Case Study: Thule achieves faster, more accurate forecasting and 20% higher service levels with Demand Solutions

Thule Never Missesa Vacation – Forecasting Keeps Its Travel Accessories In Stock

Thule’s U.S. division was struggling with an increasingly unwieldy Excel-based forecasting process for roughly 2,000 SKUs, producing inaccurate forecasts and consuming weeks of manual effort as the business grew and added acquisitions. Seeking better statistical rigor, visual analytics, and manage-by-exception capabilities for its high‑mix, low‑volume travel-accessory portfolio, Thule chose Demand Solutions and its Forecast Management product, attracted by the product’s visual model and 26 algorithm best‑fit engine.

After implementing Demand Solutions Forecast Management in March 2011, Demand Solutions provided automated statistical processes, Forecast Management Curves and Supersession features, and a rolling 12‑month forecast that let teams manage by exception. The change cut monthly forecast creation from two weeks to 1.5 days, allowed Thule to add 500 SKUs without falling behind, move production planning up to November, and deliver measurable gains—including a 20% service‑level increase, a 15% rise in in‑season forecast accuracy, and ongoing 2–3% monthly improvements—while reducing stock‑outs and improving safety‑stock decisions.

Thule

Patrick Monahan

Vice President of Operations