Van Ballegooijen Foods (VBF) is a Dutch family-owned food group that unites two long-established business units: Royal VIVBuisman (butter & milk-fat specialist) and Van der Pol (butter-dough and bake-off specialist). Their vision emphasises “the unique taste of butter” and they serve customers across more than 50 countries with a strong emphasis on quality, tradition, and sustainability.
Challenge
VBF’s planning processes were largely short-term and reactive. Customer demand during peak seasons caused capacity strain, high numbers of production changeovers, and limited efficiency on the shop floor. The lack of a structured S&OP (Sales & Operations Planning) process made it difficult to anticipate demand and align production, labour, and material requirements in time.
Solution and deliverables
4Supplychain supported VBF in designing and implementing a pragmatic S&OP process:
- Introduced a four-weekly S&OP cycle, creating visibility and alignment across commercial and operational teams for the next 12 months and beyond
- Implemented a pragmatic forecasting application and built a planning dashboard to translate demand into actionable production and capacity plans
- Redefined the Supply Chain organisation and introduced role of Supply Chain Manager, Demand Planner, and Material Planner – working alongside the existing Supply Planner. During the assignment, consultants supported the recruitment process and ensured smooth hand-over.
- Achieved smoother production planning during peak seasons and a reduction in changeovers and ad-hoc scheduling
The new process provided VBF with a structured way to anticipate demand, allocate resources efficiently, and connect strategic planning with daily execution.
