From Chaos to Clarity: Smarter Brewery Production Planning with Data & Forecasting

Production planning is one of the bigger challenges in brewing. In this episode, Jeremy Carney from Central Coast Analytics and Dru Ernst from Dru Bru break down how breweries can move from reactive, spreadsheet-driven decisions to proactive, data-powered planning.

You’ll hear a real-world case study from Dru Bru, explore how forecasting by brand, package, and channel actually works, and learn how better planning directly impacts cash flow, margins, and operational efficiency. 

We also look ahead at how AI is beginning to shape the future of brewery production decisions.

🎯 Key Takeaways

• Why production planning is a hidden profit leak
  Poor planning leads to excess inventory, stockouts, lost sales, and tied-up cash, often without breweries realizing the true financial impact.
• What most breweries are doing today (and why it’s not enough)
  Many breweries rely on manual processes, gut instinct, and disconnected spreadsheets, creating inefficiencies and costly mistakes.
• How data-driven forecasting changes the game
  Planning by SKU, package, and sales channel gives breweries real visibility into demand, allowing for smarter brewing and inventory decisions.
• Real-world results from Dru Bru’s transformation
  Moving to a structured, data-informed system improved visibility, reduced guesswork, and enabled better in-season decision-making.
• Where AI fits and the practical first step to get started
  AI is about better recommendations. The first step is getting clean, usable data and a consistent planning process.

Resources

• Connect with Jeremy, jeremy@centralcoast-analytics.com and Dru, dru@drubru.com 
• Get the Brewery Profit Brief - short, actionable insights to drive profitability

Ready to transform financial results in your beer business? Learn more about the Beer Business Finance Association, a network of owners and managers working together to build more profitable companies.