Overview
Led the requirements and procurement process for a new inventory-optimisation platform across roughly 90 retail, franchise and wholesale locations, from a 39-page RFP through scenario-based vendor demonstrations to commercial negotiation.
Who This Is For
Retail chains, including groups that also run wholesale, e-commerce or repair operations. This case is most useful if:
- inventory data sits in several disconnected systems
- most replenishment is still manual
- you need to choose a forecasting or allocation platform and want more than a feature comparison
- your range mixes fast-moving retail lines with slower wholesale or parts stock
The Challenge
The client operated around 90 company-owned and franchise stores across three countries, alongside wholesale, e-commerce and repair operations. Inventory data was spread across several disconnected systems, and only a small share of core replenishment was automated.
It needed a platform that could actually forecast and allocate inventory across that complexity. Comparing vendor feature lists would not show which one could.
Our Approach
The team now behind ECM.DEV ran the procurement as project lead and single point of contact.
- Current-state mapping: existing systems and supply-chain dependencies.
- Requirements: business needs converted into a functional requirements model and a 39-page RFP.
- Vendor management: clarification and proposals coordinated, with structured evaluation criteria.
- Scenario-based demonstrations: vendors tested against the client's real operating data.
- Commercial pressure-testing: pricing examined across licensing, implementation and multi-year contract terms.
- Rollout: the selected platform deployed across store, wholesale and e-commerce operations, with training for all key staff.
Impact
One platform for a complex estate. Around 90 stores in three countries, plus wholesale, e-commerce and repair, more than 5,000 active SKUs and 31 suppliers, now planned and replenished from one platform instead of several disconnected systems.
Adopted, not just installed. The platform went live across store, wholesale and e-commerce operations, with key staff trained to use it.
Planners focus on exceptions. Exception-based forecasting and replenishment took over most routine SKU-level decisions.
Allocation that fits the range. Store-level allocation and safety-stock logic tuned to real demand patterns, rather than one rule for everything from fast-moving retail lines to slower wholesale and repair-parts stock.
A demonstration built on the vendor's data shows the product. One built on the client's data shows the fit.
Delivered independently through ECM.DEV. Any public information referenced here is used for identification and does not imply endorsement.
Topics
Built a CRM-connected advertising sales platform for a leading Nordic digital marketplace. Connected audience data, targeting options, advertising formats, pricing and sales contacts into a single self-service portal for advertisers and media agencies, replacing a fragmented sales experience with a repeatable path from research to qualified inquiry.
Developed a B2B and B2C concept, Thon-X, for one of Norway's largest real estate, retail and hotel groups, exploring how a shared digital layer could support tenants and shoppers across its properties.
Content strategy and a WordPress-to-EPiServer migration for Tekna, the 70,000-member Norwegian association for engineers and technologists.
The Content Infrastructure Imperative
Why AI Amplifies Every Flaw in Your Content Operating System
Dries Buytaert: The cost of running multiple CMS platforms
Dries Buytaert argues that running multiple CMS platforms creates hidden operational costs through duplicated integrations, security policies, expertise, and governance. He proposes standardizing on Drupal while using different operating models—SaaS (Acquia Source) for speed and PaaS (Acquia Cloud) for control—to preserve flexibility while reducing fragmentation.
Platform or Setup Check
Find out whether your CMS problems come from the platform or from how it was set up.