Challenging Our Partners at Acme Wholesalers

Acme Wholesalers Inc. frequently imported goods from various countries, leading to a significant amount of paperwork for its customs team. The process often involved numerous phone calls between the team, the border services agency, and suppliers to resolve errors and make necessary corrections. Although everyone in the company was aware of the issue, a solution seemed elusive.

During a conference, Acme Wholesalers’ vice president learned about a new government-provided computer program designed to streamline the ordering process between companies. This software automatically generated customs paperwork for all involved parties and facilitated real-time corrections through a structured process.

Inspired by this potential solution, the vice president returned to the company and established a project team to evaluate and implement the program. He set an ambitious goal for the team: to have 75% of their suppliers adopt the program within a year.

The team effectively communicated the benefits of the program, and within just six months, 95% of the suppliers were on board. As a result, errors among these suppliers were reduced by 88%, and the team’s workload decreased by 78%. This allowed some team members to be reassigned to other tasks, while others focused on new continuous improvement initiatives. The shift also led to a significant reduction in the use of paper and other office supplies, contributing to both environmental conservation and organizational cost savings.

(This case study has been adapted from a true story of a major North American retailer.)