Reduce Operating Costs
Optimize Inventory
Smart Retail
The retail sector is undergoing a structural transformation. Discover how to turn data into decisions and operations into competitive advantage through artificial intelligence and integrated platforms.
The retail sector—whether wholesale or retail, physical stores or online—is undergoing a structural transformation. Changes in buying behaviour, margin pressures, greater logistical complexity and expectations for instant service mean that managing a retail chain today is a matter of precision: having the right information at the right time can mean the difference between profitable growth or margin erosion.
Below we present the most critical issues we see in companies in this sector and how to address them with an integrated platform and artificial-intelligence capabilities.
Key Challenges That Hinder Competitiveness
These are the most common obstacles that prevent wholesale and retail businesses from reaching their full potential.
Problem #1: Disconnected processes and data
Many companies operate with fragmented systems—POS, e-commerce, inventory, purchasing, accounting—or use spreadsheets as “glue”. This creates duplicated work, errors and decisions made on outdated information. Industry studies insist that data centralisation is the foundation of operational agility.
Problem #2: Lack of forecasting and inventory management errors
Stock-outs, excess inventory and slow turnover are symptoms of inadequate forecasting (purchase optimals that don’t incorporate seasonality, promotions or rapid demand changes). Digitalisation and predictive models reduce both stock-outs and overstock and free up working capital.
Problem #3: Incomplete omnichannel
Customers expect the same experience in physical stores, on the web and in marketplaces (consistent pricing, shared history, returns options and fast shipping). Failure to orchestrate inventory and orders like ‘ship-from-store’ and ‘click & collect’ increases costs and reduces conversion. Industry reports emphasise that investing in omnichannel is a priority.
Problem #4: Operational costs and losses due to inefficiency
Manual processes, late reconciliations, promotional errors and point-of-sale fraud raise indirect costs. Intelligent automation reduces repetitive tasks and highlights operational losses.
Problem #5: Difficulty in customising and retaining customers
Consumers expect relevant recommendations, personalised promotions and fast experiences. Without an integrated CRM and advanced analytics, executing effective loyalty programmes and measuring their ROI is not possible.
Real-world Cases: Verifiable Impact with Odoo
Odoo publishes numerous customer stories where the integrated ERP resolved concrete problems in retail and distribution:
Puuilo:
Nordic retail chain
Implemented Odoo as the core ERP for a large-scale retail environment, addressing multi-location inventory and integrated POS. The case shows how a unified ERP improves control and scalability.
- Unified ERP improves control.
- Proven scalability.
- Efficient multi-location management.
Ah Cacao:
Regional food-and-retail chain
Centralised sales, purchasing and inventory with Odoo, reduced management time and improved control in new store openings.
- Reduced management time.
- Improved and expanding control.
- Effective centralization.
These cases are representative: it’s not just about implementing software, but about gaining a single source of truth that enables operating with control and decision-making.
What Does Artificial Intelligence (AI) Bring to Commercial Operations?
Incorporating AI into ERP platforms allows for applying automation and predictive models that were once exclusive to large chains:
Demand forecasting
Modules that use time-series models to suggest replenishments.
- Reducing stock-outs/overstock.
- Optimize working capital.
- Automatic replenishment suggestions.
Smart actions & assistants
Automatic generation of contents, responses and actionable rules in natural language.
- Automation of complex workflows.
- Generation of offer copy.
- Conversational assistants.
Scoring and segmentation
Automated customer analytics for more effective campaigns and promotions.
- Personalized campaigns.
- Higher conversion rates.
- Real-time ROI measurement.
Odoo has incorporated AI capabilities in its recent versions and there is an ecosystem of modules and partners that extend these functions to resolve concrete retail problems (forecasting, dynamic pricing, automatic replenishment).
Why Choose an Integrated Solution — Beyond the Software
Adopting a platform like Odoo is a first step; what makes the difference is how the company uses it. Visionaris (the proposition from Smarketics) is not “just Odoo”: it is a way of operating. This implies:
Process diagnostics and KPIs
Definition of critical KPI for your business.
Technical integration of channels
POS, e-commerce, marketplaces, logistics.
AI models applied
Demand, pricing and intelligent promotion.
Training and operational governance
Teams that make decisions based on real data.
Visionaris + Odoo = Operating intelligently, not just automating tasks.
Real transformation of operations based on data and continuous improvement.
Ready to transform your business?
If your objective is to improve turnover, reduce costs, orchestrate channels and make decisions based on real data, we invite you to schedule a strategic consulting session with Smarketics.
Personalized Diagnosis: analysis of your current process.
Relevant Success Story: similar cases about your industry.
Practical Roadmap: realistic implementation plan.
