About VICS

Since 1986, VICS, the Voluntary Interindustry Commerce Solutions Association, has worked to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the entire supply chain. VICS pioneered the implementation of a cross-industry standard, Quick Response (QR) that simplified the flow of product and information in the retail industry for retailers and suppliers alike.

VICS is made up of companies who have proven that a timely and accurate flow of product and information between trading partners significantly improves their competitive position. It has been demonstrated that cross-industry commerce standards facilitate better customer service while reducing costs. VICS' participation with hundreds of small and large companies, has established that the implementation of VICS' business processes and standards achieve excellent returns that go far beyond initial expectations.

A 1996 study by Kurt Salmon Associates showed that companies which implemented VICS' business replenishment processes had dramatic results: increased sales, faster turns, improved inventory control and cost savings. While the results were impressive, VICS continued to develop a new collaborative dimension to supply chain processes, Collaborative, Planning, Forecasting, and Replenishment (CPFR®).

By 2001, an AMR Research study demonstrated that retailers and suppliers jointly achieved higher sales with double digit inventory decreases, improved in stock at wholesale and on the retail shelf, at a lower overall logistics cost. At the same time, Kurt Salmon Associates estimated that "the benefits of CPFR® for just the apparel industry alone, could conservatively total $8.3 billion annually".

VICS' Committees continue to build on their legacy of supply chain excellence through continuous improvement of existing supply chain processes, development of new collaborative commerce business processes and effective implementation of e-Commerce standards.