IDA established the Retail eSCM Ecosystem to lay the foundation for standardised and synchronised electronic business exchanges and information sharing between supply chain partners.

In August 2003, IDA, together with SPRING Singapore and the Singapore Article Number Council, embarked on a plan to build an eSCM Ecosystem for the Retail sector. The purpose of this plan was to put in place infrastructure components like B2B data standards and electronic product catalogue as a common reference to make electronic procurements (e-procurements) pervasive in the Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) industry.

Having put in place the foundation of the Retail Ecosystem, the IDA's focus will be to build collaborative relationships within the retail sector. In response to IDA's call for collaboration in August 2004 for deeper supply chain integration efforts among the retail supply chain partners, several major retailers in Singapore had adopted CPFR (Collaborative Planning, Forecasting and Replenishment) for more accurate management of inventory levels, and RFID technology for tracking of physical goods flow across their supply chains.

This programme aims to identify more retail segments beyond FMCG to accelerate the adoption of technologies and best practices to achieve supply chain efficiency.

Key Strategies

IDA aims to work with retail industry leaders to develop collaborative retail hubs that will embrace best business practices and technology innovations. Such collaborative hubs will become more cost-efficient and responsive in meeting customers' demands and changes in the marketplace.

Main Activities

IDA works closely with industry and relevant government agencies to leverage on infocomm to close the gaps in the supply chain management processes.

Target Audience

• Retail operators and suppliers including supermarkets, department stores, consumer electronics, etc.
• Technology companies specialising in retail domain
• Industry Associations