Dutchland Foods, a pastry producer based in rural Lester, Iowa, has built its reputation on crafting delectable pastries like the cinnamon kouign amann—a fusion of croissant and cinnamon roll. Behind the scenes, balancing ingredient and packaging material levels efficiently without overstocking presents a complex challenge.
To address these needs, Dutchland turned to CIRAS.
“Like any manufacturer, Dutchland is focused on making its products and fulfilling customer needs,” said Marc Schneider, CIRAS project manager. “Accurate, efficient inventory and warehouse management are essential to their bottom line.”
Dutchland staff attended Inventory Management 101 and Warehouse Management 101 hosted by CIRAS, focusing on fundamentals, inventory accuracy, and optimization. “A 101 session is not intended to be a deep dive,” Schneider explained. “We start at a ground level, beneficial for companies with staff who lack formal training or have outdated knowledge.”
Following the training, CIRAS provided coaching and developed an inventory-carrying cost calculator to guide Dutchland’s purchasing decisions. The tool proved essential when Dutchland considered exporting kouign amanns to the United Kingdom, determining the optimal number of baking cups to stock.
“There’s a risk of overstocking. Items have expiration dates, and this was a new item requiring significant space,” said Matt Hartter, Dutchland’s manager of shipping and inventory control. “We decided on six pallets—enough for a price break without excess storage costs.”
Dutchland also reviewed safety stock levels using Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) and Maximum Daily Usage (MDU) methods, ensuring cost efficiency. An inventory accuracy self-assessment highlighted Dutchland’s strengths and opportunities, such as improving internal inventory tracking.
“Working with CIRAS was helpful, and there were a lot of applications to consider for different departments,” Hartter said.
The company also used export expertise from CIRAS when working on an international business deal to export pastries to the United Kingdom.
“Dutchland is a great example of how CIRAS can build strong relationships by starting with a focused area and expanding support,” Schneider said.
For more information, contact Marc Schneider at maschn@iastate.edu or 563-221-1596.