Discover the secret to demand planning on this episode of the eCommerce Edge Podcast with Jason Greenwood and Max Ma. From data and the rise of AI to complex omnichannel processes, Max and Jason dive into why retailers need to stop treating demand planning like a monthly checklist, and the need to build real-time feedback loops across channels to grow. In an increasingly complex omnichannel world, the right tech can turn planning challenges into strategic strengths. Here’s a quick preview of the conversation:
“It all starts, typically, with a PLM process as a backbone of the product. Once we want to go to production with it, we then have to predict for that initial order (the sizes, colors and variations), and how much on that variation curve we want to produce. Then we have to track momentum, supplier performance of that product, how much we’re going to reorder and how frequently. It’s a complex and disjointed process in many respects. What point does 7thonline come into the supply chain planning process?”
Actually, 7thonline was designed to assist before product design—to analyze who are you designing for, what was sold, who bought your product at what price point, where, etc. We use the data to guide the product design team and determine the future assortment at a very high level. The system helps retailers understand localized demand and forecasts demand to provide production teams with pointed guidance.
Essentially, we match consumer segmentation to micro demand signals of the products that brands and retailers offer. We’re in the AI age; we use data and analyze your target audience against product characteristics/attributes to bridge the gap between supply and demand from various channels. A lack of structure in product data is often a major challenge. When attribute commonality—such as color, size, style or hem length—is unclear or inconsistent, effective demand planning becomes extremely difficult. Even the most advanced analytics or AI tools cannot deliver meaningful insights without well-structured data.
Establishing strong disciplines around data integrity, data mapping and data validation is the first step we take with every new client. A trusted, well-governed source of master data is critical to enabling accurate analysis and decision-making.
“You see all types of levels of maturity for business, but what size and scale of business typically starts to see benefits from what you do? ”
7thonline is an enterprise software system, designed to support organizations operating at meaningful scale. Most of our customers are larger companies—often with revenues of $100 million or more—because success with a platform like ours requires more than just ambition. It requires the right foundation.
These organizations typically have the infrastructure and data maturity needed to fully leverage enterprise software. Over time, they’ve invested in building reliable systems, establishing governance and, most importantly, treating data as a strategic asset rather than an afterthought. One of the most effective practices we see among these companies is a deliberate focus on master data. Rather than relying on fragile integrations across dozens of disconnected systems, they’ve taken the time to centralize their data. By building and maintaining a unified data warehouse, they create a single source of truth that supports consistency, accuracy and scalability.
This approach doesn’t happen overnight. It’s the result of long-term thinking and disciplined execution. But the payoff is significant: cleaner data, fewer integration challenges and a foundation that allows enterprise platforms like 7thonline to deliver real value. In our experience, companies that prioritize centralized data and strong master data management are far better positioned to turn technology investments into operational and strategic advantages.
“What’s on your radar for the next 6, 12, 18 months, is there anything as you look out into the market of demand planning, inventory management, supply chain management software, that you see and recognize as gaps in the industry?”
High on our priority list is the development of expanded AI capabilities that can capture and scale an expert’s thought process. For years, even many of our most experienced retail customers relied heavily on Excel for demand planning. And to be fair, the industry still loves Excel. But reliance on spreadsheets also creates limitations. Knowledge remains siloed, assumptions are hard to track, and insights live in the heads of a few key individuals rather than being shared across the organization. Our goal is to increase visibility across the board and move beyond static tools toward systems that continuously learn and improve.
One example, we are using AI to determine dynamic classification that is currently human defined—it’s subjective. With AI, it becomes systematic. The result is not just better forecasts, but a more transparent, scalable and resilient planning process that evolves alongside the business.
Listen to the full podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haJknRGYX0Q&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_kc1LahTFMSsgWNYLb16-lcjBCBlMxpG_8LLSJ2Q1snoOfrOcaTJ86kmdcJ-R8ZXZCGKDB
For more industry insights, check out our blogs or contact the team at info@7thonline.com.
