Industry Spotlight: Inventory Visibility and Optimization in Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) and Retail

In the fast-evolving world of consumer packaged goods (CPG) and retail, the ability to see, manage, and optimize inventory in real time is no longer a competitive advantage—it’s a business imperative. High SKU counts, rapid demand shifts, and the relentless push for seamless omnichannel fulfillment have redefined what it means to succeed in these industries. Today, leading organizations are turning to advanced inventory visibility and optimization solutions to drive revenue, boost customer satisfaction, and achieve operational excellence.

The Unique Challenges of CPG and Retail

CPG and retail businesses face a set of challenges that are as complex as they are urgent:

High SKU Complexity: Managing thousands of products across multiple channels and locations demands granular, real-time inventory data.
Volatile Demand: Consumer preferences shift rapidly, influenced by trends, promotions, and external events, making accurate forecasting and agile response essential.
Omnichannel Expectations: Customers expect to buy, receive, and return products anywhere—online, in-store, curbside, or via same-day delivery—requiring unified inventory and fulfillment systems.
Margin Pressure: Stockouts, overstocks, and markdowns erode profitability, while inefficient fulfillment increases costs and impacts customer loyalty.

The Power of Real-Time Inventory Visibility

Exceptional omnichannel experiences are built on a foundation of accurate, real-time inventory visibility. Without a unified view of inventory—across distribution centers, stores, vendor warehouses, and goods in transit—businesses cannot make reliable fulfillment promises or optimize their operations. Real-time visibility enables:

Faster, more accurate order promising
Reduced stockouts and lost sales
Lower safety stock and carrying costs
Fewer markdowns and improved inventory turns
Enhanced customer satisfaction and loyalty

Publicis Sapient and IBM Sterling: Accelerating Transformation

Publicis Sapient, in partnership with IBM, delivers industry-leading solutions that address these challenges head-on. Our Inventory Visibility Accelerator, built on IBM Sterling Inventory Visibility, enables rapid implementation—often in as little as 6–8 weeks—regardless of your order management system. This accelerator covers the majority of required interfaces, reducing integration development by up to 70% and ensuring a scalable, cloud-native architecture that grows with your business.

Key Benefits:

Rapid time-to-value: Accelerated deployment means you start seeing results faster.
Comprehensive integration: Works with any OMS, consolidating inventory data from all sources.
Scalability and flexibility: Microservice-based, cloud-ready, and adaptable to evolving business needs.

Advanced Optimization: From Data to Action

Inventory visibility is just the beginning. The next frontier is optimization—using AI, machine learning, and advanced analytics to turn data into actionable insights. Publicis Sapient’s Inventory Media Optimizer, powered by PS AI Labs, bridges the gap between media spend and inventory management. By leveraging customer propensity models and real-time demand signals, organizations can:

Align media spend with inventory availability, eliminating wasted ad dollars on out-of-stock products
Optimize inventory placement and fulfillment based on predicted demand and marketing activity
Personalize offers and messaging at scale, increasing conversion and customer satisfaction
Continuously measure and improve through closed-loop analytics and dynamic adjustment

Real-World Impact: Case Studies

Our solutions have delivered measurable results for leading CPG and retail brands:

American Clothing Retailer: Achieved a 1% increase in digital revenue and zero order cancellations by leveraging global inventory visibility and optimization.
Leading American CPG Company: Transitioned from 2–3 hour inventory lags to real-time visibility across a 4,000+ site network, enabling more responsive fulfillment and improved customer service.
British Multinational Retailer: Enhanced order promising and reduced cancellations by improving inventory transparency, leading to lower call center volumes and higher customer satisfaction.
Eileen Fisher: Integrated inventory and order management across channels, creating an “endless aisle” that reduced cancellations, increased e-commerce sales, and improved store team efficiency.
Global Jewelry Brand: Optimized omnichannel fulfillment, reducing delivery times, minimizing shipping costs, and maintaining tight inventory control.

The Algorithmic Supply Chain: A Framework for Success

Publicis Sapient’s Algorithmic Supply Chain Framework guides organizations through three stages:

Operational Excellence: Achieve unified, real-time visibility and remove silos with cloud-based planning and analytics.
Algorithmic Optimization: Use AI and machine learning to drive data-driven decisions, optimize inventory, and automate fulfillment.
Cognitive Supply Chain: Enable self-correcting, intelligent supply chains that predict and resolve issues with minimal human intervention.

This approach ensures a shift from reactive, fragmented operations to proactive, intelligent, and resilient supply chains.

Why Publicis Sapient and IBM?

Deep industry expertise: Decades of experience in CPG and retail digital transformation
Proven accelerators: Rapid, scalable solutions that deliver measurable business value
AI-powered optimization: Advanced analytics and machine learning for continuous improvement
End-to-end partnership: From strategy and design to implementation and ongoing optimization

Ready to Transform?

In a world where inventory visibility and optimization are the keys to growth, efficiency, and customer loyalty, Publicis Sapient and IBM are your partners for success. Discover how our accelerators and solutions can help you unlock new levels of performance—today and into the future.

Connect with our experts to start your transformation journey. Together, we take digital experiences—and business outcomes—into tomorrow.