As its jingle says: “Ace is the place with the helpful hardware folks.” But in a store with frequent stockouts, customer service can only go so far.
Because its order replenishment tool was not optimal, that was a situation often faced by Ace Hardware‘s international arm. The solution used for several years often meant the chain’s distribution centers in Ningbo, China; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; and Colon, Panama had too many slow-moving items and not enough of more popular wares. Management realized it was time to replace the replacement tool.
Ace turned to Blue Ridge Global, whose platform is designed to help retailers and distributors identify and deal with changes in customer demand.