Rebuilding a Healthy Supply Chain Post-M&A
INDUSTRY
HealthOFFERING
Strategic Supply Chain Assessment, Technology Strategy & Vendor Selection, SCP ImplementationTECHNOLOGY
KinaxisDivestiture created urgency. Fragmentation demanded transformation.
Following its divestiture from a pharmaceutical conglomerate, this global medical device manufacturer was left to rebuild its supply chain planning capabilities from the ground up. They had inherited all the operational complexity of a global enterprise, but none of the infrastructure needed to manage planning in a consistent, unified way.
It's supply chain consisted of Europe-based manufacturing sites, contract manufacturers across Asia, and sales and distribution networks across North America and Europe.
At the same time as the M&A activity, the organization's technology stack was rapidly changing too. ERP systems were being migrated, but as the new business took shape, there were no connected systems, standardized processes or cross-regional visibility.
Every region planned differently. Demand planning happened in silos, if it happened at all. Supply planning was inconsistent. Inventory planning lacked a common framework.
Leadership had no meaningful way to compare performance across regions or BUs because there was no single source of truth, no shared planning cadence and no common set of metrics.
They had months—not years—to redesign planning processes and select and implement new systems. With critical decisions to make about people, process and technology, the newly independent entity needed to stand up global S&OP, demand, inventory and supply planning capabilities—and do it fast.
This was more than a systems implementation. It was a one-time opportunity to define a healthier target operating model. They were just looking for a systems integrator, but an end-to-end partner who could assess the gaps, define the future state, guide vendor selection, configure and implement the platform and help the company adopt a new way of working.
That’s why they chose Spinnaker SCA.
The end-to-end journey—from assessment to adoption
Spinnaker SCA led the end-to-end transformation, helping the organization define its future processes and organizational structure, and select and implement Kinaxis Maestro for S&OP, Demand Planning, Inventory Planning, and Supply Planning.
- 01 Assess & design the future
- 02 Process alignment
- 03 Technology roadmap
- 04 Kinaxis implementation
- 05 Rollout & adoption
Diagnose before you design
Our team conducted a rapid supply chain strategy assessment to evaluate the company's starting point, identify operational and process gaps and business capabilities to inform the future state design. This work also shaped the supply chain planning technology roadmap.
More importantly, this exercise created alignment across business and IT stakeholders early in the journey.
Build the operating model to match the business
Once where we knew where the company was headed, we redefined S&OP, demand, inventory, and supply planning processes to match the company’s evolving global supply chain and organizational structure.
That meant creating a more consistent planning model across regions while clarifying ownership, roles, and decision-making. It wasn’t just theoretical—it was real. And that visibility turned curiosity into confidence.
Choosing the right platform with confidence
We managed the technology selection RFP and demo process, developed a ROI-grounded business case and helped the client navigate a crowded Supply Chain Planning systems market.
Kinaxis was ultimately selected for its real‑time demand and supply integration and scenario modeling.
Turning technology into capability
Once Kinaxis Maestro was selected, Spinnaker SCA’s certified Kinaxis consultants & fellows led the implementation across S&OP, Demand Planning, Inventory Planning, and Supply Planning.
Our team designed and configured the solution to reflect how the business needed to operate in practice, helping ensure usability, adoption and long-term value.
Making change stick beyond the go-live
We supported user adoption and go-live across approximately 25 planners globally, embedding newly standardized KPIs and processes along the way.
For the first time, the organization had the structure and discipline to compare performance across regions and business units using a common supply chain planning language.
Not just a new planning system, but a healthier global planning capability
The engagement delivered far more than a new supply chain planning system. We stood up a global planning capability that was stronger, more standardized and more scalable than anything the company had before—even under its former parent company.
- One global truth: Established the company’s first unified view of demand, supply and inventory
- Apples-to-apples visibility: Enabled standardized processes and KPIs across regions and business units
- Decisions at speed: Improved decision-making with real-time scenarios and clearer trade-offs across regions
- Agility and resilience: Accelerated planning cycle times to better sense and respond to change
- Post-M&A foundation: Created a stronger supply chain foundation for independence, scalability and future growth