Norwegian Bath and Shower Wholesaler Vikingbad Takes Full Control Over Supply Chain with Blue Ridge Cloud Technology

Norwegian bathroom equipment wholesaler Vikingbad implements Blue Ridge Cloud Supply Chain Planning and Analytics solution to accelerate growth and increase cash flow.

Oslo, Norway. August 18, 2015

Leading cloud-native supply chain planning provider, Blue Ridge, announced today that one of Norway’s fastest growing bathroom suppliers has selected the company’s hardgoods solution suite for Demand Planning, Forecasting, Supply Chain Planning and Analytics. Vikingbad joined forces with Blue Ridge to sustain rapid growth by elevating visibility throughout their global supply chain while increasing service levels to customers.

Vikingbad is heavily dependent on suppliers in the Asia/Pac region and is undergoing fast growth with highly seasonal and promotionally driven demand on its products. Fairly new to the market, Vikingbad knew they needed a solution to support their ambitious goals without the limitations of traditional supply chain software. Specifically, the company wanted a cloud-native platform with highly accurate demand planning and forecasting to effectively plan their global supply chain with precise supply plans and replenishment.

“Many of our suppliers are Chinese, which means that our thorough understanding of the demand patterns in our local market must be paired with a precise Supply Chain Planning capability,” stated Ørjan Moy Jacobsen, Director of Purchasing. She continued, “Our evaluation concluded that the Blue Ridge systems have a leading edge in the market. Our customers are retailers that heavily rely on us being transparent and predictable. Blue Ridge’s ability to transform a complex planning environment down to a detailed daily plan with flexible Supply Chain Analytics will create a competitive edge for us in the market.”

Planning and optimizing the warehouse capacity is key to the overall performance of Vikingbad’s success. “The detailed plan in Supply Chain Planning combined with Analytic’s easy-to-grasp visualization of the inbound flows, will help us gain a deeper understanding of the supply chain plan. This will allow us to prepare for peak inbound volumes and take proactive action well ahead in time,” stated Kristian Schlanbuch, Founder and COO.

For Vikingbad, Blue Ridge will serve as the strategic cornerstone for their continued fast growth. “This project will have a profound impact on our cash flow, while also maintaining our ability to deliver and meet our customers’ expectations,” stated Stein Viggo Karlsen, CEO of Vikingbad. “This will strengthen our bottom line and free up substantial cash to fuel our growth.”

Blue Ridge believes Vikingbad is a perfect match to the company’s Cloud-Native Supply Chain solutions. “Vikingbad quickly recognized that a Cloud platform is the most effective way to generate cash flow,” stated Sverre Rosmo, European VP of Sales. “I feel confident that Blue Ridge will be a perfect partner to support Vikingbad’s continued growth strategy, balancing the complexity of overseas supply with a demanding and highly volatile market.”

About Vikingbad

VikingBad AS is a company based in Grimstad, south of Norway, that imports and distributes sanitary-ware and outdoor spas. VikingBad focuses on developing installation friendly products with reasonable prices and great quality. The company strives to achieve excellent product availability, with a full stock of spare-parts to support after-sales on all VikingBad products. From 2010 to 2013, VikingBad more than doubled the annual turnover, and are among the preferred brands for total bathroom solutions. VikingBad has made substantial investments in recent years in order to support existing and future growth, with Blue Ridge systems as the latest part of the company’s technology and IT solutions.

Kristian Schlanbusch (Founder), Stein Viggo Karlsen and Ørjan Moy Jacobsen own the company and are part of the 38-member team at VikingBad.