Bricz: Predictive Fulfilment for Profitable Omni-channel Commerce

This session at DELIVER Europe 2024, presented by Ram Gopalakrishnan, founder and CEO of Bricz, focused on the complexities of modern retail and the need for predictive fulfilment solutions to optimise omni-channel operations and drive profitability.

The Evolving Landscape of Commerce

Gopalakrishnan highlighted the significant shift in commerce, with e-commerce rapidly growing and creating new challenges for retailers and brands. The demand for fast, free, and convenient delivery options, coupled with increasing pressure on margins, necessitates innovative solutions to optimise the entire fulfilment process.

The Middle Mile: The Key to Profitability

Gopalakrishnan emphasised the importance of the "middle mile", the often-neglected stage between the first mile (from manufacturer to retailer) and the last mile (from retailer to consumer). Optimising the middle mile is crucial for achieving profitability and meeting customer expectations in omni-channel commerce.

Predictive Fulfilment: A Technology-Driven Solution

Predictive fulfilment leverages technology and data to optimise inventory placement, network utilisation, and labor allocation, ensuring that the right products are in the right place at the right time to meet demand profitably.

Key Challenges Addressed by Predictive Fulfilment

The presentation outlined three key challenges addressed by predictive fulfilment:

• Volatility in Demand and Supply: Fluctuating demand, supply chain disruptions, and external factors like weather and social media trends create significant challenges for inventory management and fulfilment.
• Siloed Operations: Traditional organizational structures and incentives often lead to segmented inventory and inefficient resource allocation.
• Disconnect between Planning and Execution: The lack of integration between planning and execution systems can hinder efficiency and responsiveness.

The Bricz Solution: Optimising Network, Inventory, and Labor

Bricz's predictive fulfilment platform addresses these challenges by:

• Network Optimization: Analyzing historical data and forecasting trends to determine the optimal placement of inventory across distribution centres, stores, and 3PL locations.
• Inventory Placement: Dynamically allocating inventory to ensure the right products are available in the right locations to meet demand and minimize shipping costs.
• Labor Planning: Optimizing labor allocation across the network to ensure efficient fulfilment and cost-effective operations.

Key Benefits and Outcomes

• Improved Profitability: By optimising inventory and fulfilment processes, Bricz helps retailers and brands improve their operating margins and achieve profitability in omni-channel commerce.
• Enhanced Customer Experience: Faster, more reliable deliveries and improved inventory availability enhance the customer experience.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: The platform provides real-time visibility and insights to support data-driven decision making and continuous improvement.
• Agility and Resilience: Predictive fulfilment enables businesses to adapt quickly to changing market conditions and disruptions.

Key Takeaways

• Predictive fulfilment is essential for profitable omni-channel commerce.
• Optimising the middle mile is crucial for achieving efficiency and cost savings.
• Technology and data are key enablers of predictive fulfilment.
• Collaboration and integration across the supply chain are essential for success.
• Bricz's platform offers a comprehensive solution for optimising network, inventory, and labor.

By embracing predictive fulfilment and leveraging the power of data and technology, retailers and brands can navigate the complexities of the modern market, enhance the customer experience, and achieve sustainable growth.