Established in 1916, Rosemont IL-based Multi-Color Label Corporation (MCC), is a global leader in producing specialized labels and printed materials for various industries, including retail and grocery. Operating 109 facilities worldwide, MCC focuses on high-volume label production with direct manufacturing for over 8,000 end-customers.
Success Story
Multi-Color Label Corporation
Multi-Color Label Corporation Streamlines Demand Management with Blue Yonder
The Company
The Business Challenge
MCC struggled with reactionary workflows and capacity allocation management, leading to frequent production delays and extended lead times. Challenges included labor constraints hindering responsiveness to customer demands, equipment acquisition delays contributing to cycles of overcapacity and underutilization, and cyclical demand volatility leading to increased variability in supply planning. MCC needed a versatile solution to digitize its supply chain and drive growth.
The Solution
Blue Yonder Demand and Supply Planning enables MCC with proactive forecasting and strategic resource allocation. This reduces ad-hoc hiring and equipment purchases and aligns capacity with projected demand. MCC’s digital transformation has helped stabilize its operations by mitigating cyclical changes. In addition, improved supply chain visibility and accessibility, provides the company with actionable insights to meet customer needs.
"MCC's adoption of Blue Yonder not only enhanced our forecasting capabilities but transformed our entire production strategy, aligning it seamlessly with market demands. It’s a versatile tool that can scale with us as we grow."
–Margaret Hug, Vice President, Sales, Inventory and Operations Planning, MCC.
Managing challenges in demand, labor and equipment
MCC's journey to improved operational efficiency was necessitated by the persistent challenges posed by a lack of forecasting capabilities. The company's traditional reactionary workflow often led to production delays and extended customer lead times of four to five weeks. These inefficiencies were compounded by labor and equipment constraints—hiring skilled press operators took months and acquiring machinery stretched to over a year. Consequently, MCC faced cycles of overcapacity and underutilization, directly impacting customer satisfaction and retention. This escalated the need for a versatile solution to balance MCC’s supply chain.
Evolving forecasting capabilities
MCC found a transformational solution in Blue Yonder Demand and Supply Planning. Built on Microsoft Azure’s public cloud, it enables the company to forecast demand trends more accurately to proactively optimize staffing, equipment purchases, and production schedules. It has reduced MCC's reliance on reactive measures and helped it to align its capacity with projected needs and mitigate operational volatility.
Creating a consistent operational workflow
With Blue Yonder, MCC stabilized its operations, balancing supply chain visibility with clear, actionable insights. By shortening lead times and enhancing overall production proficiency, the company was able to overcome inefficiencies and retain customer loyalty. MCC achieved 95% on-time-in-full (OTIF) in 2025 and increased its forecast bias to +/-2.5% in 2025. This demonstrates the power of proactive planning in transforming business operations, ultimately leading to sustained success in a competitive market.
Through strategic demand forecasting and resource management with Blue Yonder, MCC evolved from having a reactionary workflow to a proactive, efficient production strategy. This transformation underscores the significant impact that integrated technological solutions can have in redefining industry standards and enhancing customer satisfaction.
"Blue Yonder has been a critical piece in allowing us to move forward towards an integrated business plan, because we're able to get a demand plan that people trust. So now we can work together between our operations, finance, and commercial teams to really come up with what our forecast is going forward.”
–Margaret Hug, Vice President, Sales, Inventory and Operations Planning, MCC.
