Q&A: How Digital Transformation Is Powering Responsible Retail Sourcing at
Scale with Nicole Brackett, Enterprise Account Executive, TradeBeyond

SupplyChainMoves: Retailers are under pressure to move faster, reduce costs, and
meet sustainability expectations all at once. What is driving this convergence right now?

Nicole: Retailers are operating in a much tighter margin environment while facing more
scrutiny than ever from regulators, consumers, and internal stakeholders. Speed to
market and cost control are still critical, but they now have to coexist with transparency,
traceability, and responsible sourcing. What’s changed is that these priorities can’t be
managed in silos anymore. Leaders are realizing that without connected, digital
sourcing operations, it’s almost impossible to balance all of those demands at scale.

SupplyChainMoves: ICA Global Sourcing (IGS) is a good example of this challenge.
What was happening inside their sourcing organization before they began digital
transformation?

Nicole: IGS supports one of Europe’s largest retailers while also sourcing for major
external partners, so complexity is inherent. They were managing multiple regions
(Asia, South Asia, and Europe) while trying to deliver more assortment at lower costs
and faster lead times. At the same time, they had to uphold strict EU compliance, CSR,
and sustainability standards. Much of that work relied on manual processes, emails, and
fragmented systems, which limited visibility and slowed decision-making.

SupplyChainMoves: What role did technology play in helping IGS address those
challenges?

Nicole: The focus wasn’t just automation, it was orchestration. By digitizing sourcing
workflows end to end, IGS gained a single source of truth across suppliers, orders,
compliance activities, and timelines. That visibility allowed teams to proactively manage
exceptions instead of reacting to them late in the process. As a result, they improved
on-time, in-full delivery to 95%, increased operational efficiency by about 50%, and
significantly reduced administrative workload.

SupplyChainMoves: OTIF improvement of 20% is significant. What enabled that level
of performance gain?

Nicole: OTIF improves when everyone (buyers, suppliers, quality teams) operates from
the same data in real time. For IGS, digital workflows replaced long email chains and
spreadsheets, giving teams early warning signals when something was off track. That
meant issues could be addressed weeks earlier, not days before shipment. It also
created accountability across the supplier network, which is essential when managing
global operations.

SupplyChainMoves: Sustainability and compliance are major themes in Europe,
especially with the EU Green Deal. How is IGS preparing for what’s ahead?

Nicole: The EU Green Deal is accelerating the need for deeper supply chain
transparency and auditability. IGS recognized early that sustainability data can’t be an
afterthought, it has to be embedded directly into sourcing processes. By digitizing
supplier audits, compliance documentation, and performance tracking, they’re building a
foundation that supports both current regulations and future requirements, while also
meeting the expectations of increasingly conscious consumers.

SupplyChainMoves: Many retailers worry that sustainability initiatives will slow them
down or increase costs. What does the IGS experience suggest?

Nicole: IGS shows that sustainability and efficiency aren’t opposing forces. When
sustainability requirements are managed manually, they do add friction. But when
they’re integrated into digital sourcing workflows, they actually reduce risk, rework, and
delays. That’s how retailers can scale responsibly by making sustainability part of how
the supply chain operates, not an extra layer on top.

SupplyChainMoves: What lessons should other global retailers take away from this
case study?

Nicole: First, visibility is non-negotiable, you can’t manage what you can’t see. Second,
digital transformation isn’t about replacing people; it’s about enabling teams to focus on
higher-value decisions. And finally, responsible sourcing at scale requires systems that
are flexible enough to adapt to changing regulations, consumer expectations, and
market conditions. Retailers that invest now will be far better positioned for what’s
coming next.

SupplyChainMoves: Looking ahead, how do you see digital sourcing evolving over the
next few years?

Nicole: We’ll see sourcing platforms become more predictive using data to anticipate
risks, cost changes, and compliance gaps before they occur. At the same time,
sustainability metrics will become as core as cost and lead time. The retailers that
succeed will be those that treat digital sourcing as a strategic capability, not just an operational tool.