Sales: how to stay in control despite the unexpected
In well-managed companies, everything starts with anticipation: budgets, purchases, sales initiatives.
But when it comes to forecasting sales, specialized distribution operates in a world where nothing is truly stable. Demand is not only fluctuating: it is shaped by the brand… and shaken up every day by the reality on the ground.
When there is no such thing as a perfect forecast
Changing weather, supplier delays, reorganized shelf space, last-minute promotions, transportation disruptions… In this sector, the unexpected is not an exception.
Mathematical forecasting models falter under the onslaught of reality: they are too sensitive, too open to interpretation, too far removed from real conditions. This is particularly true today, in a multi-channel environment where a single post by an influencer can cause demand for an item to skyrocket overnight.
Anticipating with data you really understand
Not everything can be chosen: the economic climate, supplier prices, transportation.
But much can be controlled: product range depth, logistics organization, sales initiatives, target inventory levels.
It is in this space, between constraints and voluntary decisions, that anticipation becomes effective. The challenge is no longer to predict at all costs, but to understand what really influences the future.
Projection rather than prediction
At IAXX, we take a clear stance: in an unstable market, striving for absolute precision is pointless. What matters is projecting the effects of decisions made, using all data related to stocks and flows, at the most granular level.
Instead of a fixed model, IAXX adapts to the real context of each retailer.
Calculations are performed daily, consistently, and focused on utility: ordering at the right time, organizing logistics, anticipating needs… while letting the user decide what matters.
And the user always remains in control: forcing a stock level, adjusting a parameter, adding a targeted forecast… All of this is reflected in clear supervision.
A concrete example: reaching free shipping intelligently.
Where most systems complete an order at the last minute, IAXX anticipates, spaces out, and reorganizes needs to naturally reach the threshold… and even allows for discussion with the supplier beforehand.
A logic of action, not mechanics.
A method designed for action
At IAXX, we don’t make predictions. We produce actionable projections.
These are based on two complementary options:
- IAXX Data+: clean, enriched, usable upstream data.
- Refined Projection (RP): business expertise that questions, adjusts, and validates.
Forecasting is only one piece of the puzzle. In reality, it often determines less than 30% of the quantities actually ordered.
The rest depends on decisions, business parameters, and logistical priorities.
This is precisely what the IAXX method highlights.
Better anticipation for better action
With IAXX, we are not looking for perfection.
We help retailers make clearer, more consistent, and faster decisions.
Anticipating the future, not by imagining it to be perfect, but by preparing for it.
Channel by channel. Decision by decision.
That is the ambition of IAXX.