AI-Driven Pack Configuration Management for Multi-Level Inventory Hierarchies

United Natural Foods Inc., the largest publicly traded wholesale distributor of natural and specialty foods in North America, provides a compelling example of AI-driven supply chain modernization in a complex pack environment. The distributor manages more than 260,000 SKUs across 55 distribution centers, serving over 30,000 customer locations that range from independent natural food stores ordering by the case to large supermarket chains receiving full pallets. In 2023, the company began deploying an AI-powered planning system from RELEX Solutions, and as of early 2026, the technology has been rolled out to 12 distribution sites with plans to cover the entire network by the end of fiscal year 2026. According to Supply Chain Dive, the company's CEO stated that the implementation is helping to improve customer service, fill rates, and inventory management, which in turn improves free cash flow.

In a separate example, a convenience retailer profiled by McKinsey in 2023 unlocked more than $100 million in incremental sales by improving product availability through a combination of tactics that included improving inventory accuracy and reconciling overdue purchase orders. The retailer established an inventory health dashboard and adopted new cadences for vendor compliance, demonstrating that even partial automation of inventory hierarchy management can yield substantial financial returns. These cases illustrate that while fully automated AI-driven pack configuration remains an emerging capability, organizations that invest in data standardization and intelligent planning tools are already capturing significant value from improved pack-level visibility.