D3 Delves into Delivery Disruption

Just in time to enjoy an urban Spring, hundreds of retailers will descend upon the Brooklyn Bridge Marriott for the second annual Dynamic Distribution Disruption (D3) conference in New York City. Starting on May 15th, this two-day conference will focus on the consumer-driven retail supply chain and the most innovative strategies and technologies to meet the demands of a rapidly-changing industry.

Customers reign over the retail supply chain

At every step of the way, the entire retail supply chain has to improve to meet evolving consumer expectations. Today's customers have so many options - literally at their fingertips - on how, when and where to shop, and won't hesitate to choose a competitor if unsatisfied with their experience. To have a chance of surviving in today's hyper-competitive omnichannel world, retailers and their supply chain partners must approach solutions with a customer-first mindset. We recommend you check out these sessions:

• Spearheading the Omnichannel Revolution Through a Customer-Centric Supply Chain: Khadeeja Safdar of the Wall Street Journal will moderate this opening keynote panel discussion featuring Narvar's Founder & CEO Amit Sharma, Alexis DePree of Amazon, Ratnakar Lavu of Kohl's and Chris Ickes of Rent the Runway.
• Amit will interview Scott Vandegrift of Gap during this fireside chat the morning of Day 2: Supply Chain as a Customer Experience Advantage.
• Home Depot Case Study: Scott Spata, VP Supply Chain, will explain how they create powerful customer experiences and loyalty by aligning supply chain decisions based on customer preferences.

Cultivating customer experience from inventory forecasting to the last mile

Many retailers still struggle with executing a successful omnichannel merchandising strategy. Striking a balance between product availability and costly overstock is a tricky task, but absolutely critical. To meet customer demand and anticipate future needs, retailers must implement smart analytics-based inventory forecasting practices and technologies to ensure that they have the right goods in stock based on real-time customer behavior. Check out:

• Fireside Chat with Finish Line: Debbie Fortnum, SVP Supply Chain, will talk about how to automate inventory replenishment across all channels.
• Demand Shaping Through Advanced Analytics: This panel will discuss how to improve production accuracy, reduce stock holding, improve capacity planning and respond quicker to market-related developments through relying more on science, less on instinct.

Getting product from the warehouse or distribution center into the customer's hands is a whole other challenge. Consumers expect super-fast delivery times and a wide range of options in regards to where and how they receive their purchases. Whatever option they choose, they also want to know exactly where the product is along the way. To meet these demands, retailers must integrate their systems and strategies even more tightly with third-party logistics and delivery partners at every step of the supply chain. You may get some valuable insight from the following discussions:

• Dick’s Sporting Goods Case Study: Eileen Meade, VP Omnichannel Strategy & Customer Experience, will share how to utilize your stores effectively in your distribution strategy.
• Leveraging Your Logistics Partners for Greater Efficiency and Customer Experience: This panel session will explore tangible examples of how you can collaborate with your logistics provider for enhanced performance.

Connect with Narvar at D3 if you're attending - we’ll be at Booth #1. Or follow the action on Twitter at #d3newyork. The conference runs May 15th & 16th in Brooklyn, NY.