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FEATURED STORY
Polaris' Journey to Supply Chain Agility
Discover how Polaris shifted supply chain planning into high gear with the help of Spinnaker SCA
Polaris supply chain planning transformation, suppy chain agility

Polaris' Journey to Supply Chain Agility

INDUSTRY
Transportation & Mobility
SOLUTION
Connected Planning & Fulfillment
OFFERING
APS Implementation
TECHNOLOGY
Blue Yonder
THE IMPERATIVE FOR CHANGE

How an off-road icon broke free from broken tech and built a supply chain that actually works

When COVID-19 hit, the world turned to the outdoors—and to Polaris. ATVs. Snowmobiles. Boats. Demand exploded. But so did the cracks in their supply chain planning system. Despite a multi-million dollar investment in Blue Yonder, Polaris planners were still stuck in Excel.
Manual workarounds. Static plans. No visibility. No agility. The result? A supply chain built for yesterday, not the wild ride that lay ahead. They didn’t need new software. They needed it to actually work. So they called Spinnaker SCA.
Polaris blue yonder APS implementation, supply chain consulting
THE TRANSFORMATIVE SOLUTION

Finding a new route

A quick history lesson

We started with a brutal audit of what went wrong the first time. What was configured. What wasn’t. What users ignored. What leadership may have missed. This honest assessment set a strong foundation for what came next.

Full speed ahead

Together we built a lean, smart planning engine that matched how the business actually runs—starting with off-road vehicles (ORV), their biggest and most complex unit.

We also ditched the non-essential parts of the configuration, prioritized what would actually move the needle, and saved everything else for the post go-live guided transition.

Getting it right—the second time

The new design wasn’t just built for a pandemic-level spike. It was built for whatever comes next—demand swings, new product lines, growth in new markets. It flexes. It scales. It works.

Build momentum

We didn’t scrap everything. We brought back experienced users, trained new ones, and bridged the knowledge gaps that caused chaos the first time. We made the platform usable—and used.

A lasting legacy

We didn’t vanish when the new system launched. Our team stuck around part-time, helping Polaris scale the solution to other business units and setting them up to run it successfully without us.
BUSINESS IMPACT

Polaris didn’t just fix their planning software. They redefined how they run their business.

What was once a reactive, spreadsheet-bound operation is now a responsive, data-driven planning ecosystem. Planners stopped chasing Excel and started driving strategy, with the ability to replan the entire network in minutes—not days. By simplifying the architecture and minimizing customizations, Polaris achieved maximum functional performance without introducing long-term complexity—building a solution that works today and can scale for tomorrow.

With a single system and one source of truth, the transformation unified planning across business units—from ORVs to snowmobiles to PG&A (parts, garments & accessories) —replacing siloed thinking with cross-functional clarity. And thanks to the retail-driven forecast model, demand sensing now reflects true consumer behavior, unlocking better agility and decision-making across the enterprise.

 

Process & Policy Alignment and Maturity

  • Increased confidence in S&OP: Enhanced data integrity and visibility have fortified Polaris’s integrated business planning rhythm.

  • Improved supply chain stability: Reduced volatility from fewer late-stage changes and smoother handoffs across planning horizons.

  • Demand-driven decisions: Planners are now equipped with a single version of the truth rooted in retail history, enabling real-time scenario modeling and proactive risk mitigation.

  • Stronger global alignment: The redesign has unified planning practices across key business units, allowing for cross-functional transparency and consistent execution.

Forecast Accuracy & Capability Improvements

  • 24% improvement in forecast accuracy in the Off-Road Vehicles (ORV) business unit, representing a meaningful shift in baseline planning confidence.

  • Retail-driven statistical forecast models were deployed across ORV and Snow, enabling the system to recognize and respond to true consumer demand, not just dealer push.

  • Integrated seasonality profiling accounts for climate and launch variability, improving forecast granularity.

  • Vehicle & Accessory Attachment Forecasting: Enhanced planning logic now supports bundled forecasting, driving better alignment between vehicle sales and accessories replenishment.