Case Study: CVS/pharmacy achieves greater inbound supply chain visibility with Descartes

CVS/ Pharmacy Significant Inventory Reduction Projected for Leading Retailer

CVS/pharmacy, America’s #1 pharmacy chain, needed better inbound supply chain visibility across hundreds of suppliers and carriers to manage more than 4,100 stores and nine distribution centers. To reduce reliance on safety stock and improve answers to questions like purchase order status, shipment status, and estimated arrival times, CVS turned to Descartes and its Visibility and Event Management solution.

Descartes implemented an inter-enterprise connectivity approach using XML, EDI, Webforms, and e-mail to connect CVS with key suppliers and carriers without replacing existing ERP, warehouse, or transportation systems. The result was improved monitoring of inbound inventory movement, automatic exception alerts, and better logistics execution, with a third-party analysis projecting up to a 17% inventory reduction over 12 months and faster order cycles that would improve profitability.

CVS/ Pharmacy

Ron Link

Senior Vice President of Supply Chain and Logistics