Where the time goes
New product introduction runs from concept to spec to bill of materials to sourcing to the item master to forecast to first shipment. The hold-ups are the handoffs, where the same data is re-entered across systems that do not connect, so the SKU cannot be costed or ordered.
One clean item record, with the identifier
Time to market is the clock from approval to first sellable shipment, and a SKU cannot be ordered, scanned, or listed without a clean item master and a valid product identifier. Retailers are moving to 2D codes under the GS1 Digital Link standard, so the data has to be right.
Where the ERP closes the loop
On Hudace, specs, costs, and identifiers flow from design straight into the item master, so a placeholder SKU exists early and nothing is re-keyed. Xenon AI drafts a launch forecast from analogous products and estimates cannibalisation of existing lines.
A planner and the brand owner approve. AI speeds the setup and the forecast, not the launch decision.
The numbers to watch
The launch forecast is the riskiest number in the plan; watch it closely.
Time to market
Concept approval to first sellable shipment. The headline NPI clock.
New-SKU forecast accuracy
Forecast vs actual on products with no history. The riskiest number at launch.
Item-data completeness
Share of new SKUs with full, valid attributes and identifier. A common launch blocker.
First-year fill rate
Demand met in year one. Where a weak launch forecast shows up.
See faster launches on Hudace
Talk to our team about flowing product data from design into the item master.