Tools for Merchandise Forecasting

Solutions to Try

Three major direct commerce merchandise forecasting systems, plus three other solutions are worth mentioning:

* The Galvin System from Galvin Associates, Marstons Mills, Mass., (www.galvinassociates.com) is the grand-daddy of direct commerce forecasting systems. Used by more than two-dozen major catalogers (including J.Jill and The Company Store), it’s available in a standard version and a less costly GalvinExpress version. The latter includes the basic merchandising module but not the modules for marketing, time-phased open-to-buy, item planning, material requirements planning or purchase order management.