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12 July 2007
Chicago, IL
Decisions Made Easy, a global business unit of The Nielsen Company, and leading provider of analytical software and services for business users at consumer goods (CG) companies, announced today the release of its unique software tool that enables CG manufacturers to leverage data directly from retailers in order to manage on-shelf availability. It is the only solution on the market that helps CG companies address availability at the retail shelf, in addition to addressing other critical business issues including retail execution and complete market reporting. Designed to help suppliers reduce out-of-stocks by providing greater visibility into product availability and store operations, the solution integrates Direct Data, including retailer supplied point-of-sale data, store inventory orders, distribution center data, shipments and forecast data, and analyzes it through Cipher®, Nielsen’s industry’s-leading CG reporting and analysis tool.
Industry research estimates out-of-stocks cost CG companies $6-$20 billion annually in the U.S. Nearly 90% of out-of-stocks occur in the last 50 yards of the supply chain leading up to retailers’ shelves.
“Out-of-stocks are costing CG companies billions of dollars,” said Wayne Rigney, CEO, Decisions Made Easy. “Not only do we provide a solution to help companies resolve current out-of-stock issues, but our product also identifies points of failure to prevent future stock-outs. Providing suppliers with this level of control over availability will lead to lower inventory and fewer out-of-stock situations, resulting in lower costs and increased sales.”
Key features of the availability management application include:
- Alerts based on value, duration, live event status, or other attributes to prevent future stock-outs. Customized for each user and displayed in a web-based executive dashboard, alerts offer an important warning when products and stores require immediate action.
- Standard reports, such as Store Within a Store reports, are automated for easy creation to save time.
- Actionable templates, including recommended replenishment quantities and distribution center orders, to resolve issues.
- Automatic feeds for existing back-office supply chain applications, such as SAP, with near real-time data to improve forecasting capabilities and supply chain processes and close the availability loop.
“Our solution enables CG companies to quickly get to the heart of critical information in massive amounts of data,” said Rigney. “Knowing the urgency and potential impact of each availability issue helps suppliers prioritize and take action. Having this information at their fingertips strengthens their position as a trusted adviser to the retailers and fosters greater collaboration.”
About Decisions Made Easy
Decisions Made Easy, a global business service of The Nielsen Company, provides software and services focusing on Direct Data for business users at consumer goods companies to maximize retail sales through intelligent demand and supply side analytics. For more information, please visit www.decisions-made-easy.com.
About The Nielsen Company
The Nielsen Company is a global information and media company with leading market positions and recognized brands in marketing information (ACNielsen), media information (Nielsen Media Research), trade shows and business publications (Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Adweek). The privately held company is active in more than 100 countries, with headquarters in Haarlem, the Netherlands, and New York, USA. For more information, please visit www.nielsen.com.
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