Challenge Overview
Challenge Objectives
Basic requirements for this challenge:
- You need to think and suggest app solution based on Project Attributes
- Follow What to submit? format
- Not use solutions which are offered by standard/existing industry products / software. You need think Out of the Box solution
Project Overview
We are always so amazed at our talented community we wanted to see if you can help recommend some out of the box thinking to this age-old business problem in this exploratory challenge.
Inventory is an important financial measure for companies, but working with channel partners makes inventory audit more complicated because each channel partner uses its own technology/means to measure inventory and has limited incentive to make an accurate count.
Traditionally companies do a physical audit and rely on inventory report from partners. This helps them figure out what the channel sale has been. Also, they have to provide rebates to their partners based on the sale. However, when the physical inventory is carried out, there are always differences.
The ask is simple:
“Help us decide the best approach for companies, that sell their products through channel partners (retailers, distributors, e-commerce companies etc), to get an accurate inventory count across all channels, for their inventory audit." The approach should list down innovative ways in which the inventory count can be made accurate and close to actual physical inventory.
This is a ideas challenge and there is no coding involved here, we are just looking for a detailed discussion and recommendation on the solution approach. We are not looking for a doctoral thesis just a nice recommendation supported by cited references, experience, and even opinion. This challenge is subjective not objective, which means that all the submissions will be compared with each other and ranked based on how persuasive they are. This is not a classic code challenge which is measured on how well it meets technical goals. Below you will see project attributes which will help drive your recommendation
Project Attributes
1). Large customer selling products through a channel (distributors, resellers, etc.) all over the world, thousands of partners selling thousands of products.
2). Channel partners send inventory report on a periodic based (daily, weekly, monthly) on what was sold.
3). The company uses this information to determine sales volume and also calculates rebates. The rebates have to be paid back to the customer.
4). Rebates have multiple tiers. E.g. the company can offer 5% rebate to partners who sold 1000 units of a product in a certain geo and 2% for partners who sold only 500 units
5). Lot of decisions are made based on inventory reports (e.g. channel sales forecasts, manufacturing and sourcing forecasts, etc.). The company wants to ensure the reports that are sent by partners are accurate. Ideally, they want to be able to track every inventory item.
6). The company is fairly progressive and not afraid of new technology but wants to make sure they are making good long-term investment and not taking unnecessary risks.
- Please submit a single pdf which is between 2 and 10 pages.
- As part of the pdf please include one single presentation slide that covers off on the main concepts and a graphical workflow
- Include your experience with the technologies mentioned, this will not be judging criteria but rather for consensus.
- Cite any references you feel support your recommendation.
- Please include an executive summary at the top of your proposal.
- Submission deadline is July 18th 7PM EDT.
- We are looking for innovative ways to solve this problem so please think of out of box solutions which are economical, can work with different channel partners across the globe, are technology agnostic and can be implemented at scale
Basic requirements for this challenge:
- You need to think and suggest app solution based on Project Attributes
- Follow What to submit? format
- Not use solutions which are offered by standard/existing industry products / software. You need think Out of the Box solution
Project Overview
We are always so amazed at our talented community we wanted to see if you can help recommend some out of the box thinking to this age-old business problem in this exploratory challenge.
Inventory is an important financial measure for companies, but working with channel partners makes inventory audit more complicated because each channel partner uses its own technology/means to measure inventory and has limited incentive to make an accurate count.
Traditionally companies do a physical audit and rely on inventory report from partners. This helps them figure out what the channel sale has been. Also, they have to provide rebates to their partners based on the sale. However, when the physical inventory is carried out, there are always differences.
The ask is simple:
“Help us decide the best approach for companies, that sell their products through channel partners (retailers, distributors, e-commerce companies etc), to get an accurate inventory count across all channels, for their inventory audit." The approach should list down innovative ways in which the inventory count can be made accurate and close to actual physical inventory.
This is a ideas challenge and there is no coding involved here, we are just looking for a detailed discussion and recommendation on the solution approach. We are not looking for a doctoral thesis just a nice recommendation supported by cited references, experience, and even opinion. This challenge is subjective not objective, which means that all the submissions will be compared with each other and ranked based on how persuasive they are. This is not a classic code challenge which is measured on how well it meets technical goals. Below you will see project attributes which will help drive your recommendation
Project Attributes
1). Large customer selling products through a channel (distributors, resellers, etc.) all over the world, thousands of partners selling thousands of products.
2). Channel partners send inventory report on a periodic based (daily, weekly, monthly) on what was sold.
3). The company uses this information to determine sales volume and also calculates rebates. The rebates have to be paid back to the customer.
4). Rebates have multiple tiers. E.g. the company can offer 5% rebate to partners who sold 1000 units of a product in a certain geo and 2% for partners who sold only 500 units
5). Lot of decisions are made based on inventory reports (e.g. channel sales forecasts, manufacturing and sourcing forecasts, etc.). The company wants to ensure the reports that are sent by partners are accurate. Ideally, they want to be able to track every inventory item.
6). The company is fairly progressive and not afraid of new technology but wants to make sure they are making good long-term investment and not taking unnecessary risks.
Final Submission Guidelines
What to Submit?- Please submit a single pdf which is between 2 and 10 pages.
- As part of the pdf please include one single presentation slide that covers off on the main concepts and a graphical workflow
- Include your experience with the technologies mentioned, this will not be judging criteria but rather for consensus.
- Cite any references you feel support your recommendation.
- Please include an executive summary at the top of your proposal.
- Submission deadline is July 18th 7PM EDT.
- We are looking for innovative ways to solve this problem so please think of out of box solutions which are economical, can work with different channel partners across the globe, are technology agnostic and can be implemented at scale