Valvoline Oil A/S, a family-owned company specializing in distributing lubricants to the automotive industry, was facing significant challenges in managing safety data sheets using a paper-based system. This method proved inefficient and ineffective, requiring substantial time and effort to maintain. The paper-based system also made it difficult to gain insight into all the chemical products located on site, leading to data silos that were hard to break down. The team had little visibility and found it challenging to find the information they needed, as it was scattered in different locations. Furthermore, distributing safety data sheets and updated SDS’s to their approximately 600 customers was a daunting task. Whenever there was a product update, the team had to print out all the necessary safety data sheets, carry them to the post office, and send them out in a timely manner. The team realized this method was not sustainable for the company or their customers, prompting them to look for an alternative.

One of the world's largest publicly traded international oil and gas companies was grappling with highly manual and Excel-driven planning processes. The company was facing significant data challenges and a lack of inventory visibility. The data structures were complex and unorganized, making it difficult for the company to maintain an overview of all data and processes. This led to the absence of a single source of truth. Furthermore, the company's forecast accuracy was low, and it relied heavily on manual, lagging indicators in the forecasting process. This resulted in excessively high inventory levels. The company's focus was more on execution rather than on planning, leading to a lot of day-to-day volume management and firefighting.