Case Study 1: Optimizing Supply Chain Efficiencies at a Large Packaged Food Corporation
The Challenge
A major U.S. food manufacturer faced the complex task of managing thousands of ingredients sourced globally. Their supply chain managers needed to create strong relationships with reliable suppliers delivering quality ingredients at reasonable prices while aligning production with customer demand. The company had extensive long-standing relationships with international suppliers but relied on internal information that was limited when identifying broader improvement opportunities.
The data science team needed more robust trade data to:
- Monitor global buying and selling activities to understand supply and demand trends
- Analyze shipment transactions for current suppliers to estimate buying power
- Identify competitor supplier relationships and pricing
- Discover new, lower-cost suppliers
- Monitor potential commodity substitutions
The Solution
The company implemented S&P Global's Panjiva Supply Chain Intelligence solution, providing access to over 1.8 billion transaction records and approximately 40% of global merchandise traded by dollar value. The platform enabled the team to understand detailed trade flows, pinpoint companies and products, visualize relationships using heat maps, anticipate competitor strategies, and perform supplier due diligence .
Key Benefits
- Ability to understand buyer and supplier trends worldwide
- Identification of opportunities to negotiate better prices based on buying power analysis
- Enhanced supplier due diligence through trade history and financial position review
- Increased productivity with customized dashboards
- Direct access to contact information for over one million companies
- Daily alerts regarding vital global trade information
Case Study 2: Lineage Scales Frozen Produce Customer's Supply Chain
The Challenge
A frozen produce manufacturer anticipated a record-breaking harvest of 105,600,000 pounds—far exceeding their existing cold storage capacity. The produce hadn't even been harvested yet, but immediate action was required to secure storage space across the region with infrastructure to protect product temperature integrity throughout the supply chain .
The Solution
Lineage worked with the customer to build a scalable solution without compromising control, temperature integrity, or delivery timelines. In just weeks, they expanded from managing 3 facilities to activating 15 strategically located temperature-controlled warehouses aligned with key distribution routes. The solution included integrated access to cold rail and over-the-road transportation .
The Result
The new plan accommodated storage of 64,000 pallets of frozen produce. Lineage executed more than 400 temperature-controlled shipments via rail and over-the-road transportation, connecting every pallet to its destination with temperature integrity intact. Throughout the surge, teams maintained open communication, balancing inventory and adapting to shifting volumes to deliver a season of record growth without disruption .
Case Study 3: Building Supply Chain Resilience at a Global Technology Company
The Challenge
When demand for new vehicles fluctuated dramatically during the pandemic, microchip supply chains struggled to keep pace. A global technology company recognized that its lack of supply chain resiliency was putting both profit margins and market valuation at risk. Company leaders sought a solution to better manage supply chain disruptions .
The Solution
Working with Accenture, the team first performed a maturity assessment to identify opportunities for more advanced, proactive risk management. They developed a "heat map" to identify high-risk suppliers and components, recommending mitigating actions. The team created a "supply chain digital twin"—a virtual replica of the company's global supply chain—to analyze revenue impacts. Finally, they performed stress tests subjecting the digital twin to pre-defined disruptive scenarios, generating an overall resiliency score. Accenture then transferred this knowledge to the company's internal Supply Chain Resilience team .
The Result
In just six months, the company created a foundation for a more resilient, relevant, and sustainable supply chain. Their ability to mitigate ongoing disruptions contributed to reducing revenue at risk by several hundred million dollars. These advanced capabilities positioned the company for increased commercial success by demonstrating preparedness for future disruptions .
Case Study 4: Simple Modern's Reshoring Decision
The Challenge
For years, Simple Modern relied on Chinese suppliers for manufacturing plastic water bottles. The COVID-19 pandemic caused severe supply chain disruptions and dramatically increased shipping costs, compelling the company to onshore production to Oklahoma. However, months later, domestic manufacturing was becoming less cost-effective compared to sourcing from China. Lee Graves, Chief Manufacturing and Logistics Officer, faced a critical decision: maintain existing domestic production, invest in scaling domestic capacity, or return to the Chinese supplier .
Strategic Considerations
The case highlights several factors in sourcing decisions:
- Impact of buyer-supplier relationships on sales growth and product development
- Comparative evaluation of factors feeding into sourcing decisions
- Effect of fluctuating shipping costs on outsourcing decisions
- Response strategies to unforeseen supply chain disruptions
This real-world example demonstrates the complexity of modern sourcing decisions and the need for supply chain flexibility in an unpredictable business environment.
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