Demand Forecast at the Foodstuff Retail Segment: a Strategic Sustainability Tool at a Small-Sized Brazilian Company

Authors

  • Claudimar Pereira Da Veiga Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná - PUCPR
  • Cássia Rita Pereira Da Veiga Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná - PUCPR
  • Anderson Catapan Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná - PUCPR
  • Ubiratã Tortato Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná - PUCPR
  • Wesley Vieira Da Silva Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná - PUCPR

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24023/FutureJournal/2175-5825/2013.v5i2.142

Keywords:

Demand forecasting. Sustainable supply chain. Sustainability

Abstract

Demand forecasting plays an increasingly relevant role within competitive and globalized marketplaces, in as much as operations planning and subsequent transition into a sustainable chain of supplies, is concerned. To this effect, the purpose of this study is to present the application of demand forecasting as a strategic sustainability tool at a Brazilian SME. Therefore, this is a descriptive, ex-post facto and cross-cut, sectional time case study, which employs qualitative and historical quantitative and direct observational data and that utilizes, as both indicators of the level of service offered to consumers and of opportunity costs the artificial neural networks model and fill-rates, for demand forecasting and response purposes. The study further established cause-effect relationships between prediction accuracy, demand responsiveness and process-resulting economic, environmental and social performances. Findings additionally concurred with both widely acknowledged sustainability concepts - NRBV (Natural-Resource-Based View) and 3BL (Triple Bottom Line) - by demonstrating that demand forecasts ensure the efficient use of resources, improvements in customer responsiveness and also mitigate supply chain stock out and overstock losses. Further to the mentioned economic benefit, demand forecasting additionally reduced the amount of waste that arises from retail product shelf-life expiration, improving the addressing of demand itself and of customer satisfaction, thus driving consequent environmental and social gains.

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Author Biographies

Claudimar Pereira Da Veiga, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná - PUCPR

Doutorando em Administração na Escola de Negócios da Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná. Mestrado em Engenharia de Produção e Sistemas pelo programa de pós-graduação em Engenharia de Produção da PUCPR.

Cássia Rita Pereira Da Veiga, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná - PUCPR

Mestre em Administração pela Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná. MBA em Marketing pela Fundação Getúlio Vargas - FGV.

Anderson Catapan, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná - PUCPR

Doutorando em Administração na Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná - PUCPR. Mestrado em Ciências Contabeis pela Universidade Federal do Paraná - UFPR

Ubiratã Tortato, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná - PUCPR

Pós-Doutorado pela Nanyang Technological University. Doutorado em Engenharia de Produção pela Universidade de São Paulo - USP. Mestrado em Administração pela Universidade Federal do Paraná - UFPR. Professor Titular do Programa mestrado e doutorado na PUCPR.

Wesley Vieira Da Silva, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná - PUCPR

Doutorado e Mestrado em Engenharia de Produção pela Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina - UFSC. Coordenador do Programa de Pós-Graduação Stricto Sensu em Administração na Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná - PUCPR

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Published

2013-12-11

How to Cite

Da Veiga, C. P., Da Veiga, C. R. P., Catapan, A., Tortato, U., & Silva, W. V. D. (2013). Demand Forecast at the Foodstuff Retail Segment: a Strategic Sustainability Tool at a Small-Sized Brazilian Company. Future Studies Research Journal: Trends and Strategies, 5(2), 113–133. https://doi.org/10.24023/FutureJournal/2175-5825/2013.v5i2.142