Shortening decision time from 5 days to 2 in a Tarnów wholesaler
We introduced a system of quick morning reports. The owner sees the key 4 indicators at 8:15 AM and immediately makes purchasing decisions.
The Pol-Hurt wholesaler from Tarnów was facing decision paralysis. The owner spent too much time analyzing tables, which delayed key purchases from manufacturers. Our task was to simplify the flow of information so that a decision could be made in a few minutes.
The challenge
The company employs 14 people and operates on margins of 7-12%. The owner, Artur Pękala, spent an average of 14.5 hours a week just analyzing inventory in Excel. During this time, goods from suppliers often disappeared or became more expensive.
Competition from neighboring provinces reacted faster, taking over local recipients. An additional problem was the freezing of nearly 138,000 PLN in goods that barely rotated but took up space on the shelves. There was no clear signal: what to buy today to earn tomorrow.
Our approach
Resources on the table. We sent a 3-person team to Tarnów for a site visit. For 4 days, we watched how data flowed from the warehouse to the office. We rejected 18 irrelevant indicators that only cluttered the reports.
We focused on so-called scanning of the competitor's terrain and internal efficiency. Scanning showed that Pol-Hurt lost the most on a lack of 'basic necessity' goods that customers bought as a byproduct. Report in 11 days – that's how long it took us to develop a new data structure without buying expensive software.
The solution
We designed a data mobilization system based on the existing warehouse system but with a new output interface. Now at 8:05 AM, the system sends the owner one short sheet.
Numbers don't lie: the report contains only 4 parameters: critical shortages, goods standing over 28 days, price changes at 3 main suppliers, and yesterday's realized margin. Straight talk, no fluff. At 8:15 AM, the owner knows exactly which transfers to approve and which orders to send to manufacturers.
Results
Implementation of the system allowed for regaining control over financial liquidity. Artur Pękala recovered nearly 9 hours in each work week previously wasted on manual table recalculations.
Timeline
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August 2024Audit of decision-making processes and analysis of bottlenecks in the office.
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September 2024Selection of the key 4 indicators and data automation tests.
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October 2024Implementation of the morning reporting system and user training.
"At first, I thought I needed a new program for 40 thousand. Growth Headquarters showed me that the problem was an excess of data, not a lack of it. Now I make decisions over my first cup of coffee."