How a Bakery Used Data Science to Optimize Supply Chain Operations

How a Growing Bakery Used Data Science to Fix Its Supply Chain

A popular bakery chain located in the heart of the city was experiencing major challenges with its supply chain operations. Operational expenses were rising, inventory planning lacked structure, and teams relied on multiple Excel sheets filled with complex formulas. These spreadsheets often crashed, causing delays in decision-making and frustration across departments.

The bakery’s finance controller decided it was time to try a smarter approach leveraging data science. They turned to Pangaea X, a platform that connects businesses with freelance data professionals, and quickly found a qualified data scientist to tackle the problem.

Why Managing Inventory with Spreadsheets Was Hurting Their Bottom Line

At first glance, the issue seemed like a basic supply chain inefficiency. But under the surface, the problem was much deeper:

• There was no centralized data visibility
• Procurement teams struggled to predict stock levels accurately
• Daily operations were bogged down by manual reporting and delayed insights

After several exploratory conversations with Pangaea X’s data freelancers, the bakery hired a specialist to build a forecasting model and streamline the inventory pipeline. The mission was clear: automate what could be automated and make inventory spend decisions data-driven.

How a Pangaea X Freelance Data Scientist Transformed Operations with Qlik

The freelance data scientist began by conducting a comprehensive audit of the bakery’s sales and supply chain data. The result was an Opportunity Analysis Report, which identified high-impact inefficiencies and offered data-backed solutions.

With this foundation, the expert developed an integrated system that included:

• A demand forecasting model using time-series analysis
• Real-time inventory tracking dashboards
• Automated procurement KPIs
• Interactive visualizations built with Qlik, tailored to the bakery’s workflow

These tools provided branch managers and supply chain leaders with an intuitive view of spending, inventory levels, and vendor performance without relying on manual Excel sheets.

What Changed: 50% Faster Supply Chains and Smarter Spending Decisions

The bakery saw measurable improvements within weeks of implementing the new system. Highlights of the transformation include:

• 50% reduction in manual process time
• Full automation of inventory and procurement workflows
• Improved accuracy in stock predictions and purchase planning
• Real-time, interactive dashboards for quick decision-making
• Reduced overspending and stockouts through data-informed insights