Retail

Inventory
Distortion
GOOD BAD UGLY
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Int ro duct i o n

Inventory distortion worldwide is a critical issue that continues to WORLDWIDE 2023

plague retailers worldwide, causing significant financial losses and INVENTORY DISTORTION
operational challenges. When IHL measures inventory distortion, Source: IHL Group
we look at out-of-stocks from the customer perspective (what did

$1.77
they come ready to buy but did not because they couldn’t find it in
stock) and the retailer perspective on overstocks (excess discounts or
spoilage). We titled the report Inventory Distortion – The Good, the
Trillion
(More Than The Entire
Bad, the Ugly as progress has been made in many areas (the Good),
huge issues remain for optimization (the Bad), and still other issues Retail GDP of LATAM)
that are getting worse (the Ugly).

In 2023, the total cost of inventory distortion is projected at $1.77

trillion, down $172 billion from 2022 with out-of-stocks accounting
for $1.2 trillion and overstocks totaling $562 billion. Without
SOME MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS IN
question a huge problem remains, one greater than the combined
INVENTORY DISTORTION WORLDWIDE
retail GDP of Latin/South America.
Source: IHL Group
To be fair, the last few years could be said to be the most challenging

$172
years in modern retailing, starting with COVID lockdowns that
caused massive shortages, causing retailers to overstock merchandise
as economies reopened only to have an unexpected war that created
millions of refugees, rapid energy price inflation and the largest
Billion
(Roughly Equal to The
supplying country remaining in lockdowns. Home Depot’s Annual Sales)

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Despite these issues, retailers who have been sufficiently focused INVENTORY DISTORTION WORLDWIDE
on the items within their control continue to make significant Source: IHL Group
improvements. And while there may be a disconnect between
retailers’ perception of their inventory position and the reality
experienced by customers, it is important to recognize that the
systems being deployed to address inventory distortion are working.

Comparing these numbers to previous years, it is evident that 31.8% $1.77 68.2%
inventory distortion has been a persistent issue. In 2022, the total OVERSTOCKS TRILLION OUT-OF-STOCKS
cost of inventory distortion was $1.9 trillion, indicating a slight
improvement in 2023. This suggests that retailers have made some
progress in addressing the issue, despite the ongoing challenges.

There are many causes of inventory distortion, but who is to

blame in 2023? Vendor issues remained as the primary driver of
out-of-stocks and overstocks, contributing $414 billion to the inventory
distortion problem in 2023, but down $178 billion and after 2022
showing tremendous improvement in product availability. Theft both
by employees and consumers, accounts for $407 billion in 2023 with
consumer theft nearly $238 billion and employee theft about
$169 billion.

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Personnel issues, including a lack of training and trust in
systems, are also a significant issue, contributing another $283
billion. Internal process issues contribute $238.1 billion to the
problem and bad data systems issues another $173.5b.

Spoilage and lockdown issues have seen major improvements

in the last 3 years. While still a huge issue at $67.4b this
pales in comparison to the nearly $570b in losses in 2020
and $238b in losses in 2022. While governments opening and
China abandoning the zero COVID policy was the lion share BLAME FOR INVENTORY DISTORTION
of the progress, we must give credit to better forecasting and Worldwide ($ in Billions USD)
systems like fresh item management for reducing a portion of Source: IHL Group
this as well.
S UPPLIER IS S UES $413.5
PER S ONNEL IS S UES $283.0
INT ER NAL PR OCES S ES $238.1
CONS UMER T HEF T $237.9
S OME OT HER R EAS ON $182.2
EMPLOY EE T HEF T $169.5
INT ER NAL DAT A/S Y S T EM IS S UES $173.5
S POILAG E AND OOS /LOCKDOWN $67.4

$100 $200 $300 $400

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Re g io nal D i ff e re nc e s

Overall, we saw improvements in total inventory distortion in all COSTS OF OUT-OF-STOCKS BY REGION
4 major regions. In North America, the total inventory distortion Source: IHL Group
decreased by 1.6% from 2022, thanks to a significant drop in
overstocks as retailers worked through excess inventory. However,
the cost of out-of-stocks increased by 17.7%, mainly due to a sharp APAC EMEA
uptick in organized retail crime. Overstocks decreased by 21.6%,
primarily due to supply chain chaos becoming resolved and
improved systems performance.
$472.9b $343.2b
In Europe/Middle East/Africa (EMEA), there was a 10.0% improvement
in inventory distortion from 2022. In spite of more goods moving
through the industry, retailers experienced a 3.9% decrease in out-of-
stocks and a 20.9% improvement in overstocks. As retailers adjusted
to the new realities of population shocks from millions of refugees
from conflict areas, they began to normalize inventory levels. These
numbers also seem to indicate that the investment in IT systems for
LATAM N O RTH AMERIC A
these retailers is having a positive effect.

In Latin/South America, out-of-stocks declined 4.3% and their $142.6b $244.5b

overstocks declined by 22.7%. Overall, there was a 9.7% reduction in
inventory distortion in the region. Despite rapid inflation, the region
has not suffered the same “shocks to the system” we have seen in
EMEA and North America.

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In the Asia/Pacific region the previous OVERSTOCK
decade showed annual sales growth in AP A C 25.9% IMPROVEMENT
the double digits, mainly due to the rising 2022 to 2023
middle class and changing consumer by Region
L ATAM 22.7%
spending patterns. This has slowed Source: IHL Group
significantly as China’s tepid consumer NOR TH A M ER ICA 21.6%
recovery from lockdowns has depressed
sales. Overall inventory management
EM EA 20.9%
practices are becoming more disciplined,
which resulted in a 4.1% improvement in
10% 20% 30%
out-of-stocks and a 25.9% improvement in
overstocks. The disruptions in supply chains
and imbalances in demand for essential
and discretionary products have settled out
some.
OUT-OF-STOCK
In conclusion, while inventory distortion LATAM 4.3% IMPROVEMENT
remains a challenge for retailers globally, 2022 to 2023
there have been improvements in managing APAC 4.1% by Region
the issue in all regions. While worldwide Source: IHL Group
economic growth has slowed, we see a more E ME A 3.9%
resilient supply chain and better systems
attacking the issue worldwide. As long as N O R T H A ME R I C A -17.7%
we don’t experience additional “shocks” we
should see continued progress. -20% -10% 0% 10%

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The G o o d

There have been some very positive developments in managing not only more efficient in their operations, but they also benefit from
inventory distortion this year. Across all four regions, we see an consistently better margins.
average improvement of 8.9%. This is a clear indication that retailers
Worldwide, out-of-stocks also saw improvement (0.3%) barely. While
are taking proactive steps to address their inventory challenges and
three out of the four regions have experienced a decline in out-of-
improvements in the supply chain.
stocks, North America saw an increase of 17.7% due to increased theft.
One of the key areas of improvement is in the reduction of Positive outcomes in EMEA, APAC, and LATAM, with improvements
overstocks. Worldwide overstocks improved to the tune of a 23.1% ranging from 3.9% to 4.3%, indicate that these retailers are making
reduction (reductions are good). The radical shock to the world strides in ensuring product availability for their customers without
economy from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in growing overstocks.

21.6%
2022 found many retailers who had stocked
Among the key inventory visibility-related
up for post-COVID “revenge buying” stuck
solutions responsible for these improvements
with the wrong merchandise for a tighter
are order management systems (usually part of
consumer and higher energy prices. This has
a unified commerce transformation), inventory
mostly been worked through and demonstrates
visibility software with RFID tags (which
that retailers are becoming more effective in Improvement in Overstocks enable running many store-level inventory
managing their inventory levels and avoiding
Worldwide from 2022. counts vs once or twice a year) and computer-
excessive stockpiling in 2023.
Source: IHL Group aided ordering into more categories that have
GMS retailers (Department and Specialty Hard reportedly added between 3-9% increase in
and Soft Goods stores) especially have been the most improved sales through better stock positions and faster reactions. These are in
here, as their “Vendor Issues” and “Buying / Planning Issues” have addition to directed spending on systems like cameras (in the aisles,
improved by 27.9% and 24.0% respectively. Expanded use of unified the POS, and the docks), enhanced customer counting and tracking
commerce technologies along with enhanced demand forecasting systems, computer vision and RFID solutions.
solutions and a move back to more normal inventory levels helped
Overall, there were many improvements that qualified for The Good.
this issue. Those retailers who have embraced these technologies are
Let’s move now to the more challenging areas.

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The Ba d

Despite progress inventory distortion continues to be a huge issue SIZE OF INVENTORY DISTORTION PROBLEM
equivalent to 7.2% of retail sales (or the equivalent of the annual Region as % of Retail Sales
revenues of the top 10 retailers on the planet). Source: IHL Group
The first step in tackling inventory distortion is identifying the
main contributors. Empty shelves remain the largest component
of inventory distortion with $707.4b in costs. As mentioned earlier,
we have seen improvement in EMEA (-7.3%), Asia/Pacific (-7.6%) and LATAM 9.2%
Latin/South America (-4.4%) with better forecasting tools and more
consistent product availability. It is North America, specifically APAC 8.0%
certain major US cities, that caused a $30b increase in empty shelves
with theft issues overwhelming systems and process improvements. E ME A 7.2%
Labor issues remain the other major issue that must be discussed.
Worldwide we saw a $17.7b increase in problems either due to N O R T H A MER I C A 5.7%
lack of people to help or poor training. North America leads the
issue here, being the cause of 80% of the total. Although the retail 2% 4% 6% 8% 10%
labor issue is improving in North America, retailers remain being
challenged with doing more with less.

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Pricing problems continue to cause lost REASONS FOR OUT-OF-STOCKS WORLDWIDE
sales. While we are seeing the rapid In Billions
adoption of electronic shelf labels, the Source: IHL Group
lack of labor has led to nearly $84b in lost
sales due to pricing mismatches to either
advertisements or from differences in online
pricing verses the store leading to lost sales. Other $87.5b Price/Offer Didn’t Match $83.7b
Finally, while we have seen a $174b
reduction in issues related to supplier issues, Shelf Empty $707.4b Found Someone But
Couldn’t Find Item $152.1b
it remains a $417.7b issue worldwide. We
expect this to continue to improve and
thankfully many of the issues are targeted at Couldn’t Find Anyone
specific products and not as systemic as they to Help $172.5b
have been during the last 3 years. That being
said, this remains an enormous potential
area for improvement where retailers have
the opportunity to leverage workforce
management and shelf edge technology
improvement.

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The Ug ly

17.7%
The Good is very good, the Bad is pretty bad, but the Ugly is really,
really ugly. There is no way to sugar coat it. In North America, Out-of-
Stocks have increased by a staggering 17.7% from 2022. The primary
drivers of this increase are empty shelves, which have risen by 22.8%
($29.6 billion). The supply chain has stabilized, but now a new (well,
not really new) problem has reared its ugly head in the form of an Growth in Out-of-Stocks in
increase in organized retail crime (ORC) that has more than negated North America 2022-2023
other improvements. While a problem across the US, the issue is Source: IHL Group
particularly acute in major cities in California, Oregon, Washington,
and New York, leading to retailers locking up most, if not all
merchandise or removing stores altogether.

In some of these locations, crimes of less than $900 in theft are not
Organized Retail Crime is
prosecuted or not prosecuted at all, let alone as felony crimes and
Organized Retail Crime is
retailers reportedly losing as much as 10% of sales from certain stores estimated to now be as high as
due to theft. estimated to now be as high as
To put this issue into perspective, if a company averages a 25% gross
margin and 5% net profit per item, it takes them 15 additional sales $100,000,000,000
$100,000,000,000
to make up for lost profit or shrink. So, when retailers choose to problem in the US. (Larger than the
lock up merchandise, they are making a bet that 14 lost sales from problem in the US. (Larger than the
annual sales of Lowe’s Home Improvement)
customers simply not buying something because it is locked up is annual sales of Lowe’s Home Improvement)
Source: IHL Group
better business financially than 1 of that item being stolen. It is no
wonder retailers are abandoning high theft areas altogether or those
where laws favor the criminals rather than the retailers and
honest shoppers.

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Another significant contributor to the problem is when a customer THE COST OF THEFT
“Couldn’t Find Anyone to Help,” which has increased by 36.3% in Source: IHL Group
North America ($10.6 billion) and 10.0% worldwide ($15.7 Billion).
Between rising labor costs and labor shortages the labor challenge
remains a crucial issue for retailers. Even when a store associate is
available, customers who “Found Someone but Couldn’t Find the Retailers must make
15 additional sales
Item” increased by 17.6% in North America (1.4% worldwide, or $2.1
Billion) in the past year. This situation where assistance is available,
but the inventory visibility, system reliability, and training of
associates have proven to be subpar. of an item (at 25% gross
The implications of these labor issues cannot be understated…
the inability to meet customer demands due to empty shelves, the
margin and 5% net profit)
lack of available assistance, and the challenges in locating desired to break even on the loss
items can lead to a significant decline in customer satisfaction and
loyalty. The only way retailers can meet the demands of consumers of theft of one of the
and also increase their sales in the future is to critically look at their
availability of labor and systems to optimize where that labor is used, same item.
deploying systems and processes to make improvements.

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Key Te ch n o lo g y Sol ut i ons That G reatly Improve Results

Looking into solving the issue of Inventory Distortion there are several steps required to
optimize the process and reduce losses. Without them, retailers can be off in their real
inventory counts of over 25% from what their systems say.

GE T T O A CCU RATE IN VEN TORY DA TA

Perhaps the most important part of reducing inventory distortion There are solutions that are hand-held as well as perpetual solutions
is to get to accurate data and a single version of the truth. A single, with cameras or readers down to the shelf level. Data management
enterprise view of all inventories (and they can be fed from multiple and managing by exception are best practices to allow item-level
sources) is crucial. New enhancements with microservices can be inventory analytics to manage the current in-stock position. They
built on a foundation of APIs and data streaming technology enabling can also tell associates which items should be moved from the stock
integration with all inventory sources, platforms and solutions room to the sales floor in time to avoid preventable out-of-stocks and
delivering a real-time enterprise-wide view of inventory with deliver a positive customer experience.
status (pickable and non-pickable, etc.) across all sources, including
While audit rules require 3rd party inventory counts at least once
warehouses, stores, drop-ship suppliers, and fulfillment centers.
a year, many retailers are also seeing significant sales lift and
Once your data house is in order, some key solutions that help get to improvements by using self-scan inventory counting solutions.
and maintain accurate inventory levels are the following: These solutions enable retail employees to greatly improve the
accuracy of inventory levels and create savings of 25-50% compared
RFID, Computervision and Inventory Visibility software – These can
to using 3rd party vendors. This allows retailers to focus on problem
be used to improve the number of inventory counts. These solutions
stores to get an overall higher level of true inventory counts. This
can improve inventory accuracy at the store level to 95% or higher
can reduce shrink, increase on-shelf availability and lift sales in a
depending on the number of reads and if things are done correctly.
more cost-effective way.

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I M PR OV E D S O LUTION S ACROSS T HE SUPPL Y CHA I N

Improving the inventory distortion issue is broader than just at and visibility while verifying authenticity, improve traceability,
the local store or distribution level, it requires an enterprise view availability to promise, and improve transactional trust.
across the supply chain that includes both sellable and non-sellable
Further, leading retailers are now beginning to link customer
inventory as well as when the next shipments are coming in. Some
preferences and behaviors with a range of acceptable products
key solutions that are helping retailers optimize their overall supply
within acceptable time frames in the supply chain. This new way of
chain include the following:
thinking reduces lost sales and results in higher conversion rates,
At the top level, optimizing forecasts and assortment planning revenues, profits, inventory turns, and customer satisfaction. This
solutions that leverage an enterprise view of inventory is a critical concept considers the customers’ desired product, pickup time
table stakes set of solutions. But the process of driving value doesn’t flexibility, and openness to substitution. It’s not just about the
stop there. Tied to the enterprise data is the use of a single enterprise product on the shelves, but the customers and how they acquire
distributed order management system. Leveraging a single version the product. It means directing orders and fulfillment based on
of the truth in the data enables top-level control of the inventory, maximum localization of customer service levels and margins.
customer and order process. New enhancements include providing
Finally, the most advanced retailers are now also deploying
full visibility, the velocity of sell-through, and availability to the
optimized reverse logistics solutions. Merchandise returns have
customer location (down to the zip code).
jumped to over $1 trillion in costs in 2023, with particular issues in
Next are solutions that optimize visibility of product across the entire apparel due to inconsistent sizing and the increase in returns fraud.
value chain. These include optimizing not just the stores, but using Overall, up to 15.4% of merchandise is returned depending on the
the same store-level technology to bring highly accurate item-level segment, where some items such as women’s dresses purchased
inventory to the warehouses and distribution centers, transportation online have a return rate as high as 90%. We delved into a number
management solutions that optimize truck load management, routes of solutions in a recent study specific to returns (you can find here),
and delivery times can all improve inventory visibility and lower but needless to say inventory optimization is not limited to
costs. Leveraging technologies such as blockchain, 2d barcodes, forward-facing logistics but returns and reverse logistics as well.
RFID, real-time cloud-based analytics and others provide insight

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O PT IM IZ IN G KEY P EOP LE RESOUR CE S

A major area of focus to improve inventory levels is freeing your and some research has shown that up to 50% of retailers could see
limited staff to focus on this issue versus others within the stores. The as much as a 10% uptick in sales by deploying task management
most prevalent solutions already deployed in recent years include properly. Workforce management technology is also essential to
self-checkout or allowing customers to order and checkout on their aligning scheduled associates to in-store workload. Retailers have
mobile devices, reducing labor in the checkout process. seen up to 50% improvement in scheduling effectiveness and up
to 6% in payroll savings by optimizing scheduling with workforce
Less visible has been the use of electronic shelf labels and other IoT
management.
sensors to remove the labor hours required to change prices and
monitor systems. Some advancements now include computer vision
at the shelf- or robot-level to reduce the number of issues that staff
must focus on each day. These solutions allow retailers to automate
up to 35% of their inventory management tasks.

Fully integrated forecasting allows for market-based demand

forecasting to determine how many associates are needed for
in-store execution, how many orders should be expected so as to plan
for the number of bags, scanners and carts to get the job done.

And finally, critical to improving employee productivity in inventory

and getting associates aligned to corporate goals is the use of a
modern task management solution on a centralized platform that
simplifies execution and communication while prioritizing and
allocating tasks. Retailers have seen sales improvements of 1-3%

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MI T I GA T IN G L OSSES AN D SH RINK

As we have already discussed, the exponential increase in theft In recent years, predictive and prescriptive analytics to prepare for
and organized retail crime is challenging retailers of all types. and reduce losses have made huge improvements to identify total
While retailers cannot change local government policies, there retail loss and are getting better every day. These solutions help
are several technical solutions that can provide better insight and uncover more losses hiding in siloed data sets and identify the root
mitigate losses. cause of issues and which to tackle first. They also automatically
prompt your front line to take course-corrective actions. Using
The most obvious are traditional EAS item technologies and CCTV
prescriptive analytics, retailers have seen up to 27% waste reduction
cameras, but today these have evolved to include AI-based facial
on high-margin items, as well as hundreds of thousands of dollars
recognition and benefit-denial products that make the products
recaptured in shrink reduction through improving inventory
unusable until purchased. Reaching far beyond the traditional ink
accuracy.
tags or destructive tags, these new tags now include Bluetooth
tokens for electronics that require authorization to operate. These
technologies are also being combined with other technologies
like RFID to reduce theft. When RFID is combined with computer
vision it provides insight into theft and when items disappeared,
thus greatly reducing the speed to identify suspects and replenish
missing merchandise. And some retailers are now leveraging these
technologies to identify suspects the next time they enter one of
their stores to alert law enforcement and store staff.

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How AI/ML & Generative AI Improve Distortion Problems

There has been a great deal of hype over the promise of Generative WORLDWIDE RETAIL AI ECONOMIC
AI, but when it comes to inventory distortion improvements this IMPACT THROUGH 2029
year, it is the traditional Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ Source: IHL Group
ML) that is providing the greatest impact so far; Generative AI will

$9.2
only make this better. In fact, combined together IHL is predicting
that retailers can improve their gross margins 25% or more from
today’s level by 2029 if they were able to fully take advantage of all
the benefits that AI can provide. More detail can be found in our
study “Retail’s $9.2t AI Revolution”.

One way AI helps tackle inventory distortion is through improved

demand forecasting. Traditional forecasting methods often rely on
historical data and manual analysis, which can be prone to errors
and fail to capture real-time changes in customer behavior. AI
Trillion USD
algorithms, on the other hand, can analyze vast amounts of data
from multiple sources, such as sales data, customer trends, social
media, and external factors like weather and events. By identifying
patterns and correlations, AI can generate more accurate demand
forecasts, enabling retailers to stock the right products in the right
quantities.

AI-powered inventory optimization systems can also help retailers

streamline their supply chains. These systems consider multiple
factors, including lead times, supplier performance, transportation
costs, and demand fluctuations, to determine optimal replenishment
schedules. By automating this process and considering real-time

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data, AI can minimize stockouts and GROSS MARGIN ECONOMIC IMPACT FROM AI TYPES
overstocks, manage safety stocks, consider In Billions USD
sellable and non/sellable supply buckets Source: IHL Group
and reducing the likelihood of further
inventory distortion.
$3,000 ALL AI TYPES
Finally, the most advanced solutions now
TRADITIONAL AI/ML
include analysis to realize savings using $2,500 GENERATIVE AI
analysis to route online orders to stores with
ART GENERAL INT
merchandise most likely to go on markdown $2,000
while also considering the shipping cost.
Similarly, these systems can optimize $1,500
which stores can fulfill the complete
$1,000
orders to maximize margins and optimize
sustainability rather than shipping from
$500
multiple locations.

Moreover, AI-driven technologies such as $1

2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029
computer vision and RFID enable real-
time tracking and monitoring of inventory
levels. By continuously monitoring stock
levels on store shelves, in warehouses, and
during transportation, combined-technology
solutions can provide accurate visibility
into inventory levels and promptly identify
discrepancies.

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Additionally, AI can improve inventory ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF AI BY RETAIL
accuracy by detecting and mitigating LINE-OF-BUSINESS CATEGORIES 2022-2029
human errors. For example, AI-powered Source: IHL Group
systems can analyze point-of-sale data and
flag inconsistencies or anomalies that may
indicate data entry errors. By automating
these checks, AI reduces the reliance on BI/Analytics 10% Store Mgt/Execution 11%
manual audits and minimizes the chances of
inaccuracies in inventory records. Commerce 15% Sales & Marketing 13%
AI can revolutionize inventory management
Enterprise Collaboration, Mgt, Merch/SCM 26%
in the retail sector by addressing the IT Development, Other 15%
challenges of inventory distortion. But make
no mistake, it is the steps and solutions we Infrastructure 10%
discussed in the previous section that must
be deployed for retailers to get the benefit.
Clean, accurate, and tagged inventory,
product, and customer data – the kind that
most retailers have been focused on for the
last several years are absolute foundations
to take advantage of AI improvements.
Otherwise, you simply make bigger mistakes
faster, whether it be forecasts, analysis,
scheduling of employees or inventory
assortments. There are no shortcuts, but
enormous potential.

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Fina l T h o ug h t s

The consequences of inventory distortion in retail are significant but The rewards are huge. With $1.77t in inefficiencies and losses today,
the industry has made major progress in many areas and continues there is enough potential impact to go around for everybody. Those
to struggle in others. While retail sales were rapidly growing post- retailers that maniacally focus on this issue, get their data in order,
COVID the cost of overstocks and out-of-stocks could be put on the and that leverage both traditional and emerging AI tools will race
back burner due to even greater increases in sales. But as the world ahead of their competitors to dominate their markets and improve
economy has slowed, fixing inventory issues is all the more critical to their profits.
preserving or improving the bottom line.

The causes of inventory distortion are multifaceted and include

supplier/vendor issues, personnel challenges, employee theft, and
consumer theft. Additionally, external disruptions such as port
shutdowns and geopolitical conflicts further exacerbate the issue.
These factors contribute to the discrepancy between desired and
actual inventory levels, leading to financial losses for retailers.
Finally, the scourge of the rapid rise of theft and organized retail
crime means dealing with a predicable unpredictable challenge in
many locations, one that has been encouraged by many local laws in
the US.

Addressing overstocks and out-of-stocks requires retailers to

invest in systems, processes, and strategies to improve inventory
management. Technology plays a crucial role in mitigating inventory
distortion, but it is not a standalone solution. Retailers must also
focus on improving supplier relationships, training personnel, and
implementing effective loss prevention measures as well as lobbying
governments.

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selling processes. Pull Logic’s SaaS solution
to tackle today’s complex supply
uses proprietary AI models to link customer
chain challenges. By enhancing the preferences with inventory in the supply
intelligence of a customer’s existing chain, using “Product Availability Ratio”
supply chain systems, we deliver scores to optimize product availability across
end-to-end visibility, resilience, and the enterprise.
seamless orchestration to optimize Based on the research of Dr. Benoit Montreuil,
order management processes and leader of the Supply Chain and Logistics
deliver extraordinary customer Institute at Georgia Tech, Pull Logic’s focused
experiences. Our scalable solution AI models have been proven to increase sales
is designed to adapt and evolve and inventory turns of up to 30% or more due
with a company’s dynamic business to higher sales conversion rates.
requirements. For more information about how Pull Logic
can help your company, please contact
Karl Swensen (Cofounder and CEO) at
karl@pulllogic.com. https://pulllogic.com
Blue Yonder is the world leader in digital supply chain transformations and
omni-channel commerce fulfillment. Our end-to-end, cognitive business platform
enables retailers, manufacturers and logistics providers to best fulfill customer demand
from planning through delivery. With Blue Yonder, you’ll unify your data, supply chain
and retail commerce operations to unlock new business opportunities and drive
automation, control and orchestration to enable more profitable, sustainable business
decisions. Blue Yonder – Fulfill your Potential™ blueyonder.com.
At Johnson Controls (NYSE:JCI), we transform the environments where people live, work, learn and play. As
the global leader in smart, healthy and sustainable buildings, our mission is to re-imagine the performance
of buildings to serve people, places and the planet.

Building on a proud history of nearly 140 years of innovation, we deliver the blueprint of the future for
industries such as healthcare, schools, data centers, airports, stadiums, manufacturing and beyond through
OpenBlue, our comprehensive digital offering.

Today, with a global team of 100,000 experts in more than 150 countries, Johnson Controls offers the
world`s largest portfolio of building technology and software as well as service solutions from some of the
most trusted names in the industry. Visit www.johnsoncontrols.com for more information and follow
@johnsoncontrols on social platforms.

Sensormatic Solutions is the leading global retail solutions portfolio of Johnson Controls powering
operational excellence at scale and enabling smart and connected shopper engagement. Our
intelligent digital operating platform – Sensormatic IQ – combines the full Sensormatic Solutions
portfolio, including third-party data to deliver unmatched insights into shopper experience, inventory
intelligence, loss prevention and operational effectiveness with advanced technologies, like AI and
Machine Learning. This enables retailers to act on prescriptive and predictive data-driven outcomes to
confidently move into the future. Please visit Sensormatic Solutions or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter,
and our YouTube channel.
Zebra Technologies (NASDAQ: ZBRA) is an innovator that helps retailers gain a
performance edge. Our solutions enable every asset and worker on the frontline to
be visible, connected, and fully optimized. Fast-track your insights and streamline
retail performance to make smarter decisions with Zebra’s next-gen solutions:
• Optimize labor scheduling, boost employee engagement, and become an
employer of choice with Zebra Scheduling
• Improve corporate-to-store communication, simplify task execution, and
manage by exception with Zebra Task Management
• Streamline in-store voice communication with push-to-talk capabilities and
secure messaging using Zebra Workforce Communication
• Turn data into action and lower total retail loss with Zebra Actionable
Intelligence
• Achieve real-time inventory visibility while boosting efficiency with Zebra
Inventory Visibility, and

• Create accurate inventory forecasts to predict and meet demand with Antuit.ai