But the SAS application takes this data and uses statistical algorithms to forecast demand. The tools are essential if you look at the data generated. For instance, each depot deals with around 400-500 stockists or distributors. Each stockist raises some 400-500 invoices a month with each invoice averaging 20 products. And those are numbers for the smaller depots.
Numbers are crucial in the retail business.
If I don't know what I have sold today, I don't know what to buy tomorrow. If I don't know what to buy today, I don't know what I will sell tomorrow. From the CEO to the customer care assistant, we require numbers daily. That increases the pressure on the merchandising and buying teams. Look at the other complexities of a retail chain's classification.