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How can an industrial company structure its supply chain for growth without adding more complexity for planning teams?
This was the challenge faced by Blanchon Group after several years of transformation. Blanchon is a leading European manufacturer of wood treatment and finishing products, operating in more than 50 countries with over 400 employees.
As the company grew through acquisitions, expanded its industrial footprint and diversified its product portfolio, supply chain planning became a strategic priority. The teams needed more visibility, clearer priorities and more robust planning processes.
To address these challenges, Blanchon chose to deploy DDMRP with b2wise.
The results were significant: a 15% reduction in raw material inventory value, a 60% reduction in purchase order volume, better visibility on priorities, and a service level maintained above 99%.
Key results
The deployment of DDMRP with b2wise helped Blanchon transform the way its teams manage supply chain planning.
Main results include:
- 15% reduction in raw material inventory value
- 60% reduction in purchase order volume
- Service level maintained above 99%
- Real-time visibility on priorities
- Greater stability in lot sizes and production scheduling
- Full deployment in France in only 6 months
These results show that a Demand Driven approach is not only about improving planning. It also helps reduce operational workload, improve decision quality and give planners a more reliable system for their daily work.
The context: a more complex supply chain
Until 2020, Blanchon was a family-owned company with four factories. After the company was acquired by new shareholders, the group launched an ambitious external growth strategy.
In just a few years, Blanchon acquired several companies and moved from around four to eight industrial sites. This growth created new opportunities, but it also increased supply chain complexity: more SKUs, more inter-site flows, more constraints and higher service expectations.
In this context, the existing planning processes became difficult to maintain. Blanchon needed a more structured planning model that could support growth without increasing operational stress.
Before DDMRP: too much Excel, manual work and dependency on experience
Before implementing DDMRP, Blanchon already had an ERP system, Sage X3. But as in many industrial companies, a large part of the daily planning work still relied on Excel files, printed replenishment reports and manual processing.
Teams had to manage many spreadsheets, compare information, process replenishment reports and rely heavily on individual experience.
This dependency on local knowledge also made onboarding more difficult. In some planning or procurement roles, it could take several months for a new person to become fully operational.
The issue was not only about technology. It was also about organization: how to make priorities clearer, decisions simpler and the process less dependent on scattered files?
Why Blanchon chose DDMRP
DDMRP became a logical answer to Blanchon’s need for agility, visibility and scalability.
Instead of managing the entire supply chain only through forecasts, DDMRP structures planning around real demand, buffers and flow priorities.
This approach helps planners understand where action is needed, which items are truly at risk and which decisions should come first.
For Blanchon, DDMRP helped bring planning closer to execution. Teams can now visualize the impact of their decisions, adjust parameters proactively and rely on a more stable planning model.
Why b2wise?
After a successful pilot, Blanchon decided to deploy b2wise for three main reasons.
First, the interface is intuitive and designed for planners. The goal is not to add another layer of complexity, but to make priorities easier to understand and manage.
Second, b2wise support played an important role in the project. In a supply chain transformation, software alone is not enough: teams need support, coaching and continuous iterations to make the model reliable over time.
Third, b2wise was able to adapt to Blanchon’s business needs. The platform is connected to Sage X3 through a connector developed by b2wise, allowing Blanchon to combine ERP data with a Demand Driven planning logic.
More proactive planners
One of the most important benefits of the project is the impact on planners’ daily work.
With b2wise, teams have access to dashboards, simulations and prioritization views that help them understand risks and actions faster.
The reduction in purchase order volume also allows planners to spend less time on repetitive tasks and more time on higher-value decisions.
Arthur Simmonet, Planning & Scheduling Manager at Blanchon, summarized the transformation this way:
“Today, our planners are more proactive, our inventory levels are optimized and our production is smoother. We finally have a system we can trust — and one that can scale with our growth.”
What industrial companies can learn from Blanchon
The Blanchon case shows that a successful supply chain transformation is not only about software.
It relies on the combination of three elements: a clear methodology, a tool designed for planners and long-term support.
DDMRP provides a framework to better manage variability, protect customer service and focus on the right priorities. b2wise makes this methodology actionable in daily operations, with readable data, understandable recommendations and better visibility on decisions.
For industrial companies facing fast growth, a more complex product portfolio or processes that are still too manual, the Blanchon case shows that it is possible to gain agility without losing control.
Conclusion
Blanchon needed a supply chain that was more agile, more visible and more scalable.
With DDMRP and b2wise, the company structured its planning process around clearer priorities, while reducing raw material inventory and maintaining a high service level.
This customer case clearly illustrates the value of a Demand Driven approach: helping teams make better decisions, reduce manual work and manage the supply chain with more confidence.
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