Flieber Blog

In 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic gained momentum, direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands experienced incredible growth. In fact, sales across DTC brands in the US saw a 45.5% growth increase. At face value, that may sound like a beautiful thing. But ongoing challenges with the supply chain meant that many brands struggled to deliver on that demand.

Measure twice, cut once. The direct meaning of this common saying is relevant for carpenters, but its symbolic meaning is important for businesses in all industries. 

Every ounce of preparation is worth its weight in gold, especially when it comes to processes and practices that have significant repercussions when done improperly. Demand planning for your supply chain is one such process. 

Have you ever sold a product you didn’t actually have in stock? If so, you’re not alone: 34% of businesses have been forced to delay shipping a product because they sold something they didn’t have in hand. 

Though not uncommon, these types of mistakes aren’t great for your customers’ experience. So, how do you manage inventory replenishment processes efficiently enough to prevent it?

Inventory is the lifeblood of any product-based business. Without the right products, in the right place, at the right time, you can lose sales and customer trust.  

Would you hop in your car to drive somewhere if you knew you had less than 65% chance of arriving where you intended to go? When you operate your business without end-to-end supply chain visibility, that’s what you’re doing with your inventory. 

Have you ever lost sales due to stockouts or tied up capital in products that no one bought?

These two scenarios often have the same root cause: inaccurate forecasts or the lack of a realistic demand plan. And that's where the difference between demand forecasting and demand planning becomes crucial.

Seasonality, price fluctuation, and changing economic conditions, oh my!

RIP Brick-and-mortar.

How would you like to see nearly a three percent increase in annual sales without running a single promotion or introducing a new product?

You want to implement inventory optimization processes but don’t know where to start.

What do dishwashers, calculators, and chatbots have in common? All are automated solutions to problems that humans use to solve manually.