Ismail Safi

The ecommerce industry has been steadily growing over the last few years, accelerated by the Coronavirus pandemic which led to a surge in demand for online products and services. This is great news for online retailers; however, as we know, competition online is fierce. Retailers who aren’t offering an exceptional customer experience risk losing their business to a competitor. A key part of a great customer experience is delivery and returns, and customer expectations in this area are high. 60% of consumers will buy again from a retailer if they were satisfied with the delivery. Returns are equally important and 78% of consumers consider the quality of a returns service when choosing where to shop. Customers know what they want, and they will choose stores based on where they will get the best experience. However, not all customers are the same. Offering a personalised e-commerce experience that meets customer expectations is vital in the right to acquire and retain today’s digital customer where customer loyalty is only as good as the last shopping experience. The Custom Approach to Delivery and Returns When it comes to delivery, retailers who think a “one size fits all” approach will work underestimate the needs…

At the Gartner Supply Chain Planning Summit in Denver, Scott Luton sat down with Caglar Ozdag, a supply chain leader at ZS. Known for its deep analytics and technology expertise across industries such as life sciences, airlines, consumer goods, and agriculture, ZS has become a trusted partner for organizations looking to elevate their planning and manufacturing performance. Ozdag leads the firm’s supply chain practice with a focus on planning from detailed forecasting through detailed scheduling. As a former practitioner himself—having led planning operations at large global enterprises—he brings a grounded, real-world perspective to the challenges facing today’s supply chain leaders.   Old Problems Persist—and New Ones Are Emerging When asked about classic and emerging challenges in planning, Ozdag didn’t hesitate: firefighting isn’t going away. From supply planning disruptions to last-minute schedule changes, firefighting remains a daily reality. “Life happens,” Ozdag noted. Plans rarely match reality, and organizations must constantly adjust. But today, a new layer has been added: AI uncertainty. Everywhere he goes, leaders are asking the same questions: “Is AI the right investment?” “Will the ROI materialize?” “Are we adopting the right tools, or just chasing hype?” This blend of enduring complexity and emerging skepticism has become a defining…