Home and garden retailer OBI Group is expanding an AI-enabled planning environment across its European network, with the eventual deployment expected to cover more than 660 stores as well as distribution centres.
The retailer selected Blue Yonder to replace several planning systems with a single platform for demand forecasting and end-to-end replenishment. The objective is to connect decisions made at distribution centres with the availability of products on store shelves across OBI’s markets.
Machine learning for complex assortments
OBI’s operating environment includes seasonal demand, regional differences and changing customer behaviour. The new platform is intended to improve forecast accuracy across different product groups and planning horizons while bringing greater consistency to forecasting and replenishment processes.
Its machine-learning capabilities will help planners identify the factors influencing demand and automate parts of the replenishment workflow. According to the project plans, the system will also support store- and channel-specific requirements, allowing the retailer to respond more quickly to shifts in demand, supply disruption and changing expectations.
Centralising data should provide a common basis for planning decisions and improve visibility from distribution centres to stores. OBI also expects the approach to increase planner productivity and strengthen inventory management as the rollout progresses.
Implementation built around operating-model changes
Blue Yonder Professional Services worked alongside OBI specialists and data scientists during the implementation. The teams developed forecasting models for different assortments and planning requirements, standardised processes and transferred operational knowledge to the retailer.
Andreas Roesmann, OBI’s senior vice president of supply chain, said the project was structured around a target operating model before the migration began. He described the collaboration as essential to achieving benefits beyond a simple system replacement.
For OBI, the platform creates a foundation for wider supply-chain planning and execution improvements. Blue Yonder said the retailer’s scale—serving millions of customers in 10 European countries—makes harmonised decision-making particularly important as demand patterns continue to change.
