Conducting a DSD Assessment for a Food Company
A client pulled Clarkston Consulting in to help with conducting a DSD assessment. Read a synopsis of the project below or download the full case study.
Download the Conducting a DSD Assessment Case Study Here
A leading U.S. food manufacturer partnered with Clarkston Consulting to evaluate and transform its Direct Store Delivery (DSD) operations. With a diverse brand portfolio and national retail footprint, the client faced mounting service costs and executional inconsistency stemming from an outdated DSD model.
Clarkston conducted a cross-functional assessment that included field ride-alongs, store audits, and stakeholder interviews. The assessment focused on identifying strengths and opportunities across the client’s core DSD functions, including route optimization, field execution, and inventory management and settlement. Through a series of strategic workshops, Clarkston and client stakeholders aligned on a unified DSD vision, addressing both short-term operational pain points and long-term performance ambitions. This vision served as the foundation for a future-focused transformation strategy.
To support execution against this strategy, Clarkston introduced a tailored performance management framework to drive governance, accountability, and operational consistency. Standard KPIs were defined to enable transparent, data-driven decision-making across the DSD value chain.
A critical insight emerged early in the engagement: while the client had access to rich operational data, inconsistent KPI definitions and reporting practices limited its ability to act on insights. Clarkston responded by delivering a harmonized set of core metrics, including weekly sales revenue, store visit frequency, and average drop size, to provide consistent performance visibility and enable more effective route-level decisions.
A technology review was also conducted to assess current capabilities against the future-state vision. Recommendations included modernizing the existing solution with a mobile-first platform to support real-time inventory tracking, suggestive ordering, and dynamic in-store task execution. These enhancements would enable better communication between drivers and frontline operations, closing the gap between execution and planning.
In parallel, Clarkston evaluated the client’s route modeling approach. The analysis recommended more advanced capacity-based modeling to improve route profitability assessment by incorporating store format, geography, and merchandising complexity. To contextualize findings and further validate recommendations, Clarkston conducted a benchmarking study across eight DSD-enabled consumer products peers. The study evaluated go-to-market strategies, technology maturity and field enablement, warehouse-to-store delivery planning, and store visit frequency and labor allocation.
Benchmarking revealed gaps in integrated planning, field execution, and technology utilization while also highlighting opportunities for the client to leapfrog competitors by scaling its operational differentiators. The engagement resulted in several actionable initiatives:
- Formalized onboarding and ongoing DSD training programs to reinforce executional consistency
- Strengthened executive sponsorship and back-office alignment to accelerate change
- Clear definition of go-forward data and systems architecture to sustain long-term gains
By the conclusion of the engagement, the client had a transformation-ready roadmap and the foundational capabilities to evolve its DSD operation into a scalable, insight-led growth engine, positioned for profitability, agility, and improved customer service.
Download the Conducting a DSD Assessment case study, and learn more about our DSD Consulting Services by contacting us below.
Contributions by Riley Welch
