A new data pipeline & critical data models to ensure clothing retailers can rapidly predict & forecast customer, inventory & marketing needs in the fast-changing environment of COVID19 and its aftermath

COVID19 is disrupting the UK's clothing industry to an unprecedented extent. To survive, companies must make faster decisions in a rapidly changing landscape. Retailers agree on which decisions are a priority but don't have the adequate data, models & processes to respond in a timely manner. Their data sits in siloed systems, is slow to access and is missing essential attributes. This project sets out to create a new knowledge pipeline & set of data models, currently not available or possible using generic modelling. The objective is to give retailers more certainty and precision in their decision making, creating greater liquidity and operational stability. Ultimately this project delivers on mitigating the damage impact of COVID19, as best as possible. It also gives retailers a new tool set which moves them closer towards demand-driven/predictive forecasting, which will help optimise their supply chains in the future.

The effects of the "extension for impact" funding will be to aid increasing the impact on the fashion retail industry and all the stakeholders affected by the plight of the industry by increasing the speed to market of the innovations described above.