Groundbreaking Book ''Flowcasting the Retail Supply Chain'' to Debut at Retail Systems(R) 2006 Conference & Exposition

NEWTON, Mass.--April 17, 2006--On May 21, 2006, in Chicago, Retail Systems Alert Group, organizers of the annual Retail Systems Conference & Exposition, and Factory 2 Shelf Publishing will introduce Flowcasting the Retail Supply Chain, a groundbreaking new book that solves the most vexing problem facing supply chain managers worldwide: persistent and pervasive out-of-stocks at the retail store shelf. Retail Systems Conference & Exposition will be held May 21-24, 2006 at McCormick Place, Chicago, IL, USA. Retail Systems 2006 is co-located with the VICS Value Chain Vision Conference.

The authors of "Flowcasting the Retail Supply Chain," Andre Martin, Jeff Harrop, and Mike Doherty, reveal how a single forecast conducted at the retail shelf level can drive the entire retail supply chain, eliminating forecasting at all other nodes. They project that by using "Flowcasting," instead of forecasting at each level of the supply chain, trading partners will be able to be able to remove $600 Billion (USD) worth of costs out of the $10.36 Trillion Global Consumers Goods Industry.

Martin, Harrop, and Doherty are recognized experts in supply chain management, and have been retained by Sears Department Stores, Canadian Tire Corporation, Procter and Gamble and other enterprises. In Flowcasting the Retail Supply Chain, the authors make the point that attempting to manage retail supply chains without starting first at the retail store is akin to managing headless retail supply chains. As an example, they cite retail store out-of-stocks (usually in the 5 percent to 8 percent range) that simply have not changed in the past twenty years despite all the variety of efforts to do so.

According to co-author Andre Martin, the acknowledged 'father of DRP,' "None of the movements and technologies implemented in the past twenty years has focused on the core issue: one unique store level sales forecast is all you need to drive a retail supply chain. The retail store is both the beginning and the end of any retail supply chain. It's the beginning of the information flow and the end of product delivery."

The book will be on sale at author signing engagements to take place in the ERI Think Tank Pavilion on the Retail Systems 2006 Exposition floor throughout the conference. Purchases may also be made online at the ERI Bookstore. For more information or to register for press credentials, visit www.retailsystems.com/RetailSystems2006

Advance Praise Flowcasting the Retail Supply Chain

"Andre, Mike, and Jeff have done a great job of demonstrating the practical application of Flowcasting concepts with everyday Retail challenges. Flowcasting is a great read, and worthy of serious consideration."

Geoff Frodsham - Senior Vice President, Canadian Logistics

Loblaw Companies Limited

"The future is now here and what was previously unmanageable in real life is now possible - driving the factory floor from the store shelf."

Robert Bruce - Former Vice President, Supply Chain Strategies

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

"What's remarkable about this concept is its utter simplicity. It's easy to understand and implement, and it can revolutionize the kinds of things we can do to improve supply chain operations... You will appreciate the potential of this method to cut through supply chain complexity."

Franz Dill - Manager

Procter & Gamble Beckett Ridge Innovation Center

On May 22, Andre Martin will be a guest speaker at the Retail System 2006 Conference & Exposition in Chicago. His presentation will focus on experiences to date on the latest of several actual Flowcasting simulations for a Fortune 100 Consumer Goods Manufacturer. The three authors will also be available to talk with conference attendees at the Extended Retail Industry Think Tank booth at the Retail System Conference from May 22, 2006 to the 24.

To learn more about this breakthrough concept visit www.flowcastingbook.com where you may download the first 5 chapters at no charge.

The Retail Systems 2006 Conference & Exposition is organized by Retail Systems Alert Group. Retail Systems Alert Group is the leading provider of objective, high quality information resources for the Extended Retail Industry (ERI). The company follows the advancements of technology and business process innovation in this industry, and delivers insights and analysis through high-value conferences and tradeshows, publications, research, training and web based services. For more information, please visit www.retailsystems.com. Retail Systems Alert Group is a tradename of Retail Systems B2B LLC., a Proximus B2B LLC company which is part of Alta Communications.