Supermarket Perimeter - May 2024 - 88

Invafresh's AIenhanced
fresh
ordering software is
in a constant state
of evoluion.
Technology
Fresh
ordering
By
Andy
Nelson
GROCERY REMAINS, IN MANY WAYS, A TRADITION-BOUND
INDUSTRY. But more and more retailers are adopting fresh ordering
software to increase sales, reduce shrink and get an edge on the
competition.
Invafresh's AI-enhanced fresh ordering solution continues to evolve,
said Stephen Midgley, the company's vice president of marketing.
It now has the ability to view and manage order exclusions at the
corporate level and the ability to see future orders , Midgley said.
Enhanced order configuration and settings and a better overall user
experience, which makes it easier to use for both store and department
managers on the floor and order approvers and administrators, are
other recent improvements.
For order approvers, updates include enhanced filtering and display
options when viewing an order, the ability to update inventory directly
from the order approval screen, and more visual ways to quickly assess
an order and compare to prior orders.
Order administrators, meanwhile, now have the ability to manage
order exclusions and configure whether or not core products can be
excluded from an order.
Invafresh's fresh ordering platform also has a dashboard with
insights into order operations, so users can see scheduled as well as
generated orders. That, Midgley said, gives them the visibility to make
data-driven decisions.
Another area of focus for Invafresh is ingredient ordering for
commissaries, central kitchens and other offsite facilities that supply
prepared foods and other foods to grocery stores.
Integrated with store ordering, commissary users can monitor
and manage store orders in real time, improving the communication
between stores and commissaries.
That, Midgley said, helps to improve operating margins, reduce shrink,
and ensure the freshest products for both stores and commissaries.
Fresh ordering, like all technologies, is playing a more prevalent role
in helping grocery retailers address a number of different challenges,
Midgley said. Technology, he said, helps grocers:
* Drive sustainability: Capture real-time shrink and production data,
balance on-hand quantities, and replenishment recommendations to
meet demand and reduce over/under ordering.
* Optimize in-store labor hours: Reduce labor hours with
autonomous and accurate order processing that manages orders
independently of in-store operator approvals.
* Ensure maximum freshness: Automate just-in time replenishment
of store backrooms based on perpetual inventory, merchandising
requirements, and forecasts to generate accurate order amounts for
future inbound deliveries.
* Enhance operational intelligence: Gain visibility and access to
built-in reports such as configurable order compliance and audit
reporting.
" With data-accurate forecasting, such as our Fresh Retail Platform,
grocery retailers can accurately order what they need to have the
optimal on-shelf balance, alleviating the need for heavy backstock and
88 - MAY 2024
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Supermarket Perimeter - May 2024

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