“Enjoy a couple of drinks with a stranger, and the whole world opens up”
This key lesson stems from Jack Maxwell, the Booze Traveler. Working in South Boston bars, inspired him to start the show in which he adventurously travels around the globe exploring what people drink and why.
Just like Booze Traveler, we’ve taken you on a trip exploring the richness of beer and its complex planning puzzles. In the past 4 weeks, our Beer Friday series has advised brewers like yourself on what’s brewing in the beer industry and critical business implications for your bottom line. We also looked at hot trends in brewing and their impact on planning processes and supply chain structures.
In conjunction with International Beer Day, we end our series by looking back at the insights we gained over the past month. Here’s the recap:
The beer industry has become a lot more fragmented over the past 20 or 30 years. The first installment of our series started off by diving into the planning challenges SKU proliferation were causing brewers. Although SKU-mageddon affects the business as a whole, we explored the impact on production planning and how brewers lessen it by mastering their supply chain planning processes.
Craft beer is still a hot favorite among enthusiasts. With a strong following around the world, there is great potential for big brewers to join the wave and increase their competitive edge. In the second installment of our Beer Friday series, we looked into the supply chain implications of turning micro- into macrobrewers. Tick off our 5-point checklist to effectively boost your microbrew supply chain!
In the third installment of our series, we discussed all about container returns and how to turn empty talk into plans. Industry insiders agree that unpredictable container return cycles generate some of the highest costs. However, returning empties is not just essential to big brewers like yourself. Craft and entrepreneurial brewers should be also be aware of the constraints empties can pose upon them. So, here’s the bottom line: You do not want to lose a lucrative opportunity due to lack of containers to hold your produce.
In the fourth installment of our Beer Friday series, we took a slight detour from the brewery floor. This time we explored the best practices of sales and operations planning for breweries. Why S&OP? In today’s competitive landscape, brewers need to compete through extended product portfolios and a highly agile supply chain. The key message: A sophisticated S&OP process will advance your corporate performance and boost your profits.
With big developments in brewing, the question remains: What is the next big thing in beer? For one, you and I agree that the beer industry will become increasingly fragmented. Beer drinkers have become connoisseurs with highly receptive taste buds and a thirst for more imaginative flavors. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. And this is where we’d like to hear from you.
Summer giveaway!
For beer enthusiasts like yourself, we’ve prepared a special summer giveaway: A beer basket! To participate, simply leave a comment below by answering the following question:
What beer production trend do you see taking off in the next 5 years?
Send us your answer by August 21, 2015, for a chance to win a refreshing selection of beer ranging from Amstel Light to Zlatorog Beer. With summer and International Beer Day in full swing, what could be more refreshing than a glass of your favorite drink?
