Retail Week – AO.com Improves Availability Through New Supply Chain Technology

Retail Week has published a news piece about AO.com, a leading UK online electrical retailer, launching a new supply chain technology as it seeks to maintain its availability and customer service while expanding abroad.

The system from RELEX will allow the retailer to address the challenges it faces with demand forecasting, replenishment, promotions and product life cycle management decisions. It is also scalable as AO.com expands into new territories and increases its product range.

Certainly we could build something in-house, but it would take a very long time to do, a lot of resources and there would be a lot of cost involved in doing so.

Vicky Kay, Director of Supply Chain at AO.com, said: “Cost savings are important to us and it’s about being smart, but it’s availability that is the key measure.”

“The supply chain is such an integral part of the business, that it was important that we get this part right. Certainly we could build something in-house, but it would take a very long time to do, a lot of resources and there would be a lot of cost involved in doing so.

RELEX has worked closely with us and understood AO.com’s strategic objectives and vision.

“There was a worry in the business that if AO.com worked with an external supplier on a central business function that we would lose control, however, RELEX has worked closely with us and understood AO.com’s strategic objectives and vision.”

Click here for the full article in Retail Week, 29 January 2016:
AO.com improves availability through new supply chain technology