Case Study: Oland Group — S&OP Implementation: Cash Cycle -12 Days

Client Profile

Secteur: Boissons & Agroalimentaire (diversified portfolio) Taille: 15 planners + operations Localisation: Maroc Subsidiaries: ABC Coca-Cola, Ebertec, Les Celliers de Meknès, SNV (Agro) Problem: Demand/Supply désalignés → excessive stock + ruptures

Baseline Problem

Situation

Sales demand forecast ≠ Supply planning
Planners worked independently
Stock levels: 35% safety buffer (vs 18% target)
Ruptures: 8% (customer service impact)
Cash conversion cycle: 52 days (vs 40j target)
Forecast accuracy: 78% (vs 85%+ needed)

Root Cause

No S&OP (Sales & Operations Planning) process
Demand planning not shared with Supply
Supply planning had no visibility to demand
No monthly steering / governance

Intervention (8 weeks)

Week 1-2: Process Design

S&OP framework design (monthly cadence)
Define meetings: Demand review, supply review, integrated planning
Decision rules, escalation process

Week 3: Training

2-day training: All participants (Sales, Operations, Finance)
Demand planning methodology
S&OP mechanics

Week 4-8: Implementation + Coaching

Month 1: First S&OP cycle (learning)
Week 4-8: Refinement + coaching
Process stabilisation

Results (Post 4 months)

Demand & Supply Alignment

Forecast accuracy: 78% → 89% (+11 pts)
Demand/Supply alignment: 0% → 95%
S&OP adoption: 0% → 100% (monthly meetings consistent)
Forecast variability: High → Stable

Inventory & Cash

Metric	Baseline	Post	Gain
Safety stock level	35%	18%	-48%
Stock days	42	35	-7 days
Inventory value	6.5 MMAD	5.2 MMAD	-1.3 MMAD
Cash conversion cycle	52 days	40 days	-12 days

Financial Impact

Cash freed (inventory optimization): 1.3 MMAD
Rupture reduction (8% → 2%): +800K savings/an
Process efficiency: +400K/an
Total Year 1: 2.6 MMAD
Consulting cost: 200K MAD
ROI: 13x | Payback: ~3 weeks

Service Metrics

On-time delivery: 92% → 97%
Rupture rate: 8% → 2%
Customer satisfaction: +15% NPS points

Timeline

Phase	Duration	Cost	Impact
Design	2 weeks	30K	Process clarity
Training	1 week	25K	Team readiness
Pilot (1 cycle)	1 week	20K	Learning
Implementation	4 weeks	125K	Full adoption
Total	8 weeks	200K	2.6 MMAD benefit/an

Key Success Factors

Cross-functional Participation: Sales + Operations + Finance at same table
Executive Sponsor: CFO & COO visibly committed
Disciplined Process: Monthly meeting = non-negotiable
Data Quality: Demand forecast must be accurate baseline
Feedback Loop: Monthly review + adjustment (continuous improvement)

Client Testimony

"Before: Sales promised what they wanted, Supply made what they could. Lots of stock, frequent ruptures. S&OP brought alignment. Now everyone's accountable. Cash freed (1.3 MMAD!), stock balanced, customers happy. Best process investment."

— CFO, Oland Group

Lesson: Process > Technology

Software WMS = nice-to-have
S&OP process = must-have
Process discipline = 90% of success

One of highest-ROI consulting initiatives possible.

Nextinotech — S&OP & Integrated Planning Expertise