Falling Into the Gap: Clothing Retailer Turns To Retek For Supply-Chain Help

A solution provider is helping the Gap close the gap on its competition. The retailer, which operates 3,800 Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic clothing stores, has selected Minneapolis-based solution provider Retek to revamp its supply-chain operations.

Gap executives say they will use Retek's planning solutions to better organize seasonal retail sales planning across various store formats, geographic locations and in the overall supply chain.

Gap CIO Ken Harris says Retek was chosen because of its integration expertise, its knowledge of the retail sector and its future vision. "We wanted to look at upgrading our technology," Harris says. "The fact they had some proven, scalable products in that space was a positive. Equally important was they have a real vision of where they want to go with their product set in the future."

Retek executives say they have designed a planning system built around the detailed needs of the retail vertical market. Traditionally, retailers have based their business decisions on broad financial plans, but Retek says its solution allows for business planning on a much more detailed level.

The solution integrates accurate customer-demand forecasts with a retailer's plans on a week-to-week level, which is designed to result in decreased inventory costs.