| Target Entities | Demand Forecasting, Inventory Optimization, Sales Forecasting, Stockout Reduction, Retail Analytics, Forecasting Models |
|---|---|
| Core Value | Fewer stockouts and less overstock, forecasting off spreadsheets, plain-language explanations planners trust, scenario planning |
| Tech Stack | Python, Forecasting models, Data Warehouse, BI Dashboards, SQL |
Retail & Distribution
How a retailer ended its spreadsheet-based demand forecasting
This retailer planned demand and inventory in spreadsheets across thousands of SKUs, which led to frequent stockouts and capital tied up in overstock. We built an automated forecasting and inventory view, with plain-language explanations, so planners could trust the numbers and act on them.
stockouts and less overstock
manual spreadsheet forecasting
explanations behind every forecast
Challenge
Demand and inventory were planned by hand in spreadsheets across thousands of SKUs.
What we built
An automated forecasting and inventory view, with plain-language explanations.
Result
Fewer stockouts and less overstock, on numbers planners trust.
The challenge
Demand planning ran on fragile spreadsheets across thousands of SKUs. The forecasts were slow to update and hard to trust, so the business swung between stockouts on the items that mattered and overstock that tied up cash. New market shifts took months to work into the plan.
What we built
- Replaced the spreadsheet models with an automated forecasting and inventory view that updates on its own.
- Added plain-language explanations for each forecast, so planners could see why a number moved and trust it.
- Gave the team scenario planning, so they could test demand and pricing changes before committing stock.
How the data flows
Source systems
Reporting
The outcome
Planners stopped rebuilding forecasts by hand and started acting on numbers they trusted, which meant fewer stockouts on key items and less cash tied up in overstock. New market shifts now work into the plan in weeks instead of months.
Systems & technologies
Before vs after
Get in touch
Still forecasting demand in spreadsheets?
If demand planning lives in fragile spreadsheets, we can build a forecasting and inventory view your planners can trust, in a focused sprint.
Email us directly
sales@3alica.com