Project Info

Struggling with fragmented data and a 38.3% sales drop, a national distributor lacked fulfillment visibility. Our Operational Intelligence Suite turned data into insights, optimizing inventory, labor, and regional performance.
  • Industry : Supply Chain
  • Category : BI & Data Analytics
  • Date : Mar'23 - May'23
  • Location : Los Angeles, CA, USA

Project Info

Problem Statement

Our client, a large-scale distribution enterprise operating across eight primary warehouses, faced significant operational headwinds as evidenced by a 38.3% decline in total sales growth compared to the prior period. The organisation was struggling with massive data fragmentation that obscured the root causes of their fulfilment failures. Specifically, the client had over $15.7 million in open order value in a single warehouse alone yet lacked the granular visibility to understand why certain item classes were underperforming. Warehouse managers were unable to track the efficiency of their labour force, and the C-suite lacked a unified view of how sales representative performance intersected with regional supply chain capabilities.

The Solution: Integrated Operational Intelligence Suite

We deployed a sophisticated analytics ecosystem that transformed raw transactional data into actionable strategic insights across four critical areas:

Warehouse Fulfilment & Inventory Health

We implemented a Fill Rate Dashboard that allows the client to monitor order cycles by warehouse and item class. This tool identified that while some warehouses maintained high performance, others, like a certain warehouse, struggled with a specific class of items, showing a fill rate as low as 85.71% for high-priority inventory. By integrating a Back Orders Dashboard, we provided real-time tracking of total open line value, allowing the team to visualise that two warehouses accounted for the vast majority of unshipped orders.

Labor Productivity & Transactional Throughput

To optimise floor operations, we developed an Operator Performance tracking system. This solution monitors 90-day windows of activity, analysing over 96,000 picking transactions and 23,000 storage tasks. Management can now see the specific weight handled by top operators, enabling data-driven incentives and identifying bottlenecks in replenishment tasks.

Sales & Regional Performance Alignment

Using a quadrant-based Sales Rep Performance analysis, we mapped product scores against region scores to identify high-performing outliers and those needing support. This was coupled with the Growth Explorer, which provides a “Group By” functionality to pivot sales data by warehouse, division, or product line, revealing that one Warehouse saw the sharpest decline with an $11.5 million drop in growth.

Logistics & Pallet Optimisation

The Items and Pallets Qty Dashboard was introduced to bridge the gap between sales units and shipping logistics. By tracking the “Avg Pallet QTY” for specific items, the client can now optimise warehouse space and shipping configurations based on actual pallet condition of fulfilment.

Value Provided

Data Driven Growth Recovery

By using the Growth Explorer, the client identified that the 38.3% sales dip was concentrated in specific warehouses, allowing them to redirect resources to under-performing regions.

Fulfilment Precision

The implementation of the Service Level Operation Dashboard provided a daily snapshot of the 1,020,730 total order quantities, helping the team manage the 106,336 back-order quantity more effectively and target a higher service level than the current 13% daily average

Operational Cost Reduction

Through the Operator Performance metrics, the client achieved a clearer understanding of “Average transactions per operator”, allowing for optimised labour scheduling and reduced overtime

Inventory Transparency

The Fill Rate trend analysis identified a critical dip in performance from 97.3% down to 92.8% over twelve months, prompting a proactive restock of “ABC Class” items before peak season.

Executive Clarity

The stakeholders now use the Service Level Dashboard to see that while one warehouse is a top performer at 77.31% service level, another requires immediate intervention at 48.65%

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