presentation-en
What is ECR SPORT ?
1. GENERAL PRESENTATION
ECR SPORT is a non for profit association under French Law, which object is to initiate
collaborative projects between Sports Industry and Trade in order to improve the efficiency of
the supply chain and better meet customer’s needs.
Founder members are the national federations of the Sporting Goods Industry (Fifas) and
Sporting Goods Retailers (FPS).
Regular members :
Sports Industry : ADIDAS FRANCE – AIGLE – ARENA FRANCE – ASICS FRANCE –
BABOLAT VS – CORNILLEAU – HEAD TYROLIA – LAFUMA – LE COQ SPORTIF – MAJOR SPORTS – NIKE FRANCE – PUMA FRANCE – QUIKSILVER – REEBOK – RIP CURL – SALOMON – TECHNISYTHESE – TECNICA France
Retail Organisations : CHAUSPORT SPODIS - CITY SPORT – DECATHLON - GO SPORT - INTERSPORT FRANCE - SPORT 2000
Associated Member : EUROSIMA (European Surf Industry Manufacturers Association)
Principle of governance : Equal representation of Industry and Trade at the Board.
2. Evaluation of needs - Priorities
An independent consultant has been entrusted with an audit of the sector in order to evaluate
needs, identify priorities and set up the working programme of the association. This audit was
carried out between June and September 2007 and the results were presented in October
2007.
This audit was mainly based on interviews of ECR Sport members + comparison with most
advanced sectors as far as collaborative logistics is concerned.
The following criteria have been taken into consideration in order to set up priorities :
- Consensus on the interest/necessity of the collaborative project (a minimum of 50 % of
members in favour, both within retailers and industry)
- Feasibility within a reasonable period of time (subjects regarded as too complex have been
set aside for the time being).
3. PROGRAMME OF WORK 2008-2010
Principles : each project will be developed by a specific working group, each working group
being lead by a “pair” (1 Representative of the Industry, 1 of the retail sector)
The following working groups have been set up :
Product classification :
Background : a common language is the basis for communication and collaborative projects ; a
relevant product classification should provide the technical basis to share market information
(see following working group)
This working group will analyse the advantages/disadvantages of existing options (Fedas,
GPC) – study the condition of coexistence of two (or more) classifications and make
recommendations for “best practice in product classification”
Status : WG started its work in October 2007. First results expected by June 2008.
Market analysis
Background : sell out data – if adequately collected and consolidated – provide a quicker
feedback on market trends than any distributors or consumers panel.
This working group will investigate how sell out data could be pooled and consolidated by an
independent body : type of data, level of aggregation, periodicity etc.. and make
recommendations for a format and a technical solution.
Status : WG will start once the first conclusions of WG « EDI » will be done.
Automation of Information exchange
Background : most “big players” have implemented EDI internally, but the effective level of use
is still limited. For SMEs there are technical and financial obstacles. However, automation of
information exchange is a major factor of improvement in the supply chain (speed, time saving,
avoiding errors…)
This working group will :
- for “big player” : check whether the standard formats (Edifact - Edisport) are relevant for all
types of interchange – propose technical changes if needed
- evaluate present use/optimal level of use
- investigate more accessible solutions for SMEs (translators, extranet…)
- define or “codify” best practice for EDI
Status : Work started.
Two working groups in the field of collaborative supply management (collaborative
planning, forecasting and replenishment) :
Prerequisite (for both WGs) : need for a better differentiation between “basic products” and
“fashion products” as they require different management.
Fashion collections planning – Reliability of forecasts
Background : Need to improve flexibility and to reduce the collection cycle in order to better
compete with “fast fashion” management models.
The working group will identify the main factors influencing the reliability of forecasts and define
the key-steps to set up a joint planning for fashion collections.
Permanent products management
Background : identify permanent products and improve cooperation in order to limit out-of-stock
situations (sharing information on sales, improving re-supply procedures…)
The working group will identify key factors for a better management of permanent products, list
the points which should be formally agreed between the supplier and the retailer and produce a
guidance document.
Status : Both groups scheduled for starting in 2010.
Key Performance Indicators
Background : need for a “common language” on key factors influencing customers satisfaction.
The working group will define a limited number of key performance indicators with precise
definition and calculation methods. It will make recommendations for benchmarking tools and
produce a guidance document on best practice.
Status : WG to start in 2010
