Matt Crist, a seasoned professional in forecasting and inventory management, shared his Intuendi experience in a recent interview. He reflected upon the daily operations of his company, Wells Lamont, before and after the implementation and integration of Intuendi technology. The conversation, furthermore, delved into the transformative effects of this integration on forecasting, inventory analytics, order management, and overall planning quality.
Opting for Innovation
Established in 1907 by William O. Wells in Aberdeen, South Dakota, Wells Lamont boasts a long-standing reputation as a premier glove company. This company prides itself on a legacy and reputation of providing durable and innovative solutions for a myriad of industries. In its bid to maintain unwavering excellence and high-performance products, Matt realized the need to invest in the latest technology. In keeping with his company’s innovative vision, he knew that Wells Lamont would be sure to benefit from what Intuendi AI had to offer and that adopting this technology would produce an incomparable experience.
Decreasing Time and Increasing Efficiency
Matt estimated that his company, Wells Lamont, spent approximately 15 hours per week on manual forecasting, prior to the introduction of Intuendi. Realizing that, besides being cumbersome, this approach produced limited analytical insight, he began his search for a more streamlined solution and Intuendi proved to be the answer he was looking for. Not only was the planning team soon able to reduce its weekly commitment to forecasting to approximately 10 hours, but the company could also boast of the added value of more efficient and insightful forecasting.
Refining Stock Control
Matt identified that one of the major shortcomings of their manual approach to inventory analytics was in the area of stockout and overstock risk analysis. He explained, “It varied between 5 to 20 hours per week as we lacked a tool for assistance, making it challenging to establish a consistent process.”
“Our manual inventory analytics process takes between 5 to 20 hours per week as we lacked a tool for assistance, making it challenging to establish a consistent process.”
Matt Crist, Demand Planning Manager
Wells Lamont was able to bring about a remarkable change in this unpredictable landscape, reducing and standardizing the hours spent on inventory analytics to approximately 5.75 hours. Furthermore, their innovative move and use of the Intuendi platform provided the added benefit of enhanced analytics and valuable insights, refining the company’s approach to managing stock levels. Matt had identified the spotting of potential stock shortages as one of the most demanding tasks in Wells Lamont’s daily operations. Their smart alliance with Intuendi proactively addressed this challenge, providing tools and insights to identify and mitigate stock shortages effectively.
Order Management
Yet another area that Matt identified as requiring urgent improvement was the significant amount of time spent on order management. Once again, manual input proved to be time-consuming. By introducing an automated program, order management was soon more efficient, and the time spent on it was significantly reduced from 4 -10 hours per week to a mere 1-3 hours per week. Matt attributes this phenomenal improvement to the introduction of a more established process brought to fruition by their collaboration with Intuendi.
Improved Team Dynamic and Headcount
Arguably, the most significant transformation for Wells Lamont was the enhancement of the team dynamics. Through his forward-thinking approach and the integration of Intuendi, Matt successfully expanded the planning team, increasing its size from three to four members. This addition underscores the escalating demand for advanced analytics and signals a proactive response to meet evolving business needs.
Time Forecasting h/week
Time on Inventory Analytics h/week
Time on Order Management h/week
Improved Planning Quality
In his feedback, Matt revealed that the overall planning quality at Wells Lamont has improved unequivocally with the introduction of Intuendi. He also praised the implementation of metrics to enhance overall insights. “Absolutely, the overall planning quality has improved significantly, both in terms of process efficiency and time savings. Additionally, we’ve implemented metrics to enhance our insights.” He explained that, while the number of tasks within Wells Lamont remained relatively similar, the integration of Intuendi allowed for a transformation in task efficiency and time effectiveness. The emphasis shifted towards data-driven decision-making, allowing for more informed strategic planning.
“Absolutely, the overall planning quality has improved significantly, both in terms of process efficiency and time savings. Additionally, we’ve implemented metrics to enhance our insights.”
Matt Crist, Demand Planning Manager
Wells Lamont and Intuendi – Providing the Competitive Edge
In conclusion, Wells Lamont’s forward-thinking approach to innovation and Matt Crist’s decision to incorporate Intuendi, has undeniably had a profoundly positive impact on daily operations. The platform’s capabilities in forecasting, inventory analytics, and order management, along with a highly collaborative engagement with Matt and his team, have led to increased efficiency, reduced time commitments, and a heightened focus on data-driven decision-making. Wells Lamont, in collaboration with Intuendi, has by way of enhanced planning processes, ensured the maintenance of a competitive edge in today’s dynamic markets.
| Before | Now | Improvement | |
| Time Forecasting h/week | 15h | 10h | 33% |
| Time on Inventory Analytics h/week | 22.5h | 5.75h | 75% |
| Time on Order Management h/week | 7h | 2h | 71% |
