Lowe's Uses New Software to Cut Appliance Delivery Times by 8 Days
A system developed by a former Georgia State University student identified 122,000 orders that were delayed despite being in stock.
By Grace Sullivan ·
More than 122,000 appliance orders at Lowe’s could have been delivered eight days earlier than planned. This figure comes from a new inventory tracking system deployed by the home improvement retailer. The software corrects a long-standing error where customers received estimated delivery dates for items that were already available in stores.
Nikita Kirane, a senior analyst in the supply chain domain at Lowe’s, led the development of this system with her teammates. The tool allows regional distribution managers, company executives, and other supply chain decision-makers to locate any item across the Lowe’s network of stores with a single button click. Previously, employees spent significant time scouring multiple Excel spreadsheets and contacting various colleagues to track down product locations.
Kirane earned a Master of Science in Information Systems from Georgia State University’s Robinson College of Business in 2020. She chose the program because it combined business and technical coursework over a one-and-a-half-year period and required an internship. During her studies, she learned database management, Python programming, data visualization, and machine learning algorithms.
After completing the program, Kirane secured an internship with UPS in fall 2020. She conducted performance measurement and analytics during that stint. Upon finishing the internship, UPS offered her a full-time role as an advanced analytics supervisor. Kirane noted that securing an internship during the pandemic was difficult for many job seekers.
The new Lowe’s system has drastically improved fulfillment times for appliances. By identifying in-stock items more accurately, the software eliminates the need for extended wait times. The tool is now used by various levels of management to make supply chain decisions.
Kirane said the system helps the company stay relevant in a tech field that constantly introduces new challenges. She emphasized the importance of continuous upskilling to maintain professional competence in the industry.
The rollout of this inventory management tool represents a shift from manual tracking to automated detection for Lowe’s appliance division. The change aims to reduce wasted employee time and improve the customer experience by providing more accurate delivery estimates.
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