Customer success story

Transforming Workforce Management for a Leading UK Food Distributor

Comensura works with one of the UK's leading wholesale food distributors, supplying over 10,000 food, drink and catering products to more than 40,000 customers across hospitality, education, health and the public sector, from a network of 26 depots.

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Impact at a glance

Greater visibility and control across a nationwide contingent workforce. Supporting constant, year-round demand for drivers, warehouse and maintenance staff.

15% improvement

In fulfilment rate across the contingent workforce

5,600

Employees supported

40,000

Customers supplied

Depots nationwide

10,000+

Products distributed

Programme impact: Comensura helped the client unify its supplier base, improve visibility, and lift fulfilment rates across a nationwide contingent workforce.

Food distributionIndustry

5,600Employees

UKRegion supported

The Situation

A leading UK food distributor needed greater visibility across its contingent workforce.

A UK-wide food distribution network

The client supplies over 10,000 food, drink and catering products to more than 40,000 customers across hospitality, education, health and public sector organisations, from a network of 26 depots.

Constant, year-round demand

The organisations the client supplies are open 365 days a year, creating constant demand for drivers, warehouse workers and maintenance staff.

An MSP partnership since 2024

Comensura won the contract to become the client's Managed Service Provider in July 2024, covering its ambient food, catering and catering equipment distribution division.

Client profile

5,600

Employees across a network of 26 depots, supplying 40,000+ customers nationwide.

Partnership

MSP since 2024

Comensura appointed Managed Service Provider for the ambient food, catering and catering equipment distribution division.

The Challenge

Rising costs and a fragmented supplier base limited efficiency and control.

In a period of rising labour and supply chain costs and economic uncertainty, the client wanted greater oversight of areas such as contingent worker spend and fulfilment rates, to maximise efficiency to its full potential. Previously, an extensive range of recruitment suppliers was used to find the contingent drivers, production and warehouse staff needed to maintain high levels of productivity, with little unification or consistency across the supply chain.

Rising cost pressures

In a period of rising labour and supply chain costs and economic uncertainty, the client wanted greater oversight of its contingent worker spend to maximise efficiency.

A fragmented supplier base

An extensive range of recruitment suppliers were used to find contingent drivers, production and warehouse staff, each operating on their own terms and conditions.

Limited visibility and control

There was little visibility or control of how orders were being released and tracked across the supply chain.

The Solution

Supplier rationalisation, unified terms and smarter technology.

Comensura undertook a thorough review of the existing supplier base using benchmarking performance tools, then used the findings to build a more unified, visible and proactive way of working.

01 Supplier base review +

Comensura undertook a thorough review of the existing supplier base using benchmarking performance tools to improve measurement, especially in compliance, charge rates and fulfilment rates — reducing the number of suppliers to around 27 to improve efficiency.

02 Unified terms and engagement +

All 27 suppliers were moved onto the same terms of engagement, including rates, with clear, fair and unified communication. Comensura leads supplier forums every month to gain feedback on operational challenges and improvements.

03 Enhanced technology and reporting +

The client now uses Comensura's proprietary VMS c.net platform alongside PowerBI for enhanced reporting, giving hiring managers real-time management information for data-driven, proactive workforce planning.

04 Proactive driver supply planning +

Comensura and the client created a capability matrix identifying gaps in driver supply and new local agencies, enabling proactive engagement, onboarding and candidate pool building ahead of demand — reducing the risks normally associated with seasonal peaks.

Results

A fulfilment rate improvement built on greater visibility and control.

By adopting proactive and new ways of working, the client's fulfilment rate quickly improved by nearly 15% — a significant jump both parties were immensely proud of. Comensura is now set to replicate this success in another division for the client, moving fresh meat and fish in a similar way.

15% improvement

In fulfilment rate across the contingent workforce

27 suppliers

Now unified on the same terms of engagement

A step change in fulfilment

Adopting proactive, new ways of working lifted the fulfilment rate by nearly 15% — a result both Comensura and the client are proud of, with further growth targeted as new initiatives embed.

Technology-driven workforce planning

Hiring managers now access real-time management information through Comensura's c.net VMS and PowerBI reporting, giving Account Teams the data and market insight to advise on future workforce and cost-saving initiatives — including a capability matrix that proactively addressed recent driver shortages.

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