Case Destrooper Biscuits
Understanding the cost of complexity
Foto: Solventure
Destrooper Biscuits operates in diverse domains under one unified portfolio. What appears to be a simple product, such as their well known Belgian butter biscuit or “lukke”, actually results in more than one hundred and fifty finished goods. This level of variety creates significant production and supply chain complexity.
The team saw that their existing profitability reporting could be enhanced to provide deeper transparency across the portfolio. While the information available offered a good starting point, it did not yet capture the full picture needed for precise comparisons and strategic discussions. As a result, conversations sometimes relied more on experience than on fully detailed insights, which created an opportunity to strengthen the analytical foundation.
When the collaboration with Solventure began in 2022, portfolio complexity was already recognised throughout the organization, yet the financial impact and improvement potential were not fully quantified. The company had valuable project based insights, but saw the benefit of moving toward a more continuous and structured approach. With this next step, Destrooper Biscuits aimed to unlock additional cost improvements, support future automation efforts and further strengthen EBITDA performance.
Finding the recipe for process based portfolio management
To address this challenge, Destrooper Biscuits adopted Solventure Perform, a portfolio management solution that connects directly to the ERP system and delivers real time insights. The software incorporates both product and customer dimensions so that analyses can start from either perspective and remain connected at all times. This multi dimensional interactivity makes it possible to slice and interpret data in ways that are not feasible in Excel.
The inclusion of customer behavior and profitability also makes the tool valuable during annual negotiations. In addition, Solventure Perform supports action management, enabling teams to track and realize the financial impact of their decisions. Integrated value trackers help maintain sponsorship from leadership and stimulate adoption across teams.
Building the process required more than software. The teams worked together to develop a common understanding of the cost of complexity, define minimum volume thresholds, refine cost allocations, set profitability improvement targets and establish Portfolio Improvement teams. To ensure company wide buy in, the CFO was brought in as a key stakeholder and the CEO was actively engaged in the journey.
Baking results that matter
The collaboration has already yielded strong results. Relative profitability improved by 3.3 percent in only three months compared to a target of 1 percent. Finished Goods inventory was reduced by fifteen days and inventory write offs also decreased.
In addition, many qualitative improvements have strengthened portfolio decision making. These include clear profitability targets for the short and long term, minimum volume thresholds supported by the Sales organization, more focused portfolio discussions, marketing defined portfolio strategies, improved profitability data and higher confidence in the accuracy of portfolio information.
Destrooper Biscuits sees this as only the beginning. The next step is to integrate portfolio management into the monthly S&OP cycle and expand the approach to the full business, including private label activities, while keeping processes simple and actionable.
About Solventure
Solventure helps global manufacturing companies take control of their growth plans. In complex and margin sensitive environments, service issues, bad inventories and misaligned supply chain and financial plans can stall progress.
Solventure delivers the full transformation cycle of planning by connecting data, process and performance. This approach unlocks measurable improvements in margin, working capital and agility.
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Read the full Destrooper Biscuits story here: https://www.solventuregroup.com/en/resources/this-is-how-the-portfolio-cookie-crumbles-at-destrooper-biscuits