Case studies Archive - valueXstream

From decentralized planning to an integrated supply chain at Afix Group

Strong international growth brought new challenges for Afix Group. Active in the rental and sale of scaffolding equipment across more than 20 countries, the company had operated for years with a highly decentralized supply chain model.

Forecasting was managed locally in Excel, inventory management was largely reactive, and production planning lacked sufficient coordination across countries and business entities.

What had once worked well within a typical SME structure increasingly struggled to support the complexity of an international organization.

No single source of truth for demand and supply

Local sales entities made largely autonomous decisions regarding ordering and inventory build-up. Little consideration was given to available production capacity, open orders or stock in other countries.

Forecasting followed no standardized approach. Each country worked in its own way, without shared forecasting logic or central coordination.

For production sites, it became increasingly difficult to determine the right priorities. Open orders continued to accumulate, and the supply chain became increasingly reactive rather than proactive.

A single integrated planning approach

Together with valueXstream, Afix fundamentally redesigned its supply chain operations.

The focus was not on implementing new software, but on establishing a single integrated planning process within the existing SAP Business One environment.

Inventory management and planning were centralized within a single global supply chain structure, with clear responsibilities and a single source of truth for demand, inventory and capacity.

In addition, a rolling forecast process was introduced for each country. Forecasts were built using historical data, market insights and sales input, and were aligned monthly across sales, supply chain and production.

Production and shipping were synchronized through a central master production schedule. Local orders were grouped together, allowing the organization to respond more flexibly to fluctuations in demand.

Greater control, less waste

The new approach brought greater predictability across the entire supply chain.

By consolidating demand globally, safety stock levels could be calculated more accurately, significantly reducing excess central inventory. At the same time, service levels improved through more stable production planning and shorter lead times.

The transformation also required organizational changes. Forecasting and planning became embedded within the organization, supported by KPIs and clear service-level agreements between countries and customers.

In addition, SAP Business One was reconfigured to support the new planning logic, eliminating the need for an additional planning tool.

A scalable foundation for continued growth

What began as a planning challenge ultimately evolved into a fully integrated supply chain transformation.

Today, Afix Group benefits from greater inventory control, improved alignment between demand and production, and a scalable foundation for further international expansion — achieved not through additional planning software, but through smart process design within SAP.

From assumptions to data-driven control at CLOVA

Clova processes large volumes of linen and workwear for healthcare institutions on a daily basis. An operation where timing and reliability are crucial.

Yet one essential element was missing: visibility.

Inventory positions were unclear, KPIs provided little guidance and planning was largely based on assumptions. What worked on paper often did not match reality in practice.

The question quickly became unavoidable: how do you manage a complex operation if you are not confident in your own data?

Without insight, no control over the chain

The analysis quickly showed that the problem was not local. What initially appeared to be isolated inefficiencies turned out to be the result of a chain that was nowhere fully visible.

Customer inventories were not transparent, making it difficult to correctly estimate demand.
Production capacity was assumed rather than measured, leading to incorrect assumptions.

This combination made it impossible to truly steer planning. What remained was a way of working that was largely reactive.

“We thought we knew, until we actually started measuring.”

The first step, therefore, was not optimisation, but insight.

Together with valueXstream, the entire chain was analysed, from customer to laundry and transport. Not to implement quick fixes, but to first understand what was really happening.

Production flows were mapped, bottlenecks made visible and OEE structurally measured. At the same time, consumption and variability in inventories were analysed, and transport was examined down to the level of cost per kilometre and per stop.

What was previously fragmented across systems and experience became one coherent view.

From implicit knowledge to a working system

That insight formed the foundation to fundamentally rethink the way of working.

Planning was aligned with real demand and actual capacity. Inventory management became more structured, bringing overstock and shortages under better control. Transport was driven by data instead of habit.

Equally important: the way of working was made explicit.

Processes were documented in clear SOPs. Roles and responsibilities were more clearly defined. KPIs became visible, not only for management but also on the shop floor.

The operation became less dependent on individuals and more on a shared system.

The real change: predictability

Where previously the focus was mainly on reacting, control was now established.

By putting data and structure at the centre, the supply chain became predictable. Alignment with customers improved, internal communication became clearer and decisions were better supported.

Results felt across the entire operation

This change quickly translated into concrete impact:

OEE increased by 10%, bottlenecks improved by 21%
transport costs decreased by 23%
delivery reliability and SLAs improved significantly
no additional investments in inventory were required
absenteeism decreased from 20% to 7%

Not a single optimisation, but a structural improvement across the entire chain.

From complex tank planning to data-driven efficiency at Barry Callebaut

About Barry Callebaut

The Barry Callebaut Group produces high-quality chocolate and cocoa products and is the global market leader in its sector. The company operates in 138 countries and employs more than 13,000 people, with 66 production facilities and 26 Chocolate Academies.

The factory in Wieze, Belgium, is the largest chocolate factory in the world. Every day, the site produces around 1,000 tonnes of liquid chocolate, representing a value of over four million euros per day. From this facility, Barry Callebaut supplies international brands such as Mondelez, Nestlé, Hershey, Unilever and Tony’s Chocolonely.

The challenge

In 2022, Barry Callebaut was confronted with a salmonella contamination in a batch of lecithin from a supplier. As lecithin is used in all chocolate recipes, the company decided, as a precaution, to temporarily shut down the factory in Wieze.

After the restart, quality procedures were significantly tightened. Each delivery of liquid chocolate had to undergo a testing procedure before being sent to customers. The testing time is approximately 24 hours.

For deliveries to more distant markets, this is not an issue. Transport times there often take several days.

For customers in the Benelux, where transport times are often only a few hours, this created a complex planning challenge.

Chocolate therefore had to be temporarily stored while awaiting test results.

Storage in tanks was limited by available capacity. Letting trucks wait on-site was an expensive alternative. During peak periods, up to 60 trailers would be parked in a waiting zone, representing a cost of up to €60,000 per day.

“We could not justify these costs to the senior leadership team. We needed to find a way to structurally solve this challenge while at the same time reducing costs.”

Sumit Gupta, Supply Chain Planning Manager, Barry Callebaut

The solution

Barry Callebaut worked together with supply chain architects from valueXstream to develop a data-driven solution.

The goal was to optimally combine tank capacity and transport flows during the waiting time for test results.

Based on operational data, valueXstream designed a blueprint for the most cost-efficient way to temporarily store chocolate in tanks or trucks.

By combining partial loads and making smarter use of tank capacity, waiting costs could be significantly reduced.

ValueXstream then developed a planning tool that automates the process.

The tool provides operators with clear instructions on:

where chocolate should be temporarily stored
when it can be released for transport
how transports can be optimally combined

This way, all teams work with one central plan for tank capacity and deliveries.

Changes at customer level are also immediately processed, so operators always work with the most up-to-date information.

“Operators now work with the most up-to-date information. This makes the tool reliable and very user-friendly.”
Sumit Gupta

Fast implementation

In this project, valueXstream applied a pragmatic and flexible approach. The solution was developed based on existing operational data and in close collaboration with the teams in Wieze.

Within three months, the planning tool was fully implemented.

As a result, Barry Callebaut was able to quickly respond to stricter quality procedures without disrupting daily production and deliveries.

The result

By optimising tank capacity and transport planning, Barry Callebaut was able to drastically reduce waiting costs.

The costs related to waiting for test results decreased by more than 60 percent.

In addition, the planning tool brought more structure and transparency to daily operations.

Operators no longer need to make complex decisions based solely on their experience. Instead, they follow a clear process based on data and optimisation.

Collaboration between different teams also became easier, as everyone works with the same planning.

“We now have full visibility of the planning of our tank capacity. Our employees know exactly what they need to do and when.”
Sumit Gupta

Key benefits

Optimised planning of tank capacity
The planning tool provides clear guidelines for the storage and release of liquid chocolate.

Factory processes aligned with business objectives
Waiting time for quality control is efficiently integrated into operational planning.

Cost savings of more than 60 percent
Through optimisation and automation of the planning process, waiting costs are drastically reduced.

Fewer human errors
The tool automates complex planning decisions and increases the reliability of the process.

From Intuition to Data-Driven Craftsmanship at Bio Bakkerij De Trog

Bio Bakkerij De Trog proves that craftsmanship and scalability do not have to be opposites. By translating traditional baking expertise into structured processes and reinforcing it with data-driven insights, the company successfully expanded into international markets without compromising on quality, taste, or its authentic identity.

The challenge: scaling up without compromising quality and expertise

Bio Bakkerij De Trog combines organic baking rooted in traditional methods with a fast-growing export business. As demand increased, so did operational complexity. Much of the essential know-how lived in the experience of seasoned bakers. Recipes, production flows, capacity planning, and seasonal variations were largely managed through implicit knowledge.

That approach worked well while the organisation remained relatively compact. As the team expanded, food safety requirements became more stringent and production volumes increased, it became clear that experience and intuition alone were no longer sufficient. In an organic bakery, consistency is non-negotiable. There is simply no room for approximation.

“Running a business on intuition and experience is powerful, but not always efficient. ‘Close enough’ simply is not good enough.”
Hendrik Durnez, zaakvoerder en meesterbakker

The core question became increasingly clear: how do you scale an artisanal production process without compromising quality?

The approach: structure first, then systems

When transitioning to a new version of Navision in 2016, De Trog made a deliberate choice. Through their implementation partner, they were introduced to valueXstream. Their starting point was clear: digitalisation only delivers impact when the organisation and its processes are clearly defined.

Together, we mapped the company’s foundations in detail. Product categories, volumes, cost structures, lead times and capacities were made explicit. These building blocks created the basis for measurement, steering and targeted improvement.

The approach was pragmatic and closely aligned with shop floor reality. Investments were not driven by a pursuit of perfection, but carefully evaluated based on their tangible added value.

Embedding quality through the Green Label

Within the existing ERP system, valueXstream introduced the Green Label. For each product carrying this label, clear instructions were defined for every production step. These standards were developed and supported by the people on the shop floor themselves.

The result was consistent quality, reduced dependency on individual expertise and faster onboarding of new and temporary employees. Feedback from production was actively used to further refine both processes and products.

One concrete outcome was the extension of the shelf life of vacuum-packed sandwiches from 45 to 60 days. This improvement opened the door to new export markets.

Data-driven planning and cost management

Digitalisation at De Trog was primarily introduced to strengthen operational control. A clear example is the hourly labour cost indicator, which gives planners insight into the impact of decisions regarding shift schedules, temporary workers and overtime.

That level of transparency helped reduce the average hourly labour cost from 108 to 103. This had a noticeable impact on total labour costs, while preserving operational flexibility. Customers can still place orders until 1 p.m. for next-day delivery.

Analytical accounting also plays a crucial role. It enables the team to quickly detect deviations and make well-founded decisions based on reliable data.

Learning, engaging and continuously improving

The digital transformation did not go unnoticed. Bio Bakkerij De Trog was awarded Factory of the Future twice and received the Datanews Award for the most innovative digital project.

Training played a crucial role in that journey. In collaboration with valueXstream, the company invested in innovative learning solutions, beginning with gamified learning formats and later introducing mobile microlearning.
This made knowledge sharing accessible, measurable and engaging, including for non-native speakers and temporary employees.

This approach led to concrete improvements that helped employees adapt to change more quickly and effectively. In this case, we show how De Trog leverages a learning app to train employees in an intuitive and engaging way.

Result: scaling up while protecting product excellence

Today, Bio Bakkerij De Trog produces six to seven times more baguettes than in the past. This increase in output was achieved with the same number of employees and without compromising quality, taste or texture.

Automation supports repetitive and physically demanding tasks. The real added value still lies with the people.

“Customers are willing to pay for added value. The key is knowing where automation adds value, without compromising quality.”
Hendrik Durnez

The combination of deep expertise, structured processes and data-driven management positions Bio Bakkerij De Trog for continued growth, with sustained respect for quality, its people and the environment.

From logistical complexity to scalable growth at Flamingo

Flamingo has been an international supplier of pet products for nearly 50 years. With more than 10,000 accessories and snacks, customers in over 60 countries, and 24-hour delivery across the Benelux, France, and Germany, the company maintains consistently high service standards. In recent years, Flamingo has experienced strong growth, both organically and through acquisitions, significantly increasing logistics and supply-chain complexity.

The challenge: growing without losing control

Since 2017, Flamingo has tripled its workforce and grown revenues to nearly €60 million, with the ambition to reach €100 million. With 70-80% sourcing in Southeast Asia, long lead times, more than 10,000 SKUs and a continuous influx of new products, the organically developed supply chain came under increasing pressure. At the same time, maintaining a service level of at least 95% remained a non-negotiable requirement.

“To meet our growth ambitions without sacrificing service, we needed a much stronger logistics and supply-chain base.”

Guy Toremans, CEO Flamingo

From optimization to fundamental redesign

Flamingo recognised that incremental improvements alone would not be sufficient. To enable further growth without sacrificing service and control, a fundamental redesign of the logistics and supply-chain architecture was required.

Together with valueXstream, a strategic blueprint was developed for a scalable supply chain. The blueprint formed the foundation for concrete decisions on a purpose-built warehouse environment, more efficient order-picking methods, optimised logistics flows, and new ways of working that structurally enable scalability.

Design for logistics: efficiency and sustainability

Sustainability was integrated into the logistics design from the beginning. By better aligning product and packaging dimensions with pallet and transport logic, Flamingo reduced transport movements, costs and carbon footprint. As a result, sustainability became an integral part of operational efficiency rather than a standalone initiative.

“For us, sustainability is not a separate project, but a logical consequence of well thought-out logistics.“
Guy Toremans, CEO Flamingo

Results: control, reliability and scalability

Today, despite the exceptional complexity of its assortment and international sourcing, Flamingo achieves consistent delivery reliability above 95%, with peaks of up to 98%. Improved forecasting and inventory planning provide more control over seasonal fluctuations and product introductions. The new logistics setup is also designed to smoothly support additional employees, volumes and future acquisitions.

“While many players today struggle to reach 90%, we consistently perform above 95%, and even reach 98%.“
Guy Toremans, CEO Flamingo

Looking ahead

With the recent acquisition of a Chinese company, Flamingo can now source directly from specialized factories without an export license. This move lowers costs, reduces reliance on brokering and further strengthens supply chain control. Thanks to its solid logistical base, Flamingo can begin its next phase of growth with confidence.

Trog app: merging training with playing

Bakery De Trog wanted to keep the knowledge level of all their staff as high as possible, so that they could also take on new employees on a temporary basis in an efficient manner. To this end, the company started using an interactive and adaptive app: BattleBakery. The valueXstream solution teaches De Trog’s processes, policies, and rules in a fun and competitive way.

Organic bakery De Trog from Ypres has been baking traditional bread with organic ingredients for more than 40 years, using both B2C and B2B brands. The range includes fresh, prepackaged, or frozen breads and pastries. De Trog supplies products to various shops and, for example, fills more than half of the bread racks of the Bio-Planet retail chain. In recent years, the company opened the first CO2 neutral bakery in Belgium and sent thousands of loaves of bread to Ukraine to support people living in the war zone.

Well-trained (temporary) employees

To be able to run seven days a week, the bakery supplements the permanent team with flexi roles. But how can you train temporary staff quickly and efficiently and onboard them effectively? For a food company like De Trog, hygiene and food safety are key, as is quality. The challenge is to guarantee that quality in a multilingual environment with ever-changing temporary staff. At the same time, the permanent staff need to regularly refresh their knowledge in an interesting and engaging way. When De Trog changes its way of working, it must immediately integrate this into its training.

BakeryBattle: the app that makes learning fun

valueXstream mapped out a full cost-benefit analysis of the project. “We compare the potential sales increase against the costs, such as the costs of the warehouse, utilities, and picking costs. That forecast revealed that holding stock locally would increase sales by 25% within 10 years,” says Van Hoeck. “In the longer term, we are more flexible with regard to phasing in and phasing out the product range.”

Practical effect

valueXstream offered De Trog a solution in the form of an app: BakeryBattle. Innovation agency NewBird integrated all the necessary knowledge into the app, which encourages repeated use through play. The employees install the app on their smartphone or tablet or access it on their PC, and challenge each other to a battle. A BattleQuiz consists of several questions, with or without illustrations, and the players immediately see the correct answer after answering.

“People like to measure themselves against each other. We use that in the game,” says Marc Van Hoeck of valueXstream. “With BattleQuiz, employees can compete while also learning important information. The app has different levels of difficulty, from easy to advanced, so that staff can progress to a higher level. New employees play BakeryBattle as part of their onboarding. In addition, each employee plays BakeryBattle three times a year during three to four weeks to keep their knowledge completely up to date.”

A handy poll to see the level of knowledge

More than 100 employees, suppliers, and external technicians play BakeryBattle. De Trog sees several advantages to the app. New employees can be deployed in the short term because they learn a lot quickly. An evaluation is also attached to the game results, so management can closely monitor the knowledge level of each employee and provide specific additional training when necessary. The evaluation could even lead to the revocation of access to the factory or the withdrawal of a staff member from certain activities. But that doesn’t prevent the players from having fun with the app. They appreciate the game format and its user-friendliness. Finally, the game also creates a good atmosphere among staff.

Technical environment

The software is a web application that runs as an app on iOS and Android. The app is developed with Backbone, Angular, and Cordova.

Hands-on approach for digital transformation in manufacturing industry

Een bedrijf in de maakindustrie nam al verschillende consultants onder de arm om zijn digitale transformatie te stroomlijnen. Het ontbrak die partijen echter telkens aan een hands-on benadering en het aanreiken van concrete oplossingen. ValueXstream zorgde voor een kentering dankzij een strategische aanpak. Die leidde tot effectieve acties en een optimale afstemming van digitale oplossingen en werkstromen.

Groei brengt uitdagingen met zich mee

Elke onderneming stoot binnen zijn groeiproject op nieuwe uitdagingen en hindernissen. Dat bleek ook bij dit bedrijf het geval. De producent was geëvolueerd tot een wereldwijde organisatie, met verschillende divisies en vestigingen. “Dat bracht een spanningsveld met zich mee tussen een gestandaardiseerde benadering, gedreven door de centrale diensten en een grotere autonomie voor de divisies”, schetst Philip Van Gasse van valueXstream.
Om zijn groei vorm te geven, rolde het bedrijf in de loop der jaren verschillende digitale initiatieven uit en zette het er verschillende op de planning: van een nieuwe CRM-pakket, over PIM en DAM, tot B2B-portals en CPQ.

“Dergelijke pakketten staan vaak in relatie met elkaar. De klant had evenwel te weinig inzicht in de onderlinge afhankelijkheden.”

Voor de aankoop van nieuwe digitale oplossingen tastte de producent vaak in het duister. “De lastenboeken misten hun doel of de vooropgestelde budgetten bleken te beperkt, waardoor de uiteindelijk gekozen softwareoplossing niet aan de bedrijfsnoden tegemoet kwam.”

Expertise geeft doorslag

Bewust van die groeipijnen klopte het bedrijf bij verschillende consultants aan. Hun dienstverlening resulteerde evenwel niet in de beoogde vooruitgang. “De producent was bijgevolg niet bereid om zomaar in zee gaan met de volgende dienstverlener die zijn weg kruiste. Pas nadat we de methodiek van valueXstream tijdens drie intakegesprekken zorgvuldig hadden uiteengezet, was de klant overtuigd dat het anders en beter kon”, aldus Philip Van Gasse.

De expertise op het vlak van digitale transformatie bleek doorslaggevend. “We tekenden samen de prioriteiten uit en verduidelijkten de onderlinge afhankelijkheden. Heldere lastenboeken en best practices bij de leveranciersselectie resulteerden in oplossingen die nu wel een echte toegevoegde waarde bieden. De implementatie van pilootprojecten bood meteen het nodige inzicht in de meerwaarde van die toepassingen. We onderscheidden daarbij noodzakelijke ingrepen van nice-to-haves, zodat we de juiste prioriteiten legden.”

Digitale roadmap en visualisatie

ValueXstream tekende samen met de klant een digitale roadmap uit. “We organiseerden daartoe meetings, workshops, inspiratiesessies en demo’s met leveranciers. Het resultaat is een helikopterkijk met bijhorende assumpties”, klinkt het.

He bedrijf ervoer dat die ondersteuning voor meer comfort en gemoedsrust zorgde. De aanpak van valueXstream liet toe om snellere beslissingen met een kortere time-to-market te nemen. “Al merkten we dat het bedrijf aanvankelijk door negatieve ervaringen uit het verleden niet meteen de nodige knopen durfde door te hakken”, geeft Philip Van Gasse aan. “We maakten alle initiatieven daarom aanschouwelijk en tastbaar, waardoor het voordeel van bepaalde ingrepen meteen duidelijk werd. Verandering vraagt uiteraard ook om goede ondersteuning. We voorzagen daarom de nodige begeleiding om de digitale transformatie bij het team te duiden en te verhelderen.”

15% more turnover thanks to optimization of the supply chain at importer of southern specialty foods

Until recently, an importer of southern specialty foods was faced with a serious challenge. They didn’t deliver from stock, so customers had to wait up to a week for their orders. The result? Customers ordered small volumes to ensure that their delivery was fresh. valueXstream put their supply chain through a thorough overhaul to achieve efficiency gains and increased turnover.

The premise

Belgian catering suppliers love southern specialty foods, from tapenades and hummus to pesto and oven-dried tomatoes. So the client’s low order volumes had nothing to do with a lack of demand from the market. “The problem was in the supply chain,” says Marc Van Hoeck of valueXstream. “Our client wasn’t holding stock in Belgium, so customers had to wait at least a week for their orders. To ensure fresh products and to prevent waste, they only placed small orders. This meant the company’s turnover stagnated.”

The solution

A logistics assessment was done to discover how the company could deliver faster, with the aim of boosting order volumes. “This exercise showed that setting up a warehouse would drastically shorten delivery times.” A survey of catering suppliers made it clear that this effort would lead to bigger orders.

Cost-benefit analysis

Practical effect

Based on valueXstream’s research, it turned out that the best solution was to outsource the warehouse management to a logistics partner. valueXstream prepared a request for quotation (RFQ) detailing all requirements in terms of packaging, software, labeling, traceability, and quality control. “We also chose the warehouse location. By documenting everything in detail, we were able to objectively compare the various logistics services providers,” continues Van Hoeck.

“Having their own warehouse and being able to purchase larger volumes meant the company could negotiate better terms from their suppliers. In addition, freight costs also decreased.”

Efficient inventory management and restocking of the local market

The valueXstream experts found major differences in rotation speed. They divided the inventory into three product groups (fast, medium, and slow) to create a more efficient restocking methodology. Each product group has its own order schedule. Fast products, for example, are done per week and per full pallet. For small quantities, the customer negotiated a discount when they order 14 days in advance.

SLA, labeling, and electronic order system

The customer bundles all agreements with its suppliers in a service level agreement (SLA). “To support the client, we created a methodology in Excel,” adds Van Hoeck. “It takes into account historical sales figures, delivery terms, and minimum order quantities.” valueXstream helped the company set up an in-house labeling system and implement an electronic ordering system. “Finally, we also made sure the catering suppliers knew about the faster delivery time,” concludes Van Hoeck.

The result

✔️ From 14 days delivery time to one day for Belgium and two days for the Netherlands. Thanks to the local stockholding and better terms with producers, the company can deliver to its customers much faster.

✔️ Because customers are receiving their orders faster, turnover has grown by 15%. Thanks to faster delivery, catering suppliers can order last-minute in good weather, which has led to a 15% increase in turnover.

✔️ A better overview of stock and order patterns has led to up to 30% less waste in the chain due to longer shelf life. By purchasing larger quantities more cheaply, driving full trucks, and reducing administration, logistics costs were reduced by almost 15%. This saving meant extra cost of stockholding turned out to be almost zero.