Crafting Growth—
from Selection to Implementation
A leading beer manufacturer's journey from selecting a new technology provider to transforming end-to-end supply chain planning
INDUSTRY
Consumer ProductsOFFERING
System Assessment & Vendor Selection, APS ImplementationTECHNOLOGY
Kinaxis, 4FlowWhen innovation outpaces technology capabilities
A multi-billion dollar beverage company—widely credited with shaping the U.S. craft beer movement—had become a global powerhouse with a product portfolio spanning beer, cider, hard tea and seltzer, plus dozens of category-leading brands sold through a three-tier distribution network spanning more than 400 wholesalers.
However, despite the company’s track record of growth and innovation, its supply chain planning environment was fragmented and manual.
Legacy tools, disjointed workflows, and growing SKU complexity made it increasingly difficult for the company to align production, inventory, and distribution with customer demand.
We assessed their current technology stack and business requirements and helped them build a roadmap for supply chain planning excellence. And then we went and built it. It was more than a technology upgrade—it was a new planning foundation purpose-built for scale.
Brewing business value beyond a technology implementation
- 01 Reality check
- 02 Select with purpose
- 03 A blueprint for implementation
- 04 Implement for execution
Before rebuilding, we applied our Fives Lenses Framework to expose what was working and what wasn't
We conducted an end-to-end system assessment of the company's existing supply chain planning ecosystem across demand planning, wholesaler collaboration, sales order management, transportation planning, and production planning.
Based on the identified gaps in forecast accuracy, planning accountability, data, and production and replenishment coordination, we built a pragmatic roadmap for modernization that is grounded in operational reality.
Instead of chasing features, it was about choosing a platform based on business requirements
Following the holistic system assessment, we led a structured vendor evaluation and RFP process to identify the best-fit vendor.
Kinaxis Maestro was selected by the company for its supply chain planning backbone, plus capabilities for a single, cohesive model for demand, supply, inventory, and logistics planning.
Implementation wasn't just about tools—it was about the process, ownership and scalability
It was more than a system implementation. Spinnaker SCA's supply chain planning experts guided the development of a long-term planning blueprint—defining the roles, workflows, and governance model needed to sustain planning maturity.
The resulting process aligned planning capabilities and data with expansion goals and SKU growth.
A single, end-to-end planning model synced internal operations with 400+ distributors
Our team configured and deployed Kinaxis Maestro to cover sales order planning, distributor replenishment, production scheduling, inventory visibility, and truck-load building.
The rollout spanned planning for internal production operations and more than 400 wholesaler nodes—unifying them into a single, integrated planning model.
A modern planning engine that fuels performance—not firefighting
The result? A supply chain built to move and scale as fast as their business.
- 80% reduction in planning cycle time: Automated workflows and shared visibility replaced spreadsheets and rework loops.
- Improved service levels across the network: Forecasts are now aligned with production, inventory, and replenishment for downstream distributors.
- Lower inventory carrying costs: Inventory levels were optimized through better signal accuracy and replenishment logic.
- Smarter scenario modeling: Planners simulate disruptions and promotional surges in hours—not days.
- Logistics that match the plan: Integrated transportation load building ensures optimized truckload execution based on feasible supply plans and wholesaler inventory needs.
- Cross-functional coordination by design: Procurement, manufacturing, logistics, and planning now share a unified planning environment.
Let’s build what’s next.
Speed, coordination, and integrated decision-making are critical for any business. If you're looking for help to assess what’s broken,
choose the right platform or build a connected planning model, let's talk.