Optimise supply chain processes at an international food supplier

At a glance

During the transition to SAP, Lanark ensured business continuity for this artisanal food supplier by taking on the role of supply chain planner. As a result, the client’s key users were able to focus on implementing the new system.

The challenge?

In the fast-paced food industry, operational excellence is a must. However, how do you keep operations running and guarantee consistent and high service levels to your customers while upgrading your systems?

Lanark’s solution

The Lanark supply chain engineer immediately stepped in and provided operational support to the planning team. He took over the daily supply chain planning responsibilities and key tasks, allowing the internal team to dedicate time to the SAP migration. As a result, business continuity was safeguarded and the company consistently delivered high service levels.

Within this role of supply chain planner, Lanark was responsible for ensuring optimal stock levels. This involved defining the right parameters to avoid excess stock and reduce obsolete inventory. Therefore, the Lanark supply chain engineer aligned with the internal sales team on sales forecasts, product turnover rates and customer preferences.

At the same time, the Lanark engineer also reviewed the existing workflow and identified process improvements. For instance, some administrative steps caused unnecessary delays and triggered excessive internal communication, mainly via email. By streamlining this process, the team was able to speed up the handling of administrative tasks.

The supply chain planning team tailored the inventory strategies for the different product categories and reached the right balance between product availability and shelf life, ensuring customers get the freshest products while minimising waste.

“By analysing the internal communication flow, the team was able to decrease the email clutter and create a more efficient operations workflow.”

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