Cutting lead times and cost for a meat and poultry client.

THE CHALLENGE

A leading poultry manufacturer was stuck with a label supplier that simply couldn’t keep up.

Lead times had stretched to three weeks. Stock visibility was poor. Critical information sat in spreadsheets with no real-time view across multiple sites.

Even basic tasks were slow. A stock report could take up to a week to land. There was no clear view of ordering patterns or demand and planning was reactive and often off the mark.

When urgent demand hit, the system broke. What the business needed in a day was taking weeks, putting constant pressure on production, planning and inventory.

OUR SOLUTION

We didn’t tweak the process. We rebuilt it.

Crystal connected the entire operation, replacing manual work with live, real-time visibility of stock and demand across every site. Spreadsheets were removed, along with the delays and inefficiencies that came with them.

Our Power BI and AI integrations gave the customer clear insight into ordering patterns and demand trends, turning guesswork into informed decision making. Stock holding reduced from 20 weeks to 8 weeks, unlocking cash and reducing risk.

At the same time, we reset expectations on lead time. What was three weeks became 2-5 days. And when demand spikes, we don’t wait. We built in a fast-track process with guaranteed next day despatch.

This was backed by full structural and technical support across every factory, ensuring a controlled rollout across 80 SKUs, with artwork turned around in just 3 days.

The result wasn’t just operational improvement. It was a step change in performance, including a 28% reduction in cost.

THE OUTCOME

Lead times reduced from three weeks to as little as two to five days, with next day despatch available when required
Stock holding reduced from 20 weeks to 8 weeks, releasing cash flow and lowering stock liability

• Costs reduced by 28%
• 80 SKUs successfully transitioned, with artwork turned around in just 3 days
• Improved efficiency and consistency across all factory sites following a smooth implementation
• Full real-time visibility of stock, orders and demand through Crystal

The biggest shift was time.

Buyers are no longer chasing updates across multiple sites. With everything visible in real time through Crystal+, they’ve reclaimed up to 40% of their day. Less chasing. More control. Faster decisions.

WHAT THEY SAID

“We were stuck in slow, manual processes that couldn’t keep up with demand. Now everything is visible, responsive and easy to manage. It’s completely changed how we work day to day.”

When you remove friction and give teams real visibility, everything moves faster. It’s a shift that affects your entire operation. That’s the difference when your label supplier is built to respond, not react.