"Data is transforming our business": Interview with Coralie Paris, Supply Chain Director at Anaïk
In the promotional gifts sector, the supply chain is evolving rapidly. Between large-scale imports large imports, CSR requirements, and cost optimization, data is becoming central. Meeting with a Supply Chain Director Chain who oversees quality, CSR, logistics, and traceability for our clients major retail and beauty brands.
Your company sources 80% of its supplies from China and Asia. How do you manage the complexity of these supply chains?
Complexity is indeed part of our daily lives! But what has changed radically in recent years is our ability to manage it thanks to data. Today, every aspect of our business—quality, CSR, logistics—relies on structured data. Data is no longer a mere byproduct of our operations: it has become a strategic issue in its own right.
Your clients, major retail and beauty brands, are increasingly sensitive to environmental issues. How do you support them in practical terms?
This is where data really comes into its own! Our customers no longer just want a product at the right price and delivered on time. They want to understand and reduce the environmental footprint of their promotional campaigns. We have adopted a digital solution, Ecodesigncloud, which allows us to accurately calculate the environmental impact of each product.
In concrete terms, when a client is hesitating between two promotional gift options, we present them with a comparative analysis of their impacts. This data, which was previously inaccessible or approximate, becomes an objective decision-making criterion right from the design phase. This transparency transforms a CSR intention into measurable action. And it positions us not as an executor, but as a strategic advisor in our clients' eco-design process.
Traceability is a sensitive issue when sourcing from Asia. How do you ensure your products are compliant?
Excellent question, because this is indeed a major issue. Our answer can be summed up in two words: certified data. We favor certifications such as GRS or GOTS – Global Organic Textile Standard – which are not just labels. They are structured data systems that document every step in the value chain: origin of raw materials, production conditions, exact composition of products, batches.
This data traceability allows us to respond instantly to our customers' requests for proof of compliance. What's more, it helps us anticipate risks: identifying a supplier whose certification is about to expire, detecting an anomaly in the composition of a batch, verifying consistency between stated CSR commitments and the reality on the ground.
And let me be clear: mastering data is no longer just a competitive advantage, it is becoming a regulatory requirement. New European regulations such as the CBAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism), the EUDR (Imported Deforestation Regulation), and the CSDDD (Duty of Care) all require the same thing: traceable, verifiable, documented data on our supply chains. Without this structured data, we will simply no longer be able to import into Europe. It's as simple as that.
Let's talk logistics. How does data help you optimize your transportation costs?
Logistics from Asia can be a real headache: variable shipping times, container management, volume forecasting, choosing between modes of transport, port congestion... Today, logistics data is radically changing our approach.
By centralizing and analyzing our transport records, delivery forecasts, and customer data, we are building much more refined predictive models. This allows us to adjust our transport volumes according to actual seasonal peaks, optimize our container fill rates, and work on our costs with greater granularity, thereby better absorbing unforeseen events.
But there is another indicator that has become absolutely central: OTIF – On Time In Full. Our customers systematically calculate this to evaluate our performance: do we deliver on time AND in full? This indicator is formidable because it does not tolerate any approximation. The challenge is to manage it effectively to better serve our customers. This indicator is mostly a collaborative tool between us and our customers, helping us to improve and better predict seasonal fluctuations in the coming years.
Does predictive analytics really work in supply chain management?
Let's be honest: it's complex! There are many variables and frequent unforeseen events—geopolitical tensions, port congestion, exchange rate fluctuations, etc. Data doesn't solve everything. But it gives us visibility that we never had before. For example, aggregating a supplier's quality data over several years of partnership allows us to better anticipate risks and plan appropriate, secure quality action plans for production, without over-quality and at the right price.
In our industry, where promotional campaigns are concentrated over short, specific periods, a forecasting error can be costly for both parties! Data helps us reduce this uncertainty and become more agile. And this visibility, shared with our customers, significantly strengthens trust and collaboration.
What advice would you give your clients about the role of the supply chain today?
I would say this: the supply chain is no longer a purely operational function that is called upon at the end of the process. It is becoming a data-driven profession, in the sense that the management, analysis, and sharing of structured data are central to the value we bring.
For the major brands we work with, this change is decisive. They are no longer just looking for a partner capable of delivering compliant products. They want a player who can transform complexity into transparency, who documents their CSR commitments with figures, and who anticipates risks rather than suffering them.
Any final thoughts?
The promotional gift supply chain is at a turning point. Data is no longer a technical constraint, but a common language that allows us to engage with our customers on an equal footing on the issues that really matter to them: environmental impact, supply security, and cost optimization.
This issue has become a major concern for us, and we have responded by making significant investments. We have begun transforming our ERP system to process and use this data in a much more detailed way. And we have acquired specialized external digital solutions: Greenly and Ecodesigncloud for environmental footprints, and Creditsafe for the creditworthiness of our suppliers. These tools are not gadgets; they have become the foundation of our ability to deliver value to our customers.
Training our teams to use this data and structuring our information systems is no longer optional. It is this expertise that now distinguishes a service provider from a true strategic partner.
Founded in 1973 in Roubaix, Anaïk is a leading designer and supplier of gifts, packaging and accessories for major international brands and retailers. Its head office is located in Villeneuve d'Ascq (59). Committed to CSR, Anaïk has been integrating it into its strategies for over 18 years, becoming an expert in eco-design.
