CMI

CMI, a leading provider of Power Sports Vehicles in Canada, has partnered with Slimstock to support its ambitious growth goal: becoming a $1 billion company. After the implementation of Slim4, the wholesaler improved their fill rate, enhanced forecasting accuracy, and empowered the team to make more informed decisions.

Canada Moteurs Importation Inc. (CMI) was born from the passion of its owners, Carl Patoine and Hélène Binet, for recreational vehicles in 2005. With the aim of becoming a global competitor in the Power Sports Vehicles market, CMI decided to partner with CFMOTO to distribute its technology and innovation-driven products.

With their business growing extremely fast, CMI faced several supply chain challenges: “Once a business reaches a certain size, manually managing inventory becomes nearly impossible.” explains Alexandre Patoine, President & Head of Logistics at CMI. “For us, it’s all about service. And we needed a supply chain transformation to ensure we have the right parts available at the right time, which is critical to ensure customer satisfaction.”

Results

To ensure high service levels while optimising inventory, CMI decided to partner with Slimstock’s supply chain experts to support further growth. “With a complete solution, and a tool like Slim4 is essential for scaling and meeting the dynamic needs of a growing business.” explains Alexandre.

With this project, the company has seen outstanding results:

• Improved fill rate by up to 89% by optimising their order quantities.
• Enhanced forecasting accuracy through advanced forecast algorithms.
• Automation of manual tasks, freeing up the team’s time to focus on strategic tasks.

Having Inventory Under Control

Ensuring service levels is crucial for CMI’s business, however, with an erratic supply chain having products shipped from different parts of the world, that mission became a bigger challenge as the company grew. Thanks to the implementation of Slim4, the work of the CMI team, and the support of Slimstock’s supply chain experts, the company has experienced an increase fill rate by 20%

“Slim4’s ability to dynamically adjust lead times based on historical data and real-time inputs has been a game-changer.” highlights Alexandre. “Previously, we used default lead times, which often led to inaccuracies. Now, the dynamic lead time feature ensures that we maintain optimal inventory levels without overstocking or understocking. It’s particularly useful in addressing challenges with suppliers with inconsistent lead times.”

From manual to structured planning

Before Slim4 implementation, CMI relied on spreadsheets and manual work for demand forecasting. After incorporating Slimstock’s powerful forecasting tool, CMI can now capture insights from across its business to build a clearer picture of future demand.

Alexandre believes that Slim4 has helped bring structure to the team: “Before Slim4, demand planning was done manually using Excel sheets. Transitioning to Slim4 felt like going From manual to structured planning. The process became much more structured and manageable.”

And continues, “With over 40,000 SKUs, having a tool that classifies items by importance is crucial. Slim4’s product segmentation capabilities help us focus on the most critical items that drive 80% of our business. This prioritisation has made inventory management much more efficient and allows us to address key areas without getting overwhelmed.”

Empowering Teams to be Successful

Once the implementation was completed, keeping Slim4 up to date became a routine task that the team could manage efficiently. Learning how to utilise the supply chain planning solution was a collaborative effort between Slimstock’s experts and the CMI team.

Alexandre highlights, “The training sessions and webinars have been very professional and insightful. They not only teach us how to use the tool but also help us improve our overall supply chain management skills.”

And adds, “The academy sessions are a fantastic resource, especially as we onboard new team members. The team at Slimstock provided excellent support, making the transition smooth and even enjoyable. Slim4 helped structure and deepen our demand planning capabilities, allowing the team to evolve rapidly with the right tools and guidance.”

Next Steps

CMI has set the base for further growth by partnering with Slimstock. Alexandre sees Slim4 as pivotal to their growth: “We have ambitious goals at CMI, aiming to become a $1 billion company. Slim4 will undoubtedly play a crucial role in supporting us as we grow. The flexible and scalable tool makes it a reliable partner for our future needs.”

Alexandre concludes: “Slim4 has helped us significantly enhance and structure our inventory management to support our growth. I see immense potential for further growth. With the right team and training in place, I’m confident we’ll be able to fully leverage the tool in the coming years.”