Case Study – Carter Kitchen Supplies
38 % Less Dead Stock & 22 % Faster Order Processing for Carter Kitchen Supplies
“We’re done flying blind. With these dashboards we make decisions in minutes, not months.”
Lavanya Carter, Co‑Owner
Executive Snapshot
Client Carter Kitchen Supplies (wholesale kitchen equipment, London, UK)
Challenge Overstocked inventory, staff scheduling inefficiencies, limited real‑time P&L visibility
Solution End‑to‑end Power BI platform connecting POS, inventory, payroll & accounting data; custom DAX models; mobile-friendly dashboards & proactive alerts
Results:
- 38 % reduction in excess inventory
- 22 % increase in order‑processing efficiency
- Daily cash‑flow visibility & smarter shift rotas
Timeline 8‑week implementation (incl. scoping, build, user training)
Tech Power BI Service, Azure SQL Database, Power Query, DAX, Teams integration
1. The Challenge
Running on gut instinct was fine when Carter Kitchen Supplies served a handful of local cafés. Fifteen years later—with hundreds of SKUs and next‑day delivery promises—Stan & Lavanya were fighting on three fronts:
1. Inventory bloat – their capital was frozen in slow‑moving stock, while popular items ran out.
2. Shift‑planning guesswork – busy periods were understaffed, while quiet periods overstaffed.
3. Financial haze – true margins and cash position only surfaced after month‑end :-(.
“Half our warehouse was filled with dust‑collecting skewers and pizza peels, yet we still back‑ordered fryer baskets. Crazy.” — Stan Carter
2. The Approach
a) Data foundation first
Raw data was staged from the Lightspeed POS, TradeGecko inventory, Sage 50 payroll and Xero accounting systems into Azure SQL, then modelled a single star schema for Power BI. Data pipelines were then run nightly via Azure Data Factory.
b) Producing dashboards that drive action (not just pretty charts)
- Inventory Optimiser: A reorder‑point calculator was built, blending seasonality, supplier lead time and a safety stock threshold.
- Shift Heatmap: 15‑minute order‑volume grid highlighting under/overstaffed slots.
- Exec Finance Cockpit: rolling 30‑day P&L, with budgets and variance alerts.
c) Training and Communication
We held short punchy workshops and training sessions: 1‑hour exec sessions, 2‑hour hands‑on with warehouse & ops, follow‑up “office hours” once a week for a month.
3. Results
- ‑38 % dead stock within 90 days (SKU count: 2 164 → 1 344)
- +22 % orders picked per labour hour (8.9 → 10.9)
- <5 min to run daily cash‑flow report (previously End-of-Month only)
- 100% user adoption across 12 staff
4. What That Means in £ s
Annualised savings: £118,000 in freed‑up working capital + £32,000 labour efficiency.
5. Ready to unlock your hidden data profit?
Two ways I can help right now
1. Instant dashboard preview — Play with a live (sanitised) version of one of my dashboards
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FAQ
Do I need a data warehouse first?
No. I often start with direct data connections and migrate to a warehouse later when scale demands it.
How long until I see value?
Most clients get their first actionable dashboard within 3 weeks; full rollout takes 6‑8 weeks.
What does an engagement cost?
Projects like Carter Kitchen Supplies typically fall between £8 k – £20 k depending on data complexity.
About SQL Help
I’m a boutique BI consultancy that turns mid‑market companies’ raw data into decisions. I’ve delivered 60+ Power BI projects since 2014.
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Updated March 2025
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