-30%
Inventory cost reduction
Supply Chain Transformation Boosted by Adoption and Digitalization
A leading global cruise operator faced critical supply chain fragmentation across four countries continents following the pandemic. Together, we redesigned end-to-end planning and inventory management processes and implemented supporting digital solutions across the operator’s food and beverage, hotel and retail operations. This transformation unified stakeholders internationally while delivering measurable operational improvements.
Transportation, Logistics and Services
Cost and Value Engineering
Operations Strategy and Transformation
People and Organization
Supply Chain
Our Client
A leading global cruise operator, ranked among the world’s top four in passenger capacity. The company manages a fleet of over 20 ships, sailing to more than 100 countries and serving millions of guests annually. Headquartered in Europe, the organization encompasses operations across multiple continents, including offices in West and Northern Europe, and North America.
“EFESO has been a great support throughout the design and implementation phases, taking a very hands-on approach
“
The Challenge
Following the COVID-19 pandemic the cruise operator recognized an urgent need to rebuild internal capabilities while controlling costs–amid rising inflation and a fragmented market landscape.
- Organizational fragmentation: Procurement and supply for retail, food and beverage and hotel operations departments operated from different countries, UK, Italy, Central Europe, and the US. This created complexity and limited the adoption of standard processes
- System implementation barriers: The implementation of the group’s new transactional system faced resistance–driven by a post-pandemic skills drain, operational silos and persistent manual habits, along with an order management system that offered limited forecasting capabilities and was indeed in a switching phase to a new one
- Inventory crisis: In early 2023, food and beverage in-transit inventory reached high levels of over-exposure. Misalignment with demand, long lead times and significant waste in perishable goods were having a substantial impact on working capital and profitability
Real Results Achieved Together
The transformation delivered comprehensive supply chain optimization across all operational areas. Working alongside teams globally we achieved significant inventory reduction while enhancing operational efficiency through integrated digital solutions.
€11M
Working capital released
-20%
Out-of-stock reduction
Transformation Impact
- Replaced manual tasks with data-driven, automated forecasting and ordering processes across food, beverage, hotel and retail supply chains (integrated to the company Transactional System)
- Aligned key stakeholders across four countries on new workflows with clear process documentation and governance
- Enhanced visibility and accuracy led to improved supplier negotiations and lower logistics costs
Our Approach
The transformation was delivered through a phased, hands-on methodology tailored to the client’s unique operational landscape. We began with comprehensive end-to-end diagnostics covering all key supply chain areas through deep-dive process mapping, on-site and virtual interviews across international offices and data analytics.
Cross-functional working groups co-developed the E2E Target Operating Model, introducing standardized automated demand forecasting, rolling order cycles for replenishment and clearly defined roles between shipboard staff and central procurement.
Custom digital solutions were seamlessly integrated with both old and new transactional platforms, automating master data cleansing, forecast processes with S&OP approach and demand planning–while providing real-time visibility of stock levels.
Implementation prioritized business-critical lines first, then scaled across all product groups and geographies through train-the-trainer programs and embedded change champions within each department.
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Facing Similar Supply Chain Challenges?
- Struggling with fragmented operations across multiple locations and systems
- Seeking to transform manual processes into automated, data-driven operations
- Ready to achieve real inventory reductions while improving service levels
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