Streamlining Allocation Processes at Heaven Hill Distilleries

Client Overview

Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc., a distinguished family-owned business, is renowned for producing some of Kentucky’s most celebrated bourbons, including Evan Williams, Elijah Craig, and Rittenhouse. The company’s legacy of craftsmanship and quality is matched by its commitment to modernizing its business operations.

Challenge

Heaven Hill’s product allocation processes were heavily reliant on manual data manipulation and analysis. This labor-intensive approach was not only time-consuming but also prone to errors, affecting the efficiency of product distribution across markets.

Project Goals

To enhance operational efficiency and accuracy in product distribution, Heaven Hill aimed to automate several key components of its allocation process:

• Create Allocation Plans: Develop systems to maintain and update data critical for managing sales part cross-references. Automatic Updates: Implement solutions for the automatic updating of allocation values in the IFS Sales Part Cross Reference. Market-Specific 
• Analytic Dashboards: Establish dashboards for relevant markets to improve information accessibility and market responsiveness. 

The Solution

Blue Orange was commissioned to deliver the Allocations Data Science project, which was designed to automate and optimize Heaven Hill’s allocation processes. The project included several strategic developments:

• Shiny R Application Development: A Shiny R application was created to serve as a KPI dashboard, allowing the allocation manager to efficiently distribute the product allocation plan. This tool provided a user-friendly interface for managing and visualizing key performance indicators related to product distribution.
• Data Schema Integration: A new data schema was established on the SQL database, which would integrate data from ERP tables hosted on Oracle. This schema served as the primary data source for the allocation application, ensuring that data flowed seamlessly and was always up-to-date. 
• ELT Pipeline Development: The Extract, Load, Transform (ELT) pipelines, crucial for the automation of the data update process, were set to be developed by Heaven Hill, demonstrating their commitment to maintaining and enhancing the new system. 

Technologies Used

• Azure: Provided the cloud infrastructure needed for hosting the SQL database and Shiny R application, ensuring scalability and security. 
• Oracle ERP Tables: Acted as the primary data source for the new SQL schema, integrating existing company data into the new system. 
• SQL Database: Hosted the new data schema that supported the application, ensuring data integrity and accessibility. ELT Pipelines: Facilitated efficient data processing, crucial for the real-time update of allocation data. 

Business Impact

The implementation of these solutions significantly streamlined Heaven Hill’s allocation processes, reducing dependency on manual data handling and enhancing the accuracy and speed of product distribution planning. The new system enabled:

• Reduced Operational Overheads: Automation of routine data tasks freed up valuable resources, allowing staff to focus on more strategic activities. 
• Enhanced Decision-Making: The KPI dashboard provided real-time insights into allocation performance, empowering managers to make informed decisions quickly. 
• Improved Market Responsiveness: With automated systems and market-specific landing pages, Heaven Hill could better respond to market demands and optimize distribution strategies. 

Conclusion

The Allocations Data Science project at Heaven Hill Distilleries exemplifies how integrating advanced data solutions and automation can transform critical business processes. By leveraging technologies like Azure, Oracle, and SQL databases, Blue Orange helped Heaven Hill modernize its allocation strategies, thereby enhancing operational efficiency and maintaining its competitive edge in the spirits industry.