Online educational platform will target broad adoption of best practices & cost savings San Diego, California - New research conducted by CHEP, presented to food retail and consumer packaged goods industry executives at the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) - Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) Trading Partner Alliance (TPA) Supply Chain Conference in San Diego, evaluated and compared the effectiveness of 48 strategies manufacturers and retailers use to reduce unsaleable goods and generate cost savings.  Each of the 48 solutions was ranked in order of effectiveness, and three of the most effective solutions were highlighted during today’s presentation. “Unsaleable goods is a $15 billion issue for our industry, and a reduction of just one percent would save companies $150 million annually,” said Daniel Triot, Senior Director, TPA. “By promoting broader adoption of the best practices CHEP has discovered, we can meet and exceed that goal.” The data, based on in-depth interviews with retailer and manufacturer supply chain experts, uncovered proven unsaleables reduction best practices across multiple supply chain functions, including, warehousing, shipping and receiving, sales, merchandizing and reverse logistics. Each solution was ranked on a four-point effectiveness scale. Participants identified Enhanced Shelf Life Management, Effective Management of Discontinued Items and Sharing of UPC-Level Data as among the most effective solutions. CHEP’s Ben Eugrin, Director of Supply Chain Solutions, and Mike Boersig, Manager, Supply Chain Solutions, presented the findings together with Rob Shifter, Nestlé Supply Chain Manager; Greg Riggs, SpartanNash Senior Supply Chain Analyst; and Ted Lechner, H-E-B Senior Reverse Logistics Leader. “Our research uncovered clear patterns for reducing unsaleable goods,” said Mr. Eugrin. “We now know how retailers, manufacturers and suppliers, working together, can generate significant cost-savings that positively impacts their bottom line.”