An international producer of substrates for mushroom cultivation, owned by private equity, faced a clear challenge: logistics costs had to be reduced significantly, while the quality of transport remained guaranteed. With production in northwestern Europe and a complex chain structure, previous optimization initiatives proved insufficient to achieve a real breakthrough. The solution was sought in a fundamental redesign of logistics, with outsourcing of transport activities as an important lever.
We guided the organization through the entire decision-making process around outsourcing inbound and outbound transport. A strong focus was placed on program management, with attention to stakeholder alignment, communication and change management. In parallel, contract negotiations were conducted and logistics partners were selected. This approach resulted in an integral business case and a multi-year implementation plan, in which both cost savings and operational performance were central.
The result was a successful transition to an outsourced transportation model, including a smooth go-live. The organization realized structural cost savings of approximately 10%, while maintaining high delivery reliability (OTIF >95%). In addition, broad support arose among internal and external stakeholders for the new way of working. Financially, this translated into a significant impact, with approximately €5 million cash-in, the avoidance of €15 million in investments in assets and a clear improvement in EBITDA. This laid a solid foundation for further optimization and scalable growth.
