Munich, New York, London, Zug – September 13, 2022 – DataArt, a global software engineering firm, today announced that it has partnered with Decathlon in Germany, a leading sporting goods retailer, to harness artificial intelligence in developing a highly accurate sales forecast model that will have an impact on the retailer’s ability to accurately predict demand and sales. The solution is based on AWS infrastructure.
Addressing the challenge
The Covid influences in particular had a massive impact on online business. Predicting future volumes and turnover became more difficult as a result. However, the team still had the ambition to deliver a very accurate forecast to manage the business activities. In partnership with Decathlon, DataArt created a precision sales forecast model that made it possible for the firm to identify benchmarks and determine the incremental impact of new initiatives, allocate resources in response to anticipated demand, and budget more accurately.
Ilya Artistov, Head of Retail & Distribution at DataArt DACH, says:
“Working on this project has been an exciting journey. Our client’s primary challenge was making the supply chain faster and, at the same time, more robust. Together, we developed an effective and highly accurate sales forecast model, which helped our client achieve their objectives by identifying early warning signals in their sales pipeline and course-correct before it’s too late. Seeing that we were able to support our client with their digital transformation journey is what makes the job so fulfilling!”
Oussama Jaouadi, Head of Data at Decathlon Germany, says:
“Working with DataArt has been both a pleasure and extremely productive. Together, we created a robust demand forecasting model that yields 2-month forecast with 90% accuracy. This solution will help us predict and prepare for significant changes in demand during national holidays and major events, and it incorporates Covid-related uncertainties and regulatory changes in multiple markets.”
Reaping the business benefits
The AI-supported solution improved the logistics management system, enabling the client to adjust inventory, staffing levels, distribution, and delivery in real time to create efficient supply and fulfilment chains and meet customer expectations for high quality, immediate access, and seamless support. Based on the more accurate sales forecast, resources can be deployed in advance.
Assuring continuous improvement
The project was not a one-time implementation. DataArt will continue to work with Decathlon to enhance their analytical capabilities and achieve even greater results.
