Vekia: pioneering machine learning in retail supply chain

ABSTRACT

This case study discusses Vekia, a retail supply chain company that creates software to help retailers optimize their supply chain. Vekia’s value lies in matching client needs for accurate demand and inventory forecasting with world-leading machine learning capabilities. Their strength is built from a deep knowledge of the retail supply chain sector coupled with research expertise in mathematical engineering. From its inception, Vekia has fostered strong research-industry collaboration. Its executive president and founder, Manuel Davy, has aligned the business with the top research centres in France. This focus on new knowledge commercialization has kept Vekia ahead of the game and a market leader in the retail supply chain sector, according to Gartner, one of the world’s leading software publishers. Their software products support a variety of retail businesses including food distribution, fashion, sports, DIY, automotive parts and pharmacies.

KEYWORDS:

• Commercialization
• retail
• research collaboration
• supply chain
• machine learning

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes on contributor

Clare Gately is Professor of Entrepreneurship at EDHEC Business School, Lille. She is director of the MSc. in Entrepreneurship and Innovation and is coordinator of the Global MBA, Entrepreneurship Track, Nice. Prior to EDHEC, Clare lectured at the Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) for many years. She received her PhD in Technology New Venture Formation from the National University of Ireland, Galway. Clare lectures at undergraduate, postgraduate and executive levels. She has guest lectured in Ireland, France and Canada. Clare has published case studies, journal articles and book chapters in international publications with a particular focus on incubated firms. She is an external examiner with the Irish Management Institute (IMI) and a peer reviewer with Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI). She has received Excellence in Teaching Awards for her work at the post-graduate level. Her research interests include technology new venture formation, start-up incubation, business modelling, design thinking and lean start-up. With her work on the Enterprise-Ireland Enterprise Platform Programme (now New Frontiers), she has mentored and coached entrepreneurs through the start-up and early growth process. Clare co-founded and was CEO of a funded technology start-up firm, Josh Medical.