"Tape" predicts demand using AI in Microsoft Azure cloud

2020: Migration in Microsoft Azure cloud

On May 27, 2020 reported Microsoft Rus that network of Lenta hypermarkets and Corus Consulting Group also promo-goods developed an automated system of demand forecasting on regular. It is urged to increase the accuracy of planning of stocks of retail chain stores, to avoid casing of warehouses and also to reduce possible commodity losses. The pilot project was unrolled in ten outlets.

Digital technologies became a part of retail. Thanks to pilot implementation of this system of forecasting we managed to increase flexibility and forecasting accuracy of demand in the selected outlets. Transfer of a system of forecasting from a cluster of Hadoop located in data center of Tape in a cloud of Microsoft Azure allows us to accelerate forecast calculations of demand that is important advantage in view of time limited to this task, noted Andrey Tarasov, the Director of management of IT systems of Lenta company.

Migration in a cloud allows to distribute investments in time: the customer pays only in the used hours. Besides, tools of a cloud platform Microsoft Azure, in particular Azure Databricks, gave the chance to accelerate development and support of processing procedures of data and to reduce duration of the calculations necessary for drawing up daily forecasts of the range of shops by 30%. Migration of a system in a cloud was performed by joint efforts of the Films IT command, specialists of Corus Consulting Group and experts of Microsoft.

"Tape" always selects technologies which allow network to satisfy needs of buyers. Use of a cloud of Microsoft Azure gave us the chance to propose to the client the solution based on artificial intelligence of Microsoft which will increase the accuracy of planning of stocks of retail chain stores, and, thus, will make it more competitive, comments Alexey Sverdlov, the director of the department of analytical solutions of Corus Consulting Group.

Information on checks and parameters of shops enriched with external data from own storage "Lenty" are copied in Azure Data Lake Storage. The analysis and forecasting is performed using a dynamic computing cluster of Azure Databricks.

Microsoft together with partners aims to help the clients on the way to digitalization. In such initiatives close interaction of all its participants – the customer, the partner and vendor is extremely important. Readiness of Tape for experiments and capability to quickly implement technologies, examination of specialists of our company and Corus Consulting Group and also tools of artificial intelligence and technology of the analysis of Big Data in a cloud of Azure formed the basis of implementation of this project, noted Anna Kulashova, the director of work with the large organizations Microsoft in Russia.