A neural network application - recognizing items which have reached their reorder threshold grocery wholesaling

As a grocery wholesale cooperative, Spartan Stores, Inc. services nearly five hundred independent retailers in Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio. Part of this service involves ensuring an adequate supply and the timely delivery of grocery items on an unregulated, on-demand basis. In order to meet this service requirement in an efficient manner, Spartan purchased, installed, and heavily customized a host based procurement package. Each business day, items scheduled to be reviewed that day are analyzed to determine if they have reached their reorder point threshold. This analysis includes, among other things, the evaluation of such factors as the item´s supply versus forecasted demand ratio, its re-order point, on order quantities, and historical sales movement. Some of the areas where the use of neural applications is expected to yield significant tangible benefits are discussed