Case Study
UST’s supply chain transformation provides visibility and advanced analytics, reducing delays and improving forecasting accuracy
OUR CLIENT
As a leading retailer in Western Europe specializing in women's apparel and accessories, this company has built a strong reputation for offering diverse collections aligned with contemporary fashion trends. Known for its commitment to quality and market responsiveness, the company has established itself as a prominent player in the retail sector, generating significant financial achievements with a robust workforce. This success instills confidence for growth and continued market leadership.
THE CHALLENGE
Addressing supply chain inefficiencies to enhance agility and market responsiveness
Our client faced considerable supply chain difficulties which hindered its capacity to adapt to shifting market demands. This led to delivery delays for popular products. As a result, the company missed significant opportunities with the potential risk of customer loss.
Operational inefficiencies significantly undermined the client’s supply chain, primarily due to an absence of real-time visibility. This lack of transparency into inventory levels, supplier performance, and product movement resulted in frequent stockouts, excessive overstocking of less desirable products, and escalating operational costs that could not be sustained.
Fragmented systems and data silos further hindered effective decision-making and demand forecasting. Manual order tracking and shipment scheduling processes introduced errors and delays, while inconsistent supplier communications exacerbated production and distribution issues.
Compounding these challenges, competition from agile online retailers highlighted the urgent need for a comprehensive, technology-driven overhaul to maintain competitiveness. This is where UST's solution became crucial.
THE TRANSFORMATION
Enabling supply chain transformation with UST Omni for real-time visibility and operational agility
UST implemented UST Omni, which seamlessly integrates suppliers, distributors, and logistics providers into a unified network, providing real-time, end-to-end global supply chain visibility. UST Omni also eliminates data silos and reduces manual workflows, thereby enhancing operational efficiency.
The solution also has inherent capabilities for order management, inventory tracking, and shipment scheduling. These automated systems reduce errors and accelerate processes. UST Omni incorporates advanced analytics and demand forecasting tools, enabling precise predictions of consumer preferences to align inventory levels with real-time demand.
UST Omni's dynamic dashboards offer actionable insights into supply chain performance to identify and resolve bottlenecks quickly. The solution enabled proactive decision-making through its embedded machine learning capabilities, such as optimizing procurement strategies and rerouting shipments to avoid delays. We also streamlined supplier management, enhancing communications and ensuring timely production and delivery schedules.
Operating at scale, UST Omni helped the client adapt quickly to market changes and seasonal demand fluctuations. Additionally, UST Omni supported the client's sustainability goals by optimizing logistics and minimizing waste, aligning with the client's environmental commitments.
THE IMPACT
Accelerated time-to-market, improved revenue, and strengthened market positions
The transformation delivered these measurable results:
- 30% reduction in lead time—The product concept-to-store timeline decreased from 36 weeks to 25 weeks, allowing the client to respond faster to emerging fashion trends, improve customer satisfaction, and boost sales.
- 91% full sell-through rate—This increase from 88% reduced markdowns, minimized inventory write-offs, and optimized revenue.
- 32% reduction in cash conversion cycle—By freeing up working capital, the retailer could reinvest in new collections and operational improvements.
Real-time supply chain visibility and advanced analytics enhanced decision-making, reduced delays, and improved forecasting accuracy. The streamlined operations resulted in cost savings and supported sustainability initiatives by reducing waste and improving resource utilization. Collectively, these positive outcomes positioned the client as an agile, efficient, customer-centric leader in the fast-fashion market.
To learn more about UST Omni in action, click here to reserve a 15-minute demo with our Global Head of Supply Chain solutions.
RESOURCES
https://www.ust.com/en/ust-omni