Streamlining the replenishment process through extended information sharing and collaboration: defining the underlying e-commerce infrastructure

In this paper, we address the issue of daily, store-level collaboration and information exchange between retailer and supplier, supporting the replenishment process for the full product range at store level. In the following section, we define the requirements for supporting information sharing and collaboration in this context with the objective to streamline the store replenishment process. We then discuss a specific technical approach to meeting these requirements, utilizing the Internet and based on the concept of electronic marketplaces. We further discuss the implications and learnings acquired from implementing and applying the suggested approach in practice, with one big retailer and several suppliers. We conclude this discussion with some closing remarks and suggestions for further development and research in this area.