ToolsGroup “Sets the Standard” for Inventory Optimization in Latest Nucleus Research Value Matrix

ToolsGroup awarded top spot for third year running, recognizing autonomous MEIO and advanced planning capabilities

BOSTON, April 28, 2017 – ToolsGroup announced today that it has taken the top position in the “Leaders” quadrant of Nucleus Research’s Inventory Optimization Value Matrix for 2017, which evaluates on-premise and cloud software vendors in this space. Nucleus stated that the leading solutions are “delivering value to customers with better visualizations, greater automation and machine learning capabilities, and more accurate forecasts.”

Seth Lippincott, an analyst at Nucleus Research who focuses on enterprises applications, led this year’s study. According to his report: “ToolsGroup sets the industry standard in the 2017 Inventory Optimization Value Matrix, delivering usability and functionality that helps customers achieve value through one of the most autonomous inventory optimization and supply chain planning solutions on the market.”

Nucleus Research also called out several of ToolsGroup’s advanced capabilities:

• Leveraging social sensing data for setting inventory targets for new product launches
• Non-normal demand curves and holding inventory to account for “long tail” demand
• Machine learningto help improve forecasting and demand planning, especially for new product launches and seasonal products
• Multi-Echelon Inventory Optimization (MEIO)and “Service Level Optimization” that optimally translate an aggregate service level target for a group of items into an appropriate individual target for each item in the mix
• Closing the loop from long-term sales and operations planning (S&OP) to demand modeling and inventory optimization

Nucleus Research positioned 17 vendors in its matrix by analyzing end-user experiences relating to software usability and functionality. The matrix is divided into four quadrants: Leaders, Experts, Facilitators, and Core Providers. “Leaders” are vendors that Nucleus Research rates as likely to deliver the greatest potential returns from investments (ROI) to their customers. Leaders’ comprehensive product offerings are rated as the most suitable for enabling large-scale application deployments. And leaders are recognized for fast user adoption and deployment, continually developing and investing in new areas like social sensing, machine learning and predictive analytics.

ToolsGroup’s CEO Joseph Shamir commented, “This is our fifth major analyst report in little more than a year in which we were positioned as a leader. What makes me most proud about scoring so well is that these rankings are primarily based on customer interviews and their business outcomes.”

About Nucleus Research

Nucleus Research is a global provider of investigative, case-based technology research and advisory services that provide real-world insight into maximizing technology value. For more information, visit NucleusResearch.com or follow us on Twitter @NucleusResearch.