How I Turn Data Into Operational Flow

These are the methodologies, tools, and real-world results I use to bridge the gap between what your data says and what your floor needs.

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🏆 Proven Results

IKEA Cincinnati: Global #1 Cross-Merchandising Achievement

How I achieved the world's highest add-on rate by reimagining product placement

The Challenge:

IKEA Cincinnati's Swedish Food Market sat isolated at checkout. Cross-merchandising rate: nearly 0%. Customers who loved their restaurant experience weren't connecting to retail products.

The Opportunity:

850,000+ annual visitors spending an average of 147 minutes in-store. Why wait until checkout to offer Swedish food?

The Approach:

I pioneered integrating Swedish food throughout the entire furniture shopping journey:

Showroom Integration:

  • Swedish products in kitchen displays: "This is what this kitchen makes possible"
  • Lingonberry juice on dining tables
  • Sparkling pear soda next to wine glasses and champagne flutes
  • Pasta and lemon sauce with pots and pans
  • "This kitchen makes this meal"

The Methodology:

  • Heat mapped entire 147-minute customer journey
  • Ran 130+ A/B tests
  • Regular reviews with Add-ons team
  • Formula: Placement Score = (Traffic × Dwell × Context) ÷ Space Competition
The Results (Sustained 6+ Months):
  • ✓ 12.4% cross-merchandising rate - #1 globally across all IKEA stores
  • ✓ +8% Swedish Food Market revenue growth
  • ✓ +$2.47 average basket size
  • ✓ -3.2% waste reduction (better velocity = fresher rotation)
  • ✓ Zero additional marketing spend
  • ✓ Less than 0.5% additional floor space

The Impact:

Program became IKEA best practice worldwide.

The Lesson:

Cross-merchandising fails when you treat it as "also suggest this." It works when you map the actual journey and place the right offer at the right decision point.

Context beats location. Timing beats traffic.

Custom-Built Systems (No Expensive Software Required)

I build Excel/Power Query-based tools that your team can actually maintain—not $50K software that requires an IT team.

1️⃣ Common Materials Tracker

What It Does:

  • Identifies components shared across product lines
  • Consolidates demand forecasting
  • Optimizes safety stock at aggregate level
  • Prevents redundant inventory

Who Needs This:

Manufacturers with 2+ product lines sharing components. Stops you from holding duplicate safety stock.

Typical Results: 15-25% reduction in aggregate safety stock

2️⃣ Production Phase-Out Optimizer

What It Does:

  • Material-constrained production planning
  • Multi-product build optimization
  • Obsolescence cost forecasting
  • Strategic phase-out sequencing

Who Needs This:

Companies managing product transitions (legacy → next-gen). Minimizes cash destruction during phase-outs.

Typical Results: 30-50% reduction in obsolescence losses

3️⃣ Safety Stock Optimizer

What It Does:

  • Dual-method calculation (lead time + variability)
  • Buyer-level accountability tracking
  • Automatic flagging of outliers
  • Value impact quantification

Who Needs This:

Companies with 1,000+ SKUs and safety stock set years ago. Frees trapped cash while protecting service levels.

Typical Results: $500K-$2M+ cash freed up for 4,000+ SKU portfolios

Building My External Portfolio - Limited Availability

I've achieved proven results in my W-2 roles (IKEA, Konecranes). Now I'm building my external consulting portfolio.

First 3 Clients Get:

40% Discount on 14-Day Diagnostic

Regular price: $2,500

Early adopter price: $1,500

In Exchange:

  • Detailed testimonial upon completion
  • Permission to create anonymized case study
  • Before/after metrics for portfolio use
  • LinkedIn recommendation

What You Get:

  • Full 14-day diagnostic (same process, same deliverables)
  • Action plan with immediate fixes
  • 30-day post-diagnostic email support
  • Option to continue with 90-day transformation at standard rates

Requirements:

  • 25-500 employee manufacturer, distributor, or multi-location restaurant chain
  • Willing to provide pre/post metrics
  • Available for 2-3 hours of interviews during diagnostic
  • Open to being featured in anonymized case study

Availability: First 3 clients only. Once those spots are filled, standard pricing applies.

Claim Your Early Adopter Spot →

Ready to Stop the Bleeding?

Your inventory is costing you money right now. Every day you wait is another day of:

Let's find out what's actually broken—and what it'll take to fix it.

Schedule Your Free 30-Minute Diagnostic Call

Or email me directly: jacob@kleeanalytics.com