SAF AG

SAF AG develops, markets and implements innovative software solutions for the automated dispatch of goods in retail, industry and logistics. The company’s forecasting and ordering tools are based on the Demand Chain Management concept, in which the customers’ purchase behavior controls the supply chain response. Such systems calculate the optimum order volume based on various parameters that lead to fluctuations in consumer behavior. They take trends and seasonal aspects into account, along with calendar effects, price changes and promotional campaigns. In mere minutes, SAF systems carry out tasks for which a procurement manager needs hours. The advantages of SAF solutions: automatic merchandise planning, reduced inventory levels, improved product availability and greater customer satisfaction.

Headquartered in Taegerwilen, Switzerland, the publicly listed company employs 100 people. SAF maintains branch offices in Slovakia’s capital Bratislava and in Dallas, Texas, in the USA.

As part of the METRO GROUP Future Store Initiative, SAF AG is testing and evaluating a solution that can automatically prevent out-of-stock (OoS) situations. The company aims to fine-tune its new Out of Stock Detection application, which improves product availability on the sales floor and boosts turnover and customer satisfaction, to the point of market maturity. The software identifies empty shelf spaces – even when the product is in stock, but unavailable to customers. It bases its calculations on the sales frequency of each product, taking into account daily and weekly fluctuations, as well as seasonal aspects and the effects of advertising activities. If no sale of a given item is recorded within a defined interval, the application sends a warning signal.

The SAF SuperStore software helps retailers systematically tailor their restocking processes to fulfill customer wishes (Demand Chain Management). The real,- Future Store, for example, uses SAF SuperStore to automatically manage most of its inventory. The system takes into account sales forecasts, existing stock levels and logistical requirements to calculate an optimum order for each item. It also includes trends, calendar and seasonal effects along with promotional and advertising campaigns in its calculations. The result: merchandise availability is better than ever – to the great satisfaction of customers. In addition, sales and profits are increased, while costs and inventories are reduced.

Wolfgang Schütz
Executive Vice President
Research & Innovation
Phone: +41 71 666 7025
E-mail:  wolfgang.schuetz@saf-ag.com
 www.saf-ag.com