Client:
Restaurant Oil Management Solutions Company
Challenge:
After experiencing rapid growth, this company struggled to scale operational systems that matched growth. They were relying on legacy ERP and planning tools built in Microsoft Excel and Access—fragile systems prone to failure and dependent on institutional knowledge.
Their inventory management, across 42 warehouse locations, was manual, inconsistent, and time consuming. The data required manual entry and updating, often taking hours each day. Employee turnover and undocumented processes further compounded the risks, making system modifications nearly impossible. The leadership team knew they needed to modernize—but lacked the internal capacity to assess and execute a comprehensive upgrade.
Strategic Objectives:
The combined goal for Waypost, and a strategic software development partner on this project, was to deliver both operational and technological transformation. Key objectives included:
- Evaluate and redesign supply chain processes to increase internal productivity and margin.
- Replace or upgrade business tools driving sourcing, procurement, and inventory workflows.
- Automate warehouse operations to eliminate manual inventory tracking and reduce human error.
- Implement stable, scalable technology infrastructure to reduce risk and support continued growth.
Approach:
Waypost led the initial six-week discovery phase, conducting on-site interviews and process mapping across sourcing, procurement, purchasing, and inventory functions. This resulted in a full end-to-end supply chain assessment.
Recommendations focused on:
- Process improvements in material sourcing
- Replacement or enhancement of critical operational tools
- Warehouse automation to improve inventory flow
- Data solutions for Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI), eliminating manual inventory monitoring
Our strategic partner took this information into consideration as they analyzed the technical underpinnings of the client’s legacy systems. A data modeling expert was embedded to assess and dissect formulas, report logic, and tool integrations. From there, they migrated the legacy system to a modern platform, replacing unstable and unreliable data feeds with robust, automated inputs.
This dual-pronged approach—operations + technology—ensured the transformation was not just about better tools, but about enabling better decisions and sustained efficiency.
Key Steps:
- On-site discovery and cross-functional interviews
- End-to-end process mapping across sourcing and inventory
- Identification of VMI and warehouse automation opportunities
- Technical audit and data modeling of legacy tools
- System migration with stabilized inputs and reporting structure
Assessment Areas:
- Manual vs. automated inventory management practices
- Data stability and integration reliability
- Sourcing and procurement workflow efficiency
- Technical debt and risks from undocumented systems
- Operational bottlenecks across 42 warehouse locations
Tools and Methodologies:
- Process mapping and workflow redesign
- VMI enablement analysis
- ERP/Access/Excel dependency assessment
- Custom data modeling review and validation
- Technology platform migration and integration
Deliverables:
- Full supply chain assessment with prioritized improvement roadmap
- Business tool modernization recommendations
- Stable and sustainable technology stack implementation
- Automated inventory visibility across all warehouses
- Joint operational-technical execution support across phases
Conclusion:
This engagement demonstrated the power of pairing operations expertise with technical execution. Waypost uncovered structural weaknesses and operational inefficiencies, while a strategic partner delivered a system upgrade grounded in business need and data integrity.
The result: a scalable, modern infrastructure that drastically reduced daily manual effort, improved inventory visibility across 42 warehouses, and eliminated the fragility that once defined their planning systems.
“Our client has experienced savings, business efficiencies, and ease that were unattainable prior.”