For decades, eismann Tiefkühl-Heimservice GmbH has been one of the best-known direct-sales companies for frozen foods in Europe. With a business heavily driven by promotions, seasonal fluctuations, and a complex warehouse structure, precise planning of inventory and demand is critical to the company’s survival. Since 2005, eismann has therefore relied on REMIRA’s sales forecasting and inventory management software and has benefited ever since from significantly more efficient processes and tangible cost savings. Now, eismann is switching to the SaaS version of the REMIRA solution, which focuses on AI-powered sales forecasting.
eismann Tiefkühl-Heimservice GmbH, based in Mettmann and founded in 1974, supplies approximately 800,000 customers in Germany alone with frozen foods. Products—ranging from ice cream to ready-made meals and vegetables—are delivered directly to customers’ doorsteps. Each of eismann’s six warehouse locations in Germany handles different sales volumes, and promotions and advertising brochures regularly generate sharp spikes in demand. Frozen goods place special demands on the supply chain. In addition to high delivery capacity, best-before date risks must be minimized while simultaneously maintaining inventory at an economically viable level. The key challenge is finding the right balance between delivery capacity, inventory costs, and transportation costs, as Carl Wanders, Head of Logistics at eismann, explains:
“Excessive inventory ties up capital and increases the risk of write-offs due to expiring best-by dates, while insufficient inventory can jeopardize product availability. The REMIRA software helps us reliably maintain this balance. Through precise, demand-driven planning, future needs are identified early on, and procurement and inventory decisions are optimized. This increases product availability, reduces best-before date risks, and sustainably improves the efficiency of the entire supply chain.”
AI-powered forecasts for better projections
To be optimally positioned for the future, eismann has decided to rely on the new SaaS version of the REMIRA software for sales forecasting and inventory management. The two companies share a successful partnership spanning more than 20 years: Thanks to the continuous delivery of cutting-edge features, REMIRA solutions enjoy a high level of acceptance among eismann users. This proven and valuable collaboration will thus continue. The introduction of the new SaaS version with AI-powered forecasts opens up additional opportunities, particularly in a dynamic, promotion-driven market environment.
Demand-driven planning at SKU level
Using REMIRA software, eismann now manages the entire inventory planning process for approximately 49,000 stock-keeping units (SKUs) across its German warehouse locations. The solution supports both daily scheduling and strategic demand planning—including forecasts for various countries such as Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy. The forecasts generated in the Demand module are converted into demand figures for each warehouse location and used in the Supply module to generate purchase orders for suppliers. The Incoterms defined for each supplier are taken into account. Detailed production planning and route planning continue to be handled internally. The REMIRA software provides the data necessary for these decisions.
25% less inventory while maintaining the same delivery capacity
The REMIRA software supports eight employees in their tasks, which include demand planning and inventory management. The benefits of the solution are clearly reflected in the numbers:
“After implementation, we were able to reduce inventory by 25% with minimal effort—while maintaining the same delivery capacity,”
says Wanders. In addition to the significant reduction in inventory, eismann was also able to streamline internal processes. Fewer employees are now involved in inventory management, as many steps are automated and data-driven. In particular, the new AI-based forecasts offer great potential: “I hope that, especially in the C-segment, the forecasts will improve and sales trends will be identified more quickly,” says Wanders. The goal is to get even closer to optimal inventory levels with improved forecasts. This is a crucial factor in a market heavily influenced by promotions and advertising campaigns. In the long term, the company also plans to explore whether REMIRA can be used to manage the scheduling of eismann’s service vehicles.
Efficient inventory and a clear outlook
With REMIRA, eismann has sustainably optimized its inventory, made scheduling more efficient, and laid the foundation for a modern, data-driven supply chain. At the same time, the switch to the new F&R version sends a clear signal: The long-standing partnership between REMIRA and eismann will continue to play a key role in the further development of the supply chain.
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