Sponsored By

C&S brings retailers more supply-chain visibility

New predictive analytics platform provides real-time delivery status

Russell Redman

September 24, 2019

2 Min Read
Supermarket News logo in a gray background | Supermarket News

C&S Wholesale Grocers is giving supermarkets and other customers a real-time view of incoming deliveries via a new predictive supply-chain platform.

Through a partnership with Chicago-based FourKites, C&S sends retailers logic-based messages — called C&S Delivery Alerts — to track store deliveries in real time, including when a truck has left the warehouse, when it is about an hour away and when it has arrived. This provides customers “unprecedented visibility” into their delivery status, the Keene, N.H.-based grocery distributor said Tuesday.

C&S is using FourKites’ machine learning-driven platform across all areas of its supply-chain operations, including customer service, dispatch, transportation analytics, procurement and warehousing.

“It’s important that our customers have more visibility into our supply chain, which enables them to manage their businesses more effectively,” C&S Chief Supply Chain Officer Chris Smith said in a statement. “FourKites’ platform allows us to quickly communicate across our organization to better support our customers and optimize our supply chain performance.”

C&S reported that the Delivery Alerts tool has shrunk the company’s internal productivity loss by 65% and “substantially improved” the delivery experience for customers.

Related:C&S to buy Olean grocery cooperative

“It’s all about transforming the customer experience and providing superior service from orders to delivery. C&S Delivery Alerts gives our customers all the information they need to plan, from employee schedules to shopper promotions,” according to Joe Cavaliere, chief commercial officer at C&S. “When customers know when to expect their deliveries, they can make operational choices that reduce costs and drive their revenue.”

Employing a proprietary algorithm to calculate shipment arrival times, the FourKites solution is designed to make the supply chain more efficient by lower operating costs and sharpening on-time performance. The company said it operates the largest predictive supply-chain visibility platform, with a network of more than 4 million GPS/ELD devices, including truckload, LTL, ocean, rail, intermodal, last-mile and parcel transportation modes.

“When it comes to best practices during the initial FourKites implementation phase, C&S has been a true thought leader,” stated FourKites CEO Mathew Elenjickal. “They’ve deployed the platform to hundreds of active users throughout their organization, and their adoption of the technology is among the most enthusiastic we’ve ever seen.”

The largest U.S. grocery wholesaler, C&S supplies more than 137,000 products to over 7,700 independent supermarkets, chain grocery retailers, military bases and other institutions.

Related:C&S Wholesale Grocers names new supply chain chief

About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

Stay up-to-date on the latest food retail news and trends
Subscribe to free eNewsletters from Supermarket News

You May Also Like