Afresh launches inventory management platform

San Francisco-based tech company Afresh Technologies has launched a new inventory management platform that uses artificial intelligence to reduce inefficiencies throughout the store, the company announced Thursday. 

The new platform cuts waste, shrink and labor costs and offers more accurate financial information for grocers like Fresh Thyme and Heinen’s, who have partnered with the tech company, Afesh said.  

Afresh added in a press announcement that the technology “pairs seamlessly” with store ordering, saving time for associates. 

“For grocers today, maintaining inventory accuracy can be even more challenging than predicting demand because of factors like perishability,” said Matt Schwartz, CEO and co-founder of Afresh, in a statement. “Our fresh-first inventory management solution drives unparalleled inventory accuracy in fresh departments with minimal labor. This powers better orders, fresher food, lower shrink, and more effective e-commerce operations.” 

The process of conducting ending inventory, which involves counting every item outside store hours, is a critical step to assuring accurate financials, the company said, and the new technology helps reduce the labor-intensive burden. 

The new system also enables corporate teams to review “automatically generated, store-specific inventory guides. Afresh said its customers have enjoyed an average 31% savings in time by using the tech. 

“Because it’s so intuitive, our associates didn't fight change, and they recognized the benefits of the shrink and the labor efficiencies,” said Rick Fink, vice president of supply chain for Heinen’s. “The training time to bring them up and running was unbelievably short.”