe
supplierwiththecommitmentrequiredto
triggerthestartofproductionandbookingof
freightforwarders.
Butwiththeincreaseinglobalsourcingcome
morecomplexandlongersupplychains,even
lowervisibilityandpoorercommunication
betweentradingpartners. Withthepressure
ontomeetdemandandseasonalor
promotionallaunchdates,somecompanies
resorttodesperatemeasures,purchasing
materialsandmanufacturingproductsbefore
receivingorders.
Thislackofvisibilityforbuyers,logistics
professionalsandotherparticipants
throughouttheprocesscanpreventthe
identificationandrectificationofthese
problemsanddelays.
Using
EqosOrder&Logistics
tocreate
purchaseorders,collaborativelymanage
amendmentsandrevisionsandhavefull
visibilityintoorder,productionandlogistics
processes,retailerscanavoidthese
unnecessarydelays. Knowingthestatusofan
orderorthewhereaboutsofacontainer-and
beingautomaticallyalertedifthesecritical
milestonesareindangerofbeingmissed-
providesretailerswiththeabilitytoeffectively
resolveissuesandkeepordersontrack.
Keybenefitsinclude:
•
Reduceleadtimesbyimplementingamore
efficientandcollaborativeorder
managementprocess
•
Providea‘singleversionofthetruth’order
toallpartiesfrompre-SKUthrough
purchaseordercreationandshipmentto
theretailers’distributioncenter
•
Minimizetheimpactoncriticalin-store
datesusingproactivealertsforearlier
identificationandresolutionofproduction
andlogisticsissues
•
Improvesupplychainvisibilityforbuyers
andotherprofessionalsinvolvedinthe
sourcingprocesswithtrackingofkey
logisticsmilestones
ProductSourcing
RetailPLM
Quality&Compliance
Order& Logistics
connect • collaborate • comply
Order & Logistics
Right product,
right price,
right place,
right time
Thecompetitivelandscapehas
changedforretailersoverthepast
fewyears. Ratherthancompeting
one-on-one,leadingretailersare
learningtoharnessthepoweroftheir
suppliernetworks. Withthepressure
onretailerstoensurehighlevelsof
on-shelfavailabilityandspeedtime-
to-marketforthelatesttrendor
seasonalitems,effectivesupplychain
managementcanprovideareal
sourceofcompetitiveadvantage.
Meetingconsumerexpectationsis
drivingretailerstofocusnotonlyon
innovationbutmoreefficientordering,
manufacturing,anddeliveryofgoods.
“The Eqos system is
targeted to cut lead times
allowing us to order earlier
or delay buying decisions
dependent on changes in
the business."
JohnHoerner
CEOforClothing
TescoPLC
Fromday-to-dayoperationalstressesto
macrosocio-economicdemands,today’s
retailersfaceagrowingnumberof
pressures. Inadditiontomeetingtraditional
goalsofdeliveringtherightproducttothe
rightplaceattherighttimeandrightprice,
today’sretailersarealsoconsideringother
challengessuchasretainingcustomer
loyalty,addingnewchannelstomarketand
expandingintonewgeographies. Retailers
musthavetheinformationtorespond
quicklyanddecisively,notonlytothese
pressures,butmoreimportantlyto
opportunitiesaroundtheglobe.
Whenitcomestoproductsourcing,retailers
cangainprice,qualityandconsistency
advantagesbyrationalizingproductlinesand
consolidatingspend. Withthenumberof
potentialsourcesformanufacturingnew
productsincreasingbytheday,selectingthe
rightproduct,fromtherightsupplier,atthe
rightpriceandmeetingaggressivelead-times
isacritical,butoftendaunting,task.
Untilnow,theabilitytohelpretailersmanage
criticalsourcingfunctionseffectivelyhasbeen
anissuelargelyunaddressedbyITvendors.
Buttodayanincreasingnumberofretailers
aremovingawayfromhome-grownand
bespokesystemsinfavorofinnovative
softwarethathelpsformalizebestpractices
andhelpsunder-pressureretailersmanage
andscaletheirbusinesses.
Whetheryouaresourcingprivatelabelor
brandedmerchandise,
EqosProduct
Sourcing
helpsbuyers,merchandisersand
procurementprofessionalstomoreeffectively
communicateandcollaboratewiththeir
agents,suppliersandothertradingpartners.
FromtransmittingRequestsforQuotes
(RFQs),toevaluatingandcomparing
responses,managingsamplesandselecting
themostappropriateproduct,theEqos
solutionconnectsalltradingpartnersontoa
singletechnologyplatform,providinga
consistentviewofcriticalsourcinginformation,
enablingretailerstoscaletheirsourcing
programandachievetheirfinancialgoals.
KeyBenefitsinclude:
•
Deliveramoreefficientoperationenabling
thescalingoflowcostsourcing,and
improvementofprice,costsandmargins,
withoutadditionalresources
•
Reduceinformationduplicationand
inconsistenciesbystandardizingand
deployingacommonsourcingprocess
acrossthecompanyanditstrading
partnercommunity
•
Removegeographicboundarieswith
leadingtechnologyenablingaglobal
sourcingprogramtoeffectively‘source
anywhereandsellanywhere’
•
Acceleratesourcingcyclesandreduce
overallleadtimeswithbettermanagement,
integrationandvisibilityofthequoting,
samplingandproductselectionprocesses
ProductSourcing
RetailPLM
Quality&Compliance
Order& Logistics
connect • collaborate • comply
Product Sourcing
Source anywhere,
sell anywhere
Outmaneuveringthecompetition
requiresretailerstobeagile
enoughtosourcefromanywhere
andsellanywhere. Inadditionto
understandingtheglobalsupplier
market,buyersrequireintuitive
toolstosolicitquotesfromboth
trustedandnewsuppliers,
analyzetheirresponses,and
managekeyprocessessuchas
samplingandproducttesting
againstpredefinedtimelines.
"The Eqos Product
Sourcing solution is
introducing a harmonized
set of best practice
business processes for our
buyers, QA, agents and
suppliers to support the
rigorous demands of
global sourcing."
CalvinLow
BusinessIntegrationExecutive
EdgarsConsolidatedStoresLimited
Retailersareturningtothedevelopmentof
privatelabelcollectionsasawayofensuring
customerloyalty,sustainablemarginsand
productdifferentiation. Forhighend
shoppers,thiscanmeanadegreeof
exclusivity,andforotherssimplybettervalue
andalowerpricepoint. Regardlessof
industry,buildingarangeofprivatelabel
productsdemandsclosecollaborationwith
chosensuppliers,managingmorecomplex
supplychainprocesses–usuallyacross
multipletimezones–andlaterworkingwith
dozensorevenhundredsoffactoriesacross
theworldtoensurethattherightgoodsreally
doarriveontherightshelfattherighttime...
andmuchmore.
Bringingasingleinnovativeproducttomarket
oftenrequiresmultipledesignchoicesand
developmentiterations. Thesemustbe
supportedbysystemsthatenable
collaborationandthesecuresharingof
informationacrosstheretailer’sinternaland
externaldesignteams. Multiplythisbythe
numberofnewproductsbeingintroducedby
mostsuccessfulretailersanditisfartoo
muchforanydesignandbuyingteamto
manageunaided.
Withaproventrackrecordindiscrete
manufacturing,ProductLifecycle
Management(PLM)isnowafast-emerging
technologytoolforleadingretailers. Every
producthasalifecyclethatmustbe
effectivelyplannedandmanaged,with
sourcing,production,salesandafter-market
activitiesafundamentalpartoftheproduct
conception-through-deliverylifecycle.
Forretail,PLMcapabilitiesmustalso
supporttrendandconceptdevelopment,
productdesign,sampling,testingand
production,aswellasproductpackaging
andtechnicalrequirements.
Whetheryouareplanningnextseason’s
productrangesorupdatingexistingproduct
lines,
EqosRetailPLM
managesthedesign
andcommercializationprocesseswhile
enablingcollaborationamongdesigners,
merchandisers,buyersandsuppliers.
Itfurtherlinksthedesignprocess,the
merchandiseplanandsourcingfunctions
together,enablingbuyerstomonitorthe
statusofnewandexistingproductstomeet
criticaldatessuchasseasonallaunchesor
promotionalevents.
KeyBenefitsinclude:
•
Attainhighermarginsthroughreductionin
designtimeandlowerproduct
developmentcosts
•
Designthe‘rightproduct,firsttime’using
standardizedbestpracticesfor
collaborativeproductinnovation
•
Reduceproductdatainconsistenciesand
rekeyingbycapturingandstoringdataina
centralrepository,providingasingle
integratedandsharedviewofPLM
information
•
Achievefastercycletimeswiththe
reapplicationofexistingitemsinnew
designs
ProductSourcing
RetailPLM
Quality&Compliance
Order& Logistics
connect • collaborate • comply
Retail PLM
Right design,
first time, every time
Drivenbytheneedtocompetefor
customerswithuniqueand
innovativeproductsdesignedto
meetarangeoftastesand
budgets,theprivatelabel
phenomenonreflectsamajor
inflectionpointinretailstrategy.
Asaresultretailershavetakenon
anewroleasproductdevelopers,
manufacturers,distributorsand
merchandisersoftheirown
productlines.
"Given the disastrous
recall events over the past
year, which highlighted the
critical need for controls
across the entire product
lifecycle, applications like
Eqos that support end-to-
end product lifecycle
processes are critical to
21st century private label
sourcing success.”
PaulaRosenblum
ManagingPartner
RetailSystemsResearch(RSR)
US:+17812295808 • UK:+44(0)1372224400 •
Retail Eqosystem
Retailershavetraditionallycompetedontheir
abilitytodeliverproductsthatcustomers
want,whentheywantthemandatacceptable
prices.Butinordertoincreasechoiceforthe
consumerandbecomemoreresponsiveto
marketdemand,leadingretailersarebuilding
networksofinternationalsourcingoffices,
agents,factories,designers,3PLsandother
partnerstocreateanddeliverdifferentiated
productswithprice-competitive‘privatelabel’
lines.Sourcinggloballyisenablinggrowthand
marginprotection–whilerapidlyenhancing
productchoicewithoutsignificantlyincreasing
investmentfootprints.Successfulprivatelabel
programsdictatethattheretailerandits
partnersformanecosystemthatultimately
deliversvaluetotheconsumer.
Buildingandsuccessfullymanagingan
ecosystemisdrivingretailerstomovebeyond
traditionallyadversarialrelationshipsto
buildingtrustedpartnerships.These
partnershipsrequirenewcross-organizational
processes,technology-enabledcollaboration
tools,andtheabilitytomanageamultitudeof
tasksandactivitiesacrosstheglobalsupply
chain.Additionally,theecosystemmustbe
agileandadaptable-readytoaddnew
productcategoriesandsuppliers,eachof
whichmayrequireuniqueprocessesto
supportthevariousphasesofsourcing,
includingproductdesign,specification,
supplierselection,qualitytesting,production,
factoryauditing,delivery,andasappropriate,
consumption.Aseachnewprocessis
implemented,itmustalsosupportcorporate
responsibilityprogramguidelinesandevolving
regulatoryrequirements.
Retailers’internalsystemstypicallycomprise
aplethoraofbespokeapplications.Although
traditionallyreluctanttomoveawayfrom
thesesystems,retailershaverealizedthat
theseapplicationsnolongerfulfiltheir
requirementsandcannotsupportthe
numerousactivitiesretailersneedtoperform
today.Operationalexpenditureisincreasing,
andretailersmustdowhatevertheycanto
decreasecostsandimprovemarginsatthe
sametimeasimprovingvaluetocustomers.
Cross-organizationalbusinessprocessesand
collaborationthatspantheretailsupplychain
willnotbeachievedwithmanualprocesses,
Excelspreadsheetsandlegacysystems.
Establishingstandardsandmanagingthese
extendedactivitiesrequiresasingle
technologyplatform,atechnology-enabled
andintegratedsuppliernetworkandtheability
toproactivelymanagecritical-pathprocesses.
Connect…
Collaborate…
Comply
Connect
therightpeopletotheright
information,attherighttime,sothat
therightdecisionscanbemade.For
theretailer,thisincludesdesigners,
buyers,procurementmanagers,quality
assurance,andsupplychainmanagers
whethertheyarelocatedin
headquartersorremotesourcing
offices.Additionally,Eqoshelps
retailersrapidlyonboard,validate,and
empoweritspartners–suppliers,
agents,factories,testingcompanies,
auditors,3PLs,andothers-tobecome
activemembersofitssuppliernetwork.
Collaborate
bycapturingandsharing
criticaldatabeginningwiththe
researchphase(trendsandconcepts),
throughproductspecificationand
creationofthetechpack;extending
intoRFQ,samplemanagement,
negotiations,andthroughthe
purchasingandshipmentprocesses.
Usingworkflowcapabilities,Eqos
solutionsenableretailerstowork
proactivelyandefficientlyboth
internallyandincollaborationwith
theirtradingpartners.
Comply
bycreatingasingleversionof
thetruesourcingprocessbeginning
withproductspecification,labtesting,
production,andfinalinspection.Eqos
providesthetoolsthatenableretailers
andtheirpartnerstoidentifyand
respondtoqualityandcompliance
problemsbeforetheybecomemajor
issuesforthecompanyandinthe
market.Eqoscustomersaretackling
complianceissueshead-on,meeting
consumerexpectationsandavoiding
negativeheadlines.
About Eqos
EqosisaleadingproviderofPLM,global
sourcingandsuppliermanagement
solutionsthatempowerretailerstoconnect,
collaborateandachievecompliance
throughouttheentireretailsupplychain.The
company’s‘RetailEqosystem’,asuiteof
bestpractices-basedbusinessapplications
designedtoscaleprivatelabelprograms,
enablesretailerstoacceleratetimeto
market,enhanceproductinnovation,
improvesupplierperformance,andensure
productqualityandfactorycompliance.
Builtonanindustrystandards-basedservice-
orientedarchitecture(SOA)andlayeringover
existingapplications,Eqosfacilitatescross-
enterprise,streamlinedcollaborative
processesbetweenretailers,sourcingoffices,
agents,factories,suppliers,andothertrading
partners.Thedefinitivesolutionformulti-
categoryretailsegments,includingapparel,
groceryandgeneralmerchandisesegments,
Eqosishelpinginexcessof15,000usersin
over55countries,tomanagemorethan$50
billionworthofinventoryfortheworld’s
largest,mostrecognizedglobalretailers.
CustomersincludeBestBuy,Edcon,H-E-B,
Sainsbury’sandTesco.
Eqos Solutions
EqosintegratesPLM,globalsourcingand
suppliermanagementprocessesintoa
cohesive,feature-richsolution,enabling
customersto:
•
Reduceoperatingcostsanddeliver
increasedmargins
•
Speedtimetomarketandreducemarkdowns
•
Increasebrandleveragethroughprivate
labelproductdevelopment
•
Manageproductqualityandcompliancerisk
•
Establishbestpracticesacrossretailerand
tradingpartneroperations
•
Managetradingrelationshipsmoreeffectively
•
Monitorandimprovesupplierperformance
•
Improvedecisionmakingthroughbetter
businessintelligencevisibility
Why Eqos?
Ourbreadthofexperiencecoverstheentire
processfromrangefulfilmentrightthroughto
logisticsandhand-offtofinance.Wehelp
retailersstandardizebestpracticestobett r
manageoneormoresourcingprocessesand
criticalpathsacrossmanydifferenttypesof
retaillines,fromgeneralmerchandise,to
food,tohardlinesandapparel.Eqos
solutionsstreamlinetheprocessesassociated
withprivatelabelmerchandisestrategiesfrom
productconceptthroughproductionand
deliverytotheretailer,supportingbranding
productstrategiesequallyaswell.Webuild
forward-thinking,cross-enterpriseprocesses
thatfacilitatecollaborationbetweenretailers,
theirsuppliers,buyingofficesandother
tradingpartners.
connect • collaborate • comply
Global
sourcing
& supplier
management
solutions for
the retail
supply chain
Offices:
U.S.Office
EqosInc.
67SouthBedfordStreet
Suite400W,Burlington
MA01803,USA
Phone:8668972435
IntPhone:+17812295808
U.K.Office
EqosLtd.
SwanHouse,32SwanCourt
HightStreet,Leatherhead
SurreyKT228AH
UnitedKingdom
Phone:+44(0)1372224400
HongKongOffice
Eqos(HK)
UnitA,20thFloor,InfoTechCentre
21HungToRoad
KwunTong,Kowloon
HongKong,China
Phone:+85236225060
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