Read about how Five Roads Brewing Co. starting to use Brew Ninja allowed them to better track inventory of materials and product SKUs, all while maintaining an accurate COGS.
So Many Materials to Track, So Little Time
Throughout Five Roads Brewing Co.'s first year, they were able to achieve a lot without the help of a brewery management software. At first, it seemed like they would be able to handle production, inventory, sales and more through other, more conventional means. However, as Five Roads started to grow their customer base and business, they quickly realized there were issues with this approach that were quickly stacking up, and needed to be addressed.
Prior to Brew Ninja, Five Roads struggled to keep track of their product SKU and material inventory, as well as COGS. They quickly realized that they needed to find a solution that could help them to keep their finger on the pulse of their inventory going forward.
Five Roads found that they were having trouble keeping track of the wide variety of different hops that they use to brew their beer. The brewery often rotate between a myriad of different hops to produce their rotation of beers, and constantly updating inventory was becoming increasingly difficult. Essentially, tracking all of their materials, from grain to glass, felt like a daunting task and was only getting more difficult the longer they brewed without a brewery management software.
Five Roads Brewing Co. knew that they needed to find a solution. Five Roads needed to find a brewery management software that could help them to manage their brewery in one easy to use place. After some research, they found Brew Ninja was able to fit the bill for what they were looking for.
Taking a different approach
Roughly a year after opening their doors, Five Roads Brewing Co. decided to give Brew Ninja a try in an attempt to solve their issues with tracking of inventory. Their hope was that the use of Brew Ninja would help them to better keep track of their inventory (where it is, how much they have, what they have, etc.), and so far, they have been able to solve their inventory problems and improve their efficiency across the board.
According to Nic Hendrickson, former brewer at Five Roads, Brew Ninja "makes the tracking of inventory much more simple."
Their issues with tracking inventory of both product SKUs and materials have been completely eliminated. Additionally, the added benefit of being able to track their COGS in real time has allowed them to be able to know how much their inventory is worth at any time. Ultimately, this helps the business price their product.
For Five Roads, the difference has been night and day. They feel that Brew Ninja has made their day to day so much easier. We could continue describing the ways Five Roads has benefited from Brew Ninja all day, but we'll let them sum it up instead.
According to Nic Hendrickson, "It’s a simple system with easy input of orders and the ability to adjust on the fly!"
More about Five Roads Brewing Co.
Langley, BC has been experiencing a boom in craft beer production over the last few years, and Five Roads Brewing Co. was one of the first to blaze this new trail amidst a new wave of breweries coming to the city. After plans for another brewery in the same location fell through in 2018, Five Roads was able to pick up where they left off, and a year later, Five Roads Brewing Co. was born! Five Roads was opened by Owner Aaron Fourt and General Manager Patrick Moore, and was so successful in it's initial first few years open, they were able to open a second tasting room in Steveston, a neighbourhood in Richmond, BC. Since opening, they have been able to take home a Gold Medal for their Permanent Resident IPA in the American IPA Category at the 2021 Canadian Brewing Awards, and continue to brew great beer to this day! (with many more awards to come, we'd bet!)
Five Roads Brewing founded their company with the goal of pushing limits and collectively celebrating the milestones in their lives, however large or small, and strives to embody a spirit of shared adventure that pushes them to continually seek new horizons. They pride themselves on making beer that is as creative and diverse as the people they serve, believes in using "great beer as a tool to shape & share our experiences with friends as they navigate the journey of life", and strives to continue to build a community. They truly wish to be a space that allows people to connect, explore, and share, and want to represent a crossroads for the community. For what it's worth, we think they've been able to achieve all of the above!
If you're in the Langley or Steveston areas, or visiting British Columbia, you can't go wrong with visiting or tasting some beer from Five Roads Brewing Co.!
Find them online