Case study
Sniffing out insights – Muzzle Movement UK’s data-led leap with CACI
Summary
Muzzle Movement UK is a purpose-led pet accessories brand focused on changing perceptions around dog muzzles. Their mission is to make muzzles more accessible, better understood, and stylish — helping dog owners feel confident and supported. The brand is known for its community first approach and strong presence at consumer events.
Company size
1 – 50
Industry
Manufacturing
Services used
Products used
Challenge
Prior to working with CACI, Muzzle Movement UK relied heavily on broad awareness campaigns and internal assumptions about their audience. There was a lack of clarity around who their customers were, how they behaved, and what messaging resonated. This led to guesswork in campaign planning and limited targeting capabilities. They needed a way to validate their hypotheses and build a more strategic, data-led marketing approach.
Solution
CACI provided Muzzle Movement UK with detailed audience segmentation data, enabling the marketing and sales teams to better understand their customer base, tailor messaging, and optimise campaign strategies across multiple channels.
Results
The team at Muzzle Movement UK were surprised by the depth of insight and the level of differentiation between segments. The project has exceeded expectations, providing clarity and confidence across marketing and sales functions.
Improved ad performance
Smaller, targeted campaigns are delivering early success, answering customer questions earlier in the journey and reducing pressure on customer service along with marketing cost savings.
Enhanced messaging
Ads now highlight specific service features (e.g. fast refunds, easy exchanges) that resonate with segmented audiences.
Sales enablement
The segmentation has empowered the sales team with tailored materials and a deeper understanding of customer motivations, especially useful at events and in-store conversations.
Product development
Insights have influenced new product launches, ensuring sizing and features align with target demographics.
Strategic planning
The segmentation is already shaping Black Friday campaigns, with tailored messaging for both price-conscious and affluent audiences.
What’s next
Looking ahead, Muzzle Movement UK plans to explore segmentation within the trade channel, helping them approach pet shops with data-backed recommendations on what to stock based on local demographics. They also aim to apply segmentation to post-purchase campaigns, identifying upsell opportunities and improving retention. The team is keen to continue using segmentation to refine awareness campaigns and explore ROI improvements in ad spend. They’re also interested in competitor analysis tools to stay ahead in a growing market.
Case study
Republic Technologies maximises ROI from its field sales team
Summary
Republic Technologies is a global consumer goods company with over 100 years of manufacturing history. In the UK, its products are sold in a multitude of retail settings including newsagents, supermarkets and convenience stores, and requires a traditional field sales force. Republic Technologies wanted to improve its operations and geographic deployment in the field to ensure it had the right people in the right place to optimise sales teams’ working patterns, growth and customer service.
Company size
100
Industry
Manufacturing
Products used
Challenge
Republic Technologies had a number of vacancies in its field sales team, but did not know the best places to recruit. Nor did Republic Technologies know whether it needed to fill all these vacancies. Could it scale the team back and still achieve its target call rate?
Republic Technologies’ territories were imbalanced, with some people working far more hours than others. The team was spending too much time driving. Republic Technologies wanted to optimise the territories to ensure that each person was working the same hours and maximise the time spent with customers.
Based on the anticipated changes to the territories, Republic Technologies wanted to provide each sales person with a plan of attack to help them get around their customers in the most efficient way.
Solution
CACI worked with Republic Technologies’ field managers to address these challenges. Using CACI’s proprietary InSite software, we started with headcount analysis and employed InSite’s travel time algorithm to understand the amount of driving the field team would have to make between calls. This helped to understand exactly how many hours the current team was working and what this would look like if the headcount changed. Based on these calculations the correct team size was established, giving Republic Technologies the confidence that it had struck the right balance.
From this optimised structure, CACI used its CallSmart route optimiser to deliver a set of efficient routes for each field sales rep.
Results
CACI’s work has allowed Republic Technologies to quantify the hidden work in a sales person’s day to truly understand the correct size of their field sales team. This ensured Republic Technologies was maximising the return on investment from this team.
The territory optimisation improved the balance of work across the team and reduced the amount of time spent driving. With this enhanced efficiency, Republic Technologies was able to focus its recruitment on better defined locations, filling vacancies more effectively in more targeted areas. Another benefit of this was a reduction in fuel bills.
The routing gave each sales person a daily sequences of visits that reduced the time they spent in the car and the time they spent planning.
Case study
Optimised field sales team deliver double digit revenue growth
Summary
Perfetti Van Melle (PVM) is one of the world’s largest manufacturers and distributors of confectionery and chewing gum, headquartered in The Netherlands. PVM’s global brands are enjoyed in over 150 countries and include Mentos, Chupa Chups, Fruit-tella & Smint.
Company size
10,000+
Industry
Manufacturing
Products used
Challenge
Before engaging with CACI, PVM UK were manually planning their field sales territories and routes, which the management team knew was inefficient.
PVM wanted a tool to help grow their UK business, specifically in the independent channel where they had under traded in the past. Due to the unknown returns and instability in this market, they needed to drive efficiencies and savings in their current field team, rather than recruiting more headcount. Being more efficient would allow PVM to call on more stores in the independent channel.
Solution
PVM licenced InSite FieldForce, CACI’s resource planning and territory optimisation tool, to understand the utilisation of the current team, taking into consideration variables such as travel time, visit frequencies, in call times, and the additional visits to be made to the Independent channel.
The field sales territories were optimised to create workload balanced and drive time efficient territories for each field sales rep, built around their home locations.
PVM then used CallSmart, CACI’s route optimisation software, to optimise routes for their team. Planning with an algorithm gave them more control over the stores, and channels, the reps were visiting based on business strategy rather than ‘gut feel’.
Results
PVM were able to model multiple what-if scenarios prior to implementation which gave them the confidence that they could be impactful in the independent channel whilst maintaining appropriate call coverage to the multiples.
Using CACI’s tools, PVM minimised the risk associated with entering a new channel, without investing in any additional headcount. The efficiencies gained enabled PVM to make thousands of additional calls to the independent channel, resulting in a double digit increase in sales revenue across the field sales team.
CACI’s tools are used by PVM on an ongoing basis to maintain efficiencies and immediately respond to change. Optimised call schedules integrate with their retail execution solution providing reps with visibility of their calendars allowing the team to be more agile.
Learn more about FieldForce and CallSmart.
Case study
Nestle Gets Greener by Reducing Rep Miles
Summary
Nestlé’s sales operation in the Oceania region encompasses Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. Nestlé Oceania employs more than 5,000 people in over 70 offices, factories and distribution centres strategically located across the region, promoting and distributing brands including many household names, such as Nescafé, Nesquik, Milo, Maggi, Carnation, Kit Kat, Aero, Smarties and Soothers.
Company size
10,000+
Industry
Manufacturing
Services used
Products used
Challenge
It had been many years since a comprehensive review was performed on Nestlé’s field operations, and they were keen to ensure that it was run in a more efficient manner.
Nestlé also wanted to understand what the best service model looked like through a bottom-up build of the work required to be undertaken, ensuring the right resources were delivered to the right stores at the right time. The aim was to arrive at a final strategic solution that delivered great service for Nestlé’s customers, but in a way that ensured that sales reps were given challenging, achievable workloads and also spending considerably less time stuck behind the wheel of a car. As a respected corporation, with a stated commitment to environmental sustainability, minimising the environmental impact of the salesforce was also of great importance.
Solution
Nestlé Australia, worked with the team at CACI, initially on a consultancy basis, to perform two major pieces of work.
The first was to create the ideal territories for the sales team, determined by various sets of criteria. This was not just about benefitting from the sophisticated optimisation algorithms within CACI’s headcount analysis and territory optimisation software, InSite FieldForce, but also then engaging in interactive workshops with CACI’s experienced consultants to achieve a final solution that was efficient, but also addressed the challenges of some important business considerations.
Once the territories had been identified, CACI’s routing software, CallSmart, was then utilised to develop the most efficient routes to service the stores.
Nestlé were impressed by the speed and efficacy of the CACI solutions and team of experienced analysts. Knowing that their market was always prone to change, Nestlé took a decision to license the software to ensure they could maintain the level of efficiencies gained in the initial phase.
Results
Through a combination of the software and consultancy support from CACI, during both the initial project and ongoing use of the licence, Nestlé were able to rework their territories to give field staff:
- More productive time in store
- Less unproductive time in the car
- Territories that were closer to home
Subsequently, Nestlé has been able to significantly reduce its carbon footprint, through a large reduction in the kilometres travelled by the field team. Nestlé estimate this to be around 1.7 million kilometres less per year, which equates to roughly 42 laps of the world, or 90 million party balloons less CO2 being emitted.
Find out more about FieldForce and CallSmart.
Case study
Agile Field Force planning for Lawrence Merchandising Services
Summary
Lawrence Merchandising Services (LMS) is a full-service retail merchandising organisation with experienced field staff across all 50 US states and Canada. The firm is committed to increasing sales and profits for clients in many respected retail brands by delivering in-store solutions for their merchandising needs.
Company size
5,000
Industry
Manufacturing
Products used
Challenge
LMS noticed strong growth in its retail merchandising activities, and from a base of long-standing traditional retail accounts, the firm decided to expand and seize new opportunities. However, with increasingly more retailer accounts across the US and Canada to consider as part of this expansion, the firm needed a solution that would help them better understand their clients’ businesses to deploy field teams efficiently and continue delivering great service.
Michael Terpkosh, Director of Data Analytics at Lawrence Merchandising Services, explains: “Before this, LMS had limited technology resources for field force planning. Say if we were bringing on a new client with 5,000 stores, we would have used Google maps to put pins against their locations, then compared it to a map showing where LMS already had reps working. It was not efficient and didn’t give us multiple scenario modelling or optimisation capabilities.”
Previously, LMS matched the incremental growth of its long-standing customers over time, adding more reps as needed. Michael adds: “With one of our new accounts, we service over 16,000 stores a month. At that level, we needed structured guidance and support with the complex task of refining overlaps with other reps and retail stores. We had to expand our network of field reps quickly but it was vital to do it accurately, investing in the right places to service existing customers and new business.”
Solution
“We chose InSite FieldForce because we could not find any other solution that could handle our volume of business across every US state,” says Michael. “We felt this was the only application that could accommodate our scale and continuing growth.”
InSite FieldForce supports LMS’ move from a traditional merchandising company to a fast-growing, digitally-led business with headroom for further expansion. The solution has enabled LMS to change its approach, moving towards more territory-based reps rather than recruiting for particular accounts. This helps LMS operate more efficiently, with reps working in the area where they live and servicing multiple clients.
The solution is now embedded in LMS’ business processes, from onboarding new clients to continuously reviewing and optimising the deployment of existing reps across the US. CACI’s InSite FieldForce integrates with other software from another provider, giving LMS strong analytics capability across its entire field operation. LMS uses CACI’s InSite FieldForce along with Movista’s Natural Insight software to run LMS Client Services and Operations, enhancing field team performance.
The benefits extend beyond internally and operationally. “We expected to keep InSite FieldForce behind the scenes and use it to optimise our planning. But we’re also using it to demonstrate our capability in RFPs, showing clients the capabilities that we have to work in the field with a widespread account,” Michael explains.
Results
“[InSite FieldForce] helps us with client retention – they know we can adapt and refine our team to match the evolution of their business,” Michael continues. “[During] the pandemic, we had to be more nimble and flexible. When clients have needed us to help them retune their store calling programmes, we’ve been able to do what-if analysis to show the impact of changes to coverage or visit frequency. Clients know we have the tools and expertise to work with them to optimise their approach.”
Using InSite FieldForce at proposal stage means LMS can ensure that new engagements will be profitable. “We typically get a list of stores to be serviced and their addresses – we can plot out the stores and model their estimated service requirements against our existing reps’ locations. That shows us how we’ll need to change our field force – who to add and how to optimise our existing people,” Michael says. “We can predict the costs of recruitment and on-boarding for a new account.”
LMS’ field-based employees have also reaped the benefits. “In the current employment market, some reps are nervous about working on just one or two accounts – they’d rather work with multiple accounts and work more hours. InSite FieldForce means we can optimise our workforce to give people those opportunities,” Michael continues. “We want to hire great reps who will be motivated in their work: it’s a virtuous circle as clients then get high quality representation from committed, expert people.”
Case study
How Imperial Tobacco improved efficiencies in field sales operations & achieved 100% coverage
Summary
Imperial Brands PLC is a multi-national tobacco company headquartered in the United Kingdom. They are the world’s fourth-largest international cigarette company measured by market share and the world’s largest producer of cigars, fine-cut tobacco and tobacco papers. They produce over 320 billion cigarettes per year, have 51 factories worldwide and their products are sold in over 160 countries. Their brands include Davidoff, West, Gauloises Blondes, Montecristo, Golden Virginia, Drum and Rizla.
Company size
10,000+
Industry
Manufacturing
Products used
Challenge
The UK tobacco category, in which Imperial Tobacco (ITL) is a leading manufacturer, is frequently affected by shifting legislation. Looking to the future, ITL realised it needed its salesforce to be even more flexible, agile and able to adapt quickly to this constantly evolving market.
A comprehensive review and analysis of existing coverage strategy suggested the potential to further improve efficiencies and field sales operations.
Moreover, through adjusting their approach to coverage, ITL would be able to reach out to more retailers, more often, more efficiently and with greater cost-effectiveness.
Solution
CACI’s consulting capability formed an integral part of the planning processes, helping ITL provide exceptional clarity and direction to both their salesforce and customers throughout what was a demanding and time-critical project.
In terms of software, Imperial Brands relied heavily on CACI’s InSite FieldForce and CallSmart solutions throughout the process. InSite FieldForce’s sophisticated headcount analysis and territory optimisation functionality, coupled with CallSmart’s efficient routing technology enabled ITL to implement best-practice coverage and routing principles without significantly impacting upon their existing sales resource.
ITL performed the review in-house, following software training by CACI and ongoing telephone support during the process.
Results
Working with CACI has allowed Imperial Tobacco to deliver a step-change in both their service proposition and key performance indicators, as well as setting a benchmark across the wider business.
The shape of Imperial’s salesforce evolved significantly in 2016-17, resulting in huge business benefits. More calls were made in the right outlets; in fact, for the first time, they achieved 100% volume coverage to independent retail partners.
Imperial Brands can now also ensure sales objectives are achievable, measure performance with greater accuracy and – perhaps most crucially – adapt in a far more agile manner if and when future changes are needed.
The success of this review has now encouraged Imperial Tobacco to adopt the CACI solutions in numerous additional countries.
