Turning Inventory From a Cost Center Into a Growth Engine Through Inventory Optimization

Tl;dr: This case study shows how demand-driven inventory optimization can transform working capital efficiency into a scalable growth driver for B2B businesses, including inventory ROI improvement by 87% for this Intuendi client.

For fast-moving B2B businesses, inventory is both an asset and a risk. Aer-Wsale, a Croatian wholesaler and dropshipper of e-cigarettes and liquids, operates in a highly dynamic market where availability, speed, and efficiency directly impact revenue and customer trust.

As the business continued to scale, Aer-Wsale recognized a common challenge: capital increasingly tied up in slow-moving SKUs, while its best sellers were frequently at risk of running out. With a high SKU count and frequent demand spikes, the company also faced strict B2B fill-rate expectations. Every stockout meant missed revenue. Every slow mover meant cash sitting idle.

Aer-Wsale understood that sustaining growth would require tighter control over inventory performance without compromising service levels.

The Challenge

Despite strong sales momentum, Aer-Wsale sought a better balance between availability and efficiency. A significant share of capital was absorbed by low-rotation products, while high-velocity items regularly flirted with stockouts. This imbalance led to:

  • Poor cash efficiency
  • Lost sales opportunities on fast movers
  • Increasing strain on working capital

The core issue wasn’t volume. It was visibility.

The Strategic Shift with Intuendi’s Inventory Optimization

To support their growth, Aer-Wsale shifted their inventory strategy from accumulation to performance.

The team recognized the need for deeper SKU-level insight across demand velocity, margin contribution, and inventory turnover. To implement this shift, Aer-Wsale came to us at Intuendi to support a more data-driven, forward-looking approach to inventory management.

In collaboration with the Intuendi team, Aer-Wsale was able to:

  • Identify slow movers absorbing disproportionate capital
  • Reallocate inventory toward high-rotation, high-profit SKUs
  • Continuously rebalance purchasing based on forecasted demand velocity

What had once been reactive decision-making evolved into a structured, near real-time process aligned with the company’s growth.

The Results

The impact of this strategic shift was immediate and measurable:

  • Inventory ROI improved 87%
  • Capital was redeployed from slow movers to true revenue drivers
  • Cash efficiency strengthened without limiting growth or service levels

Aer-Wsale unlocked trapped cash while protecting availability where it mattered most.

From Inventory Constraint to Competitive Advantage

As Aer-Wsale streamlined its inventory and freed up capital previously locked in slow-moving SKUs, Intuendi supported the team in redirecting resources toward high-performing products. The result was a leaner, more responsive inventory operation that turned stock into a competitive advantage rather than a constraint.

Written by
 Jacqueline Tanzella

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