Dutch fruit and vegetable wholesaler leverages forecasting & replenishment, promotions forecasting and integrated supply chain solutions from RELEX to improve seasonal forecast accuracy.
Smeding, the Dutch fruit and vegetable wholesaler, has successfully improved its forecast accuracy by 4.5% with machine learning forecast model by RELEX Solutions, a leading provider of unified supply chain and retail planning solutions. Smeding began working with RELEX in 2018 for forecasting & replenishment, promotion forecasting, and Integrated supply chain planning capabilities, achieving already high forecasting accuracy close to 90%. In 2023, Smeding upgraded to include machine learning-based forecasting to improve its forecast accuracy, particularly in the seasonality and events.
- Smeding grappled with forecast accuracy issues concerning seasonality and event-based factors and needed more accurate forecasts taking into account these dynamic, ever-changing factors, which is where machine learning-based algorithms become significant.
Since this deployment in March 2023, Smeding has realized significant achievements. The year-over-year improvements provided a 4.5% improvement in weekly forecast accuracy across all products.
“We’ve been using RELEX since 2018, and their continuous commitment to their customers and their products made it the obvious choice to expand our work together. Using machine learning-based forecasting from RELEX has helped us achieve the KPIs we set ourselves and we’ve seen a big increase in our service levels.” Said Wim Berends, Finance and Operations Director at Smeding.
“As a wholesaler, Smeding is challenged with navigating the ever-changing landscape of demand and supply. Precise forecasting becomes the compass guiding them towards enhanced customer satisfaction, streamlined operations, and sustained profitability. At RELEX, we recognize that forecasting accuracy is not just a metric; it’s the foundation upon which our customers can build a more agile and resilient future,” said Tuomo Pesonen, Chief operating officer, Customer operations at RELEX Solutions. “We are honored to remain the chosen partner for Smeding for their supply chain planning needs.”