514: Turn Strategic Planning Into Retail Profitability, with Anaplan

Scott Jennings of Anaplan talks about retail inventory optimization, planning challenges, AI & how Anaplan enables retailers to sell more and carry less.   [03.37] An introduction to Scott, his background, and experience in the industry. "Siloes are present functionally across different pieces of the business, whether it's merchandise, supply chain or finance. But they're also persistent inside the systems that support those different groups – and that's where it gets tricky." [05.53] An overview of Anaplan and what they do. [06.53] How retail planning has historically worked, and the limitations of that approach. "Retail suffers from siloed planning, disconnected processes and latent decision-making, which leads to buying the wrong inventory and having the wrong inventory at the wrong place at the wrong time, with little ability to adjust based on market feedback." [09.58] Why retail planning is arguably more complex than CPG or consumer goods supply chain planning. "Retail is detail." [12.55] How challenges and limitations have impacted the industry, particularly in light of additional external factors like increasing customer demand. "Getting ahead is important. But being able to react in an agile way, in season, is also extremely important. Retailers have fallen behind because that demand signal is all over the place." [16.14] From data to specificity, the foundations needed for retailers considering AI solutions, and the problem of 'testing fatigue.' "People are sick of testing and learning." [22.25] How retail planning technology will continue to evolve over the next 12 to 24 months. [24.28] Scott's advice for retailers looking to implement AI in their planning and ensure successful implementations. "It starts with the ROI you're looking to drive… If you can't define the ROI: skip it." [28.39] The biggest opportunities for retailers embracing evolving technology and a new approach to retail planning. [30.08] How Anaplan Intelligence and its retail engine enables retailers to harness the power of AI to plan at a granular level not possible before, and the importance of hyper-localization. [33.01] How Anaplan focuses on retail-specific best practices to achieve higher forecast accuracy and boost sell-through rates for their customers, ultimately helping them sell more and carry less. [34.37] What Anaplan is focusing on for 2026.   RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED:   Head over to Anaplan's website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with Anaplan and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn or YouTube, or you can connect with Scott on LinkedIn. If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more from Anaplan, listen to Emily Nicholls talk about how integrated business planning helps automotive OEMs navigate EV growth on episode 499: Navigating the EV Revolution, with Anaplan. Check out our other podcasts HERE.