A consumer brand released 24% of its finished-goods stock
Probabilistic placement and festive-season sensing freed working capital while holding service steady through the peak.
The challenge
The brand ran on a flat days-of-cover policy across its distribution network. It held too much of the steady lines and still ran short on the volatile ones during festive peaks. Cash sat on shelves while the items customers actually wanted went out of stock at the worst possible moment.
What we did
We replaced the blanket rule with quantile safety stock tuned to each item's behaviour, and let multi-echelon placement decide where a buffer did the most good. Demand sensing layered in festive and weather signals so the peak was anticipated rather than absorbed. Reorder points moved with the forecast instead of staying frozen.
We were not short on stock. We were short on stock in the right place. That was the whole story.
The outcome
Finished-goods inventory fell by nearly a quarter, releasing more than two crore in working capital, while service actually improved through the festive season. The planning team spent less time firefighting shortages and more time on the few items that genuinely needed a human call.
Buffers followed uncertainty, not habit. Less cash on the shelf, better service where it counted.
Illustrative engagement based on typical outcomes.