As the beverage industry navigates increasing volatility, advanced planning has become more critical than ever. Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) and Integrated Business Planning (IBP) are gaining momentum, but what trends are actually driving the shift?
Here are five insights every supply chain leader in the beverage sector should know:
- Supply Chain Losses Are a Major Concern: Over 70% of leaders in the beverage industry report significant losses related to supply chain disruptions. From raw material shortages to logistics bottlenecks, these challenges highlight the urgent need for more robust planning processes and risk mitigation strategies.
- Tech Adoption Is Accelerating: The industry is catching up digitally. Supply chain planning technology adoption in the beverage sector is growing at a 12% year-over-year (YoY) rate. Companies are increasingly investing in digital tools to gain visibility, improve forecast accuracy, and respond faster to market shifts.
- North America Leads in S&OP Technology: The adoption of S&OP technology in North America’s beverage industry is 40% higher than in EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa). This gap indicates regional disparities in digital maturity and underlines the growth potential for EMEA-based companies.
- Dedicated Roles Still Rare: Despite the growing importance of planning, only 2.4% of beverage companies in North America and EMEA with 100+ employees have dedicated S&OP or IBP roles. This signals a gap between strategic intent and operational execution—highlighting the need to invest in specialized talent.
- S&OP Still Dominates Over IBP: While IBP is often viewed as a more advanced evolution of S&OP, the beverage industry continues to focus on the latter. 71% of dedicated planning roles fall under the S&OP framework rather than IBP, showing that many companies are still building foundational processes before evolving further.
Conclusion
The beverage industry is clearly recognizing the value of structured planning, but there’s still a long way to go in terms of technology adoption, role specialization, and integrated thinking. Companies that act now—by investing in people, processes, and platforms—will be better positioned to manage risk and seize new opportunities in a rapidly evolving market.
