Case Studies

IBP Revamp for a Private Label Manufacturer

2 minute read

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: A private label food manufacturer was struggling to run an effective Integrated Business Planning (IBP) process due to inconsistent data, unclear meeting structure, and misaligned cross-functional participation. Catena Solutions partnered with the organization to diagnose core issues and redesign the Supply & Demand portion of the IBP cycle. The result was a streamlined, standardized process that improved decision quality, reduced meeting fatigue, and equipped leadership with the clarity needed to balance demand requirements with operational realities.

The Challenge: Fragmented IBP Process Slowing Progress

A private label food manufacturer had been on its IBP journey for several years, yet the process had become increasingly ineffective. The impacts of the pandemic, repeated organizational restructuring, uneven skill sets, and varying levels of system knowledge created major inconsistencies in how teams prepared for and executed IBP.

As a result, the company’s IBP meetings lacked cohesive materials and strong reporting tools. Leaders did not have clear visibility into exceptions, risks, or opportunities, limiting their ability to make informed supply and demand decisions.

Leadership sought a partner who could objectively evaluate the process, pinpoint what was holding it back, and design a sustainable solution across planning, operations, finance, commercial, category management, business development, and IT.

The Solution: Reviewing & Rebuilding the IBP Process

Catena deployed a Supply Chain Change Management Consultant to conduct a full assessment and redesign of the IBP process for the highly matrixed organization.

Key actions included:

• Diagnosing process gaps across teams: Interviews with stakeholders from analysts to senior leadership helped surface inefficiencies, misaligned expectations, and barriers to effective collaboration. This ensured the redesigned process reflected the needs of all teams involved.
• Benchmarking against best-in-class IBP practices: The consultant evaluated the current approach against leading IBP frameworks and recommended updated steps, reporting tools, and change management strategies to increase adoption and accountability.
• Streamlining and standardizing meeting cadence and content: The organization was holding too many meetings with limited outcomes. Catena consolidated and clarified the IBP meeting structure. Working with planning, finance, and commercial teams, the consultant established standard templates and presentation expectations for each IBP stage.
• Building reporting models and presentation tools: To support consistency, Catena created Excel and Power BI models that aligned data inputs and outputs across analysts. Standardized presentations enabled clearer storytelling, faster understanding, and more effective leadership decision making.

The Benefit: A Resilient, Scalable IBP Process

Catena’s partnership resulted in a transformed IBP process that strengthened cross-functional alignment and improved operational execution. Key outcomes included:

• A unified, collaborative approach to IBP. Cross-department engagement created organizational buy-in and reinforced a holistic understanding of supply and demand challenges.
• Clear and consistent communication to leadership. Standardized materials enabled the Planning team to present complex data in a clear, concise format, improving the speed and quality of decisions.
• Improved reporting tools and dashboards. Power BI and Excel models provided reliable, repeatable outputs for IBP presentations.
• Significant efficiency gains. Streamlined meeting structure and standardized inputs reduced meeting volume and preparation time, giving key stakeholders hours back each month.
• A foundation for ongoing process maturity. The redesigned IBP process will continue to evolve with the business, ensuring adaptability, scalability, and continuous improvement.

Facing similar challenges with your IBP process? Contact Catena Solutions to explore how we can help strengthen your planning, reporting, and execution capabilities.