Digital Transformation Consulting

Blue Diamond Growers faced complex supply chain challenges due to its expansion into consumer packaging and the resulting disjointed, spreadsheet-based systems that impeded accurate demand and supply forecasting. To address this niche issue, Accenture collaborated with Blue Diamond Growers to develop a tailored, scalable, customer-centric supply chain planning solution based on SAP Integrated Business Planning (IBP). The implementation was integrated with their existing on-premises SAP system and included virtual training for the team to ensure proficient use ahead of deployment. This new system enabled real-time data consolidation, validation, and analysis, significantly increasing transparency in planning processes.

A key, highly specific solution was the deployment of Supply Chain Scenario Planning-as-a-Service, which utilized Accenture's templates to quickly simulate scenarios and facilitate rapid reallocation of nut supplies in response to shifting demand, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic’s disruptions. This approach allowed Blue Diamond Growers to pivot to a daily planning cycle in times of increased demand and local lockdowns, improving agility. The project delivered quantifiable results, notably a 10% improvement in forecast accuracy within the first six months, enabling better inventory optimization. Additionally, the cloud-based platform reduced manual data handling, allowing teams to focus on strategic activities, and the implementation of SAP S/4HANA® in the cloud further enhanced their analytics and predictive capabilities, including future projects leveraging AI for harvest predictions.