News & Insights

Specialty Chemicals: The "Demand Sync" Transformation

Written by Thierry Laugerette | March 26 2026

In specialty chemicals, an overly optimistic sales forecast isn't just a planning problem — it's a cash flow crisis waiting to happen. Raw materials procured against numbers that never materialize expire on the shelf, capital locks up in dead stock, and high-value customers get deprioritized during shortages with no logic behind the decision. QUANTUM deployed a Collaborative Forecasting & S&OP system that eliminated shadow spreadsheets, introduced LTV-based customer tiering, and made a single Monday.com board the authoritative source for every executive planning meeting — driving forecast accuracy from 68% to 95% and cutting inventory carrying costs by 18%.

Focus: S&OP and Inventory Optimization

How a Specialty Chemicals Firm Went from 68% to 95% Forecast Accuracy — and Cut Dead Stock by 18%

The Challenge

The company faced massive "Dead Stock" issues. Sales forecasts were overly optimistic, leading to excess raw material procurement that expired before use.

The Solution

We deployed a Collaborative Forecasting & S&OP Board.

  • Tech: Automated roll-ups of regional sales forecasts against procurement lead times.
  • CommEx: Introduced "Customer Tiering" logic; during shortages, the system automatically prioritized high-LTV (Lifetime Value) customers.
  • Change: Eliminated "Shadow Spreadsheets" by making the Monday.com board the only valid source for the monthly executive S&OP meeting.

The Impact

18% reduction in inventory carrying costs and 95% forecast accuracy (up from 68%).