ABSTRACT
Management skills are key to implementing changes to retail supply chains. Effective retail supply chain management (SCM) requires abilities ranging from strategy making to operating processes improvement. This is counter to the mindset in many organizations that retail SCM is limited in scope, confined to either procurement or physical distribution. The Retail Industry Leaders Association 2016 sixth annual study, "The State of the Retail Supply Chain", details the burning SCM management issues of the day. Although 2015 sales growth was unexciting, online retailing and the continuing pressure to move to omnichannel retailing and distribution was responsible for the need for significant changes in retail SCM. The goal is to support consumer demand from anywhere in the supply chain rapidly and economically. For many, this infrastructure–demand alignment calls for building out fulfillment networks, improving infrastructure utilization through increased automation, and leveraging brick-and-mortar stores as distribution points in numerous ways.
