Tapiwa Mukwashi

Retail margins rarely disappear all at once, they leak out quietly across transportation, inventory, and returns. As ecommerce grows and return rates rise, retailers are facing higher logistics costs, volatile freight spend, and inventory positioned in the wrong places at the wrong time. Many organizations still operate without true end-to-end visibility, making it difficult to control cost or respond proactively to disruption. This playbook shows how leading retailers are addressing total cost of ownership (TCO) as a strategic priority, not just an operational metric. Instead of massive transformation programs, it outlines practical actions that can uncover measurable savings in as little as 90 days through better purchase order control, improved visibility, and smarter network design. Why download this white paper: Identify where margin is leaking across transportation, inventory, and returns Understand the three most effective levers for reducing supply chain cost Learn how to reduce premium freight, improve utilization, and avoid markdowns See how real-time visibility improves planning and service levels Get a step-by-step 90-day pilot roadmap to validate savings Build a finance-ready business case for scalable TCO improvement By the end, you’ll have a clear framework to evaluate your current operations, prioritize improvements, and turn hidden supply chain inefficiencies…

At the Gartner Supply Chain Planning Summit in December 2025, Scott Luton sat down with Stephen Musciano, a former practitioner turned technology leader who now helps transform supply chain organizations through Lyric—a fast-growing, math-first, AI-native platform redefining what supply chain technology can be. Musciano, who began his supply chain career at companies such as New Balance and Under Armour, brings both real-world execution experience and deep technical vision to his work. That mix is central to what makes Lyric—and its philosophy—stand apart.   Lyric: A Platform, Not a Point Solution Musciano described Lyric as fundamentally different from traditional vendors. Rather than offering a single application or fixed module suite, Lyric provides a true supply chain platform in Lyric Studio—one built from composable, no-code building blocks that allow companies to create exactly what they need. “Think Legos,” Musciano explained. “We’re not selling you a car or a house. We give you the blocks so you can build what your supply chain truly needs. We might even give you a starter kit but the configuration and molding it to fit your business and your problem is where the magic happens.” Lyric Studio is intentionally designed centered on non-technical practitioners—people like “Maria,” Lyric’s…