Lipari Foods has selected RELEX Solutions to transform its supply chain planning and improve replenishment operations across its distribution center.
The Midwest distributor will use RELEX’s artificial intelligencer-driven platform and Advanced Diagnostics to manage more than 23,000 SKUs across grocery, deli, bakery, natural and specialty categories.
Lipari Foods supplies thousands of retailers with fresh, natural, ethnic and specialty foods. Managing fast-moving products requires dependable insight into demand and inventory positions, especially for categories with shorter shelf lives.
The company said it sought a planning tool that helps teams understand where spoilage and stockout risks are emerging so they can respond quickly and maintain availability across all departments.
Deployment strategy
Lipari Foods will deploy integrated supply chain planning, replenishment, intraday recalculations, wholesale channel planning, seasonal planning, capacity planning and fresh optimization.
The company also will adopt advanced diagnostics for AI-assisted spoilage, stockout and inventory analysis.
RELEX Diagnostics will help planners identify issues earlier, understand the drivers behind waste and availability problems and make faster, more informed decisions.
The capabilities aim to improve order accuracy, reduce waste and build a planning foundation that supports long-term growth.
“Our business is growing, and we need planning tools that keep up with the pace and complexity of our operation,” said Shaun Bunch, chief supply chain officer at Lipari Foods.
“We manage a wide range of fresh and specialty products, so having reliable forecasts, automation that reduces manual work and better visibility into future inventory needs makes a real difference. RELEX’s diagnostics also help us spot spoilage or service risks early, which helps our teams act faster. It’s an important step in how we serve our customers.”
Operational challenges
The ability to support fresh and ultra-fresh items with more precise forecasting and automated adjustments was especially important to Lipari, given the shorter shelf lives of those products.
“Lipari Foods is operating at a scale and pace where sharper planning visibility delivers real value,” said Frank Lord, chief revenue officer at Atlanta, Georgia-based RELEX Solutions.
“With a large, fast-moving assortment, having tools that enhance accuracy and highlight emerging waste or availability risks helps teams stay ahead of demand, protect capacity and maintain strong service across their categories.”
RELEX’s clients include ADUSA, Camco, Carhartt, Circle K, Dollar Tree and Family Dollar, M&S Food, PetSmart, The Home Depot and Vita Coco.
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