Optimizing demand planning with Kinaxis Maestro

The Highlights

KIK Consumer Products, a leading manufacturer of consumer goods, sought to maximize the value of its Kinaxis Maestro investment and give its planning team the right tools and support to succeed. Facing seasonal business pressures and the need to stabilize and optimize their demand planning process, KIK engaged Zinata to lead the transformation. Through Zinata’s leadership, responsiveness, and people-centered approach, the project stabilized Maestro, redefined how demand planning adds value to the business, and set the stage for a formal Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) process. The result was a resilient, insight-driven planning function that equips KIK to anticipate change and guide the business with foresight.

The Headlines

• 102 issues resolved to stabilize Maestro
• 9 workshops delivered to engage and train planners
• 60+ configuration updates to improve data accuracy
• 10% improvement in forecast accuracy

The Challenge

KIK Consumer Products faced pressure to improve demand planning performance while maintaining business continuity during a busy seasonal cycle. Their Kinaxis Maestro system had been implemented but was not yet delivering its full potential. The challenge was to stabilize the tool, engage and equip planners, and build a reliable process that leadership could trust.

Key challenges included:

• Data accuracy issues undermining trust in forecasts and reports
• Planners relying on manual workarounds instead of system workflows
• Limited engagement from the team during high-season workloads
• Skepticism at the leadership level after prior investments

Solution

Zinata partnered with KIK Consumer Products and implementation partner Scott Sheldon to deliver a comprehensive “Kinaxis Tune-Up.” Together we:

• Completed a diagnostic and addressed over 100 improvement opportunities
• Delivered nine focused training workshops to build planner capability
• Introduced statistical forecasting and reinforced key demand planning processes
• Built a foundation for KIK’s upcoming S&OP process

Zinata guided process design, change management, and project leadership, ensuring not only that Maestro worked as designed, but that KIK’s people and processes were elevated — a hallmark of Zinata’s approach to lasting transformation.

Results and Impact

• System Reliability Restored: Data integrity and reporting were stabilized, allowing planners to trust Maestro outputs and ensuring smoother seasonal execution.
• Planner Effectiveness Improved: Training and coaching reduced reliance on manual workarounds, enabling planners to spend more time on analysis and proactive scenario planning.
• Leadership Alignment Achieved: With accurate data and consistent workflows, executives had greater visibility into demand plans and could focus on strategic decisions.
• Foundation for S&OP Built: The project established a structured, repeatable process that positioned KIK to launch formal S&OP cycles and drive planning maturity across the organization.

Conclusion

KIK Consumer Products’ journey shows the power of combining Zinata’s people-first leadership with Scott Sheldon’s hands-on implementation and technical delivery expertise. By stabilizing Kinaxis Maestro and equipping planners with new skills, the organization established a reliable, scalable demand planning process that can sustain performance long term.

Instead of firefighting, planners now work with greater efficiency and insight. Executives have the visibility they need to make faster, more informed decisions. Most importantly, the business has laid the groundwork for a formal S&OP process that will drive stronger alignment, agility, and resilience.

With Maestro stabilized, planners engaged, and leadership aligned, KIK is positioned to capture long-term value and maintain a competitive edge in the consumer products industry.