About Datagrid Base Advisory

Registered business

Datagrid Base Advisory is the official registered business name of our practice. We were established in 2014 in Taoyuan, Taiwan, to serve wholesale distributors who needed purchasing advice grounded in warehouse reality rather than abstract forecasting models.

How we began

Founder Wei-Lin Kao spent twelve years as a purchasing manager at a mid-size household goods wholesaler in Taoyuan before opening the advisory. The recurring problem was the same: purchase orders were built from last year’s volumes plus a growth percentage, while southern retailers had already shifted to smaller pack sizes and different price points. Colleagues from other distributors asked for help reviewing their buying sheets before major seasonal orders. Datagrid Base grew from those informal reviews into a focused consultancy.

What we do today

We advise wholesale businesses on demand planning — how much to buy, when to place orders, and how to classify stock by movement velocity. Our clients import packaged foods, distribute stationery, and stock household consumables for retailers across Taiwan. We work on-site at warehouses, sit with purchasing teams during supplier calls, and deliver written roadmaps your staff can execute without us staying on permanently.

Our team

Wei-Lin Kao — Founder and lead advisor. Former purchasing manager; specialises in mixed-assortment wholesalers with 500–3,000 SKUs.

Hsin-Yi Chang — Senior advisor. Background in FMCG import operations; leads seasonal calendar workshops and supplier lead-time mapping.

Marcus Doyle — Advisor. Former regional sales manager for a European packaging supplier; supports English-language client communication and export-oriented wholesalers.

Working approach

We start with your data and your warehouse floor, not a proprietary methodology deck. Engagements are scoped in writing before work begins. We tell you when your data quality will limit what we can recommend, and we do not promise margin improvements we cannot trace to specific buying changes.

Relationship to clients

Most clients engage us for a diagnostic or workshop, implement recommendations internally, and return before the next major seasonal buy. A smaller number retain us quarterly for inventory position reviews. We do not sell software, take commissions from suppliers, or place purchase orders on your behalf unless explicitly agreed in a separate retainer.

Values

Clarity over complexity. A replenishment cadence your night-shift team understands beats a sophisticated model nobody maintains.

Honest scope. If two weeks is not enough for your ERP mess, we say so before you sign.

Local context. Taiwan’s retail calendar, port schedules, and supplier relationships shape every recommendation we make.