Lani Lazari
Founder, Simple Sugars
THE CHALLENGE
THE SOLUTION
Simple Sugars deployed Tenkara to transform their sourcing from reactive to proactive:
Supplier Discovery Agent: Automatically identified and vetted 8x more qualified suppliers across their ingredient roster. What used to take weeks of manual research now happened continuously in the background.
Quote Automation Agent: Reached multiple suppliers simultaneously for every material. Instead of one founder chasing three quotes over five days, Tenkara pulled competitive pricing from 8+ sources by end of day.
Cost Monitoring Agent: Tracked pricing trends across all suppliers and flagged increases before they hit invoices. Simple Sugars now sees cost spikes 2-3 weeks early - with alternatives already queued.
Compliance Validation Agent: Automatically cross-checked supplier certifications (organic, non-GMO, etc.) against Simple Sugars' standards. No more manual document chasing or last-minute compliance scrambles.
STRATEGIC APPROACH
Expanded approved supplier base without adding manual workload
Maintained trusted relationships while building competitive alternatives
Automated the busywork so the team could focus on formulation and growth
Built operational leverage: suppliers know Simple Sugars has options
THE RESULTS
Since implementing Tenkara, Simple Sugars transformed their supply chain from a potential liability into a competitive advantage:
8x increase in approved suppliers - without adding sourcing headcount
10 hours saved weekly - founder's time redirected from quote chasing to growth strategy
2-3 week early warning on price increases - time to lock terms or switch suppliers
Same-day competitive quotes - what took 5 days now takes 5 hours
Zero supplier emergencies since launch - backup options always ready
This shift was about taking back control in the the supply chain. Simple Sugars went from hoping suppliers would deliver to operating from a position of strength.
Before Tenkara:
Founder spent Tuesday mornings emailing suppliers, Wednesday following up, Thursday chasing stragglers, Friday consolidating quotes in a spreadsheet.
After Tenkara:
Founder reviews consolidated quotes from 8+ suppliers Monday morning, makes decisions by lunch, moves on to actual business building.
Supplier relationships actually improved. When vendors know Simple Sugars has visibility into competitive pricing and alternative sources, conversations become more collaborative.
Most significantly, Simple Sugars built a scalable foundation for growth. Adding new products or expanding into new ingredient categories no longer requires months of supplier development - Tenkara handles discovery, vetting, and relationship initiation automatically.
