Spectrum Brands Cultivates DSR Insights

Spectrum Brands (www.spectrumbrands.com) was among the first consumer goods companies to realize the holistic vision of a centralized DSR. In 2005, United Industries, the division of Spectrum that manufactures and markets the Spectracide, Hot Shot, Cutter, Real Kill, No-Pest, Schultz, Sta-Green, Vigoro and Bandini fertilizer brands (pictured right), implemented a DSR strategy using technology from Shiloh Technologies (www.shilohtechnologies.com) to better manage its business relationship with Wal-Mart, its largest and most critical customer.
Three years later, the floundering economy brought new market challenges. "In the new economic reality, nothing is more important than managing cash flow and to do that you must be ultra-responsive," says Alan Jennings, director, Sales, Market and Category Insights, United Industries. "Having leadership review quarterly or monthly numbers no longer worked -- they were out-of-date before publication."

To continuously improve the speed in which it operated in almost every conceivable way -- from concept to product launch, manufacturing line to retail shelf, cash outlay to collection -- United Industries further sought a comprehensive picture of how consumer demand was changing across all of its customers.

"Our target was daily data from every source," says Jennings.

An Open Window

In early 2008, United Industries decided to create one master DSR incorporating retailer feeds from Target, Home Depot, Lowe's, Menards, Food Lion, Dollar General and many more.

"We needed a platform that could change as our company, our business and our retail partners changed," says Jennings. "Most importantly, we needed control -- the ability to manage and secure our own data and design our own metrics and analysis methods."

The company again turned to Shiloh Technologies and developed a DSR that provides a faster way to cleanse, harmonize and integrate not only point-of-sale and inventory data, but also weather, consumer demographic, shipment, order and forecast data. This provided United Industries with an open window to all of its retail businesses, establishing a comprehensive 360-degree view to the market, leading to  improved decision making.

Today, the DSR serves as a strategic differentiator because it enables United Industries to stay competitive in a market where consumer goods companies are investing heavily in sales data, market trend, category, consumer and replenishment analytics.

"With Shiloh implemented across multiple retailers and multiple types of demand data, our team has been able to provide the timely comprehensive insight that supports solid decision making throughout the organization," closes Jennings.