SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS IN RETAIL: MODERN APPROACHES AND TOOLS

Abstract

The relevance of the topic is due to the rapid development of digital technologies, changing consumer expectations, and growing competition in retail, which requires effective supply chain management. The purpose of the study is to analyze modern approaches and digital tools for managing supply chains in retail in order to increase their efficiency, adaptability, and resilience to external influences. The work uses a complex of general scientific and special methods: analysis, synthesis, comparison, system approach, as well as a case method to study practical examples of implementing IT solutions in retail logistics. The study analyzed the application of digital solutions such as ERP (enterprise resource planning), WMS (warehouse management systems), TMS (transportation management systems), CRM (customer relationship management systems), as well as cloud technologies, big data, the Internet of Things (IoT), and artificial intelligence (AI) in the field of retail logistics. It is investigated how these tools contribute to the automation of operations, improving the accuracy of demand forecasting, reducing storage and transportation costs, increasing process transparency, and accelerating response to market fluctuations. The results obtained indicate that the digital transformation of logistics processes in retail has a positive impact on the efficiency of inventory management, reduces the likelihood of supply disruptions, improves communication between all participants in the supply chain, and ensures continuity of customer service. It was found that the implementation of predictive analytics systems that allow taking into account seasonal fluctuations, consumer behavioral patterns, and macroeconomic factors for optimizing the assortment and planning supplies is of particular value. In addition, the study confirmed the importance of an omnichannel approach, which combines online and offline sales channels, ensuring a customer-centric logistics model. Effective interaction with suppliers based on partnerships, joint planning, and data sharing helps increase the flexibility and resilience of supply chains to crisis events, such as logistics disruptions or demand fluctuations. The results of the study can be used to form an effective strategy for the development of logistics processes in the retail sector in conditions of constant market transformations.