Case Study: Leading European Speciality Retailer achieves reduced inventory costs and minimized stock‑outs with HCL

HCL Reduces Supplier Order Fluctuations For A Leading European Speciality Retailer

HCL worked with a leading European speciality retailer — a large global furniture retailer with more than 400 stores — that needed to keep sufficient stock to maintain service levels while minimizing inventory carrying costs. The customer faced volatile safety stock levels driven by seasonal demand and supplier lead-time variability, and engaged HCL for Enterprise Resource Planning and supply‑chain analytics to stabilize safety stock and improve supplier order planning.

HCL implemented a detailed analysis of lead‑time deviations, historical sales and supplier-plan data, SKU‑segmented safety‑stock calculations, and a standard 3‑sigma cap on MSE, plus a revised lead‑time deviation formula. As a result, HCL’s solution reduced safety‑stock fluctuations, minimized out‑of‑stock and over‑stock situations, lowered inventory carrying cost exposure, and produced more accurate supplier order plans and forecasts.