Supply Chain Momentum

While it’s tough to make it to as many retail technology user conferences as I wish I could, those that I do get a chance to attend are always productive and enjoyable, not only for the networking opportunties, but also for the insightful top-notch sessions that derive much of the content directly from the retail users themselves.

Enter Manhattan Associates Momentum 2011 conference held this week in San Diego – from where I pen this note – which served as an outstanding example of what I would consider to be a highly rewarding user-conferences that drew more than 500 participants, including executives from some of the industry's most well respected food retailing operations.

Hat's off to Manhattan’s Associate's senior media relations manager, Will Haraway, who in between filming spots for an event video, among other time-sensitive tasks, made sure I never missed neither a relevant session or influential attendee throughout my time at the conference. Great job, Will, and thanks again!

Among the highlights of the event were presentations by the following grocery industry execs, including:

Loblaw’s VP of IT David Markwell, who discussed how the company is reaching new thresholds of performance and profitability via a holistic platform approach. (They are also opening a New York grocery chain called Joe’s, which I am particularly looking forward to!).

Ceasar Ontiveros, Distribution Technology Leader, H-E-B, who spoke about how the San Antonio-based retailer is building a foundation for optimizing labor on its private fleet by integrating its labor management and transportation management systems.

Giant Eagle's SVP of Supply Chain, Larry Baldauf, who outlined during his standing-room only keynote his concept of fixed replenishment in use at the Pittsburgh-based grocery company that is designed from the customer’s prospective and uses warehouse inventory as a replenishment trigger, eliminating forecasting and driving inventory from 30 days to two days.

I’ll be covering these sessions in greater depth in our next PG TECH supplement in July, as well as online.

In the meantime, I have a plane to catch – see you next time!