A group wants to open-source Retail supply chain processes
This one would be truly revolutionary when it comes along!
One of the groups called "open source co-operative", primarily belonging to retail industry (and backed by a manufacturing-based group) recently called a meeting of open-source enthusiasts to explain their concepts of open sourcing the retail supply chain.
No - not just to create open source solutions for retail chains, but to open up the whole logistics for public scrutiny. As customer, you would like to know what is the price at which something was procured at different points in supply chain, before you end up paying at the retail end. And by opening this process, this group wants to create a totally new model to enter booming market, which will hopefully get a major customer backing.
Their strategy is to ensure that the numerous small shops are able to get about 5-10% profits, and still be competitive enough to be able to fight it out with big chains which are now entering the market. As customer, for e.g., you are free to be aware of prices at different shops in your locality and how those prices were arrived it. (For e.g. did it cost more for logistics?)
Very innovative, and interesting, the concept is being promoted by non-software folks - primarily with retail and management background. They sought help of local linux groups to figure out how they can leverage open source community, and to chart out a well-managed plan to identify the projects, co-ordinations etc. in this space. They are also open to creating projects and helping out in fields other than retail (for e.g. law).
Quite exciting. The only link we have currently is from ITVidya's http://www.itvidya.com/opensourceideameet
More info will be up soon, and I think these folks are using some orkut groups for discussion...
Technorati Tags: opensource retail
One of the groups called "open source co-operative", primarily belonging to retail industry (and backed by a manufacturing-based group) recently called a meeting of open-source enthusiasts to explain their concepts of open sourcing the retail supply chain.
No - not just to create open source solutions for retail chains, but to open up the whole logistics for public scrutiny. As customer, you would like to know what is the price at which something was procured at different points in supply chain, before you end up paying at the retail end. And by opening this process, this group wants to create a totally new model to enter booming market, which will hopefully get a major customer backing.
Their strategy is to ensure that the numerous small shops are able to get about 5-10% profits, and still be competitive enough to be able to fight it out with big chains which are now entering the market. As customer, for e.g., you are free to be aware of prices at different shops in your locality and how those prices were arrived it. (For e.g. did it cost more for logistics?)
Very innovative, and interesting, the concept is being promoted by non-software folks - primarily with retail and management background. They sought help of local linux groups to figure out how they can leverage open source community, and to chart out a well-managed plan to identify the projects, co-ordinations etc. in this space. They are also open to creating projects and helping out in fields other than retail (for e.g. law).
Quite exciting. The only link we have currently is from ITVidya's http://www.itvidya.com/opensourceideameet
More info will be up soon, and I think these folks are using some orkut groups for discussion...
Technorati Tags: opensource retail
posted by Vinod Kulkarni at
11:53 AM
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4 comments
