Ice cream
This ice cream brand’s procurement team became so good at timing purchases, even their suppliers wanted to know their secret.
How a beloved ice cream manufacturer turned rising ingredient costs into a competitive advantage with Expana
This premium ice cream manufacturer has built its reputation on one thing above all: unparalleled creaminess. For decades, its brand promise has been about delivering indulgent, high-quality products without compromise.
The challenge
In recent years, the company faced sharp cost increases across its core ingredients, especially dairy, cocoa, and sugar. Unlike competitors who diluted quality to preserve margins, this manufacturer refused to compromise on creaminess. But rising input costs left them exposed:
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Higher ingredient costs threatened profitability
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Procurement lacked the visibility to know when to buy at the best time
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Negotiations with suppliers were often reactive, limiting leverage
Protecting margins while preserving product quality demanded a smarter, more proactive approach.
The solution
The company partnered with Expana, equipping its procurement team with:
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Forecast data for dairy, cocoa, and sugar to anticipate market shifts
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Real-time pricing intelligence and market insights on commodities such as coconut oil and almonds
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Cost modeling that allowed them to track ingredient costs proactively and easily, even incorporating forecasts and anticipating overall COGS movements for each finished product
With Expana, procurement moved from reactive responses to increased ingredient costs to strategic, data-led decision-making.
Impact and results
The results were immediate and tangible:
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Equipped with forecast data, the team timed ingredient purchases with pinpoint accuracy, delivering significant savings. Their performance was so precise that the key account manager of a major supplier called them to ask how they managed to time the market so well.
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They negotiated with greater confidence, leveraging current price data and market insights as detailed as on-the-ground reports from cocoa plantations to eliminate disputes and push back on unjustified increases.
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When savings on one input simply couldn’t be avoided without sacrificing quality, they identified cost efficiencies elsewhere, protecting overall margins without compromising their brand promise.
Next steps
Looking forward, the company plans to scale Expana beyond procurement:
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Sales teams will adopt Expana intelligence to bring the same data-backed confidence into customer negotiations
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Leadership expects this expanded adoption will double current savings while protecting the brand’s premium positioning
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“Expana gave us the clarity we needed. We know when to act — and it shows. Even our suppliers have noticed how well we’re timing the market. It’s a game-changer for protecting our margins without compromising the creaminess our brand is built on.”
Customer