Rye River Brewing:
52% faster inventory cycle
An employee-led Lean project transformed finished goods inventory management — eliminating €23,400 in annual waste and achieving 93% racking accuracy.
Inventory records didn’t match reality
This case study was identified by an employee. It related to Finished Goods Inventory Cycle. She saw a number of issues that she wanted to address:
- The book stock didn’t match the physical stock on the premises.
- The physical stock didn’t match the racking boards.
- Unauthorised personnel were moving stock within the brewery.
- It was time consuming to organise the book to physical reconciliation.
- This all led to unfulfilled customer orders and lost sales.
- She calculated the company was wasting approximately €23,400 per year (10–15 hours per week, average costs €300–450).
From chaos to measurable accuracy
Key Challenges
The company wanted to:
- Increase the accuracy of the racking board to 95%
- Improve traceability of the products
- Save time on stock reconciliation
- Increase book stock record accuracy
The Lean Solution
Using the 8-Step Problem-Solving Process and a team brainstorming event:
- Updated QC template with count check space
- Introduced lot numbers and BBE dates on aisle sheets
- Redesigned record pages on domestic boards
- Changed counting to only after production finishes
- One open half-pallet per product at a time
- Trained staff on picking process and stock movement
- Introduced weekly floor meetings
8-Step Problem-Solving Process
In trying to solve a particular problem, we advise using the 8-Step Problem-Solving Process.
Problem
Defined the inventory mismatch and its business impact — lost sales, wasted time, inaccurate records.
Current State
Mapped the existing inventory cycle end-to-end, documenting where records diverged.
Target
Set a target of 95% racking accuracy and reduced reconciliation time.
Root Cause
Identified root causes through brainstorming, prioritised with an Impact/Ease Chart.
Countermeasures
Categorised into: Just Do It, Why Not?, Projects, and Not Now.
Implementation
Rolled out changes across QC, racking boards, counting processes, and training.
Evaluation
52% cycle time reduction and 93% racking accuracy achieved.
Standardisation
New processes standardised and learnings documented across the brewery.
Brainstorming & Impact/Ease prioritisation
We collaborated with Rye River to set up a Brainstorming Event. The team presented the problem statement and current process. Everyone contributed ideas on post-it notes.
We then mapped all ideas on an Impact/Ease Chart — a visual representation of where best to assign time and resources. No issues are discarded; their priority may shift as other problems are resolved.
Just Do It
High impact, easy to do now.
Why Not?
Low impact, easy to address.
Projects
High impact, difficult to address.
Not Now
Low impact, difficult to address.
Countermeasures implemented
The team identified a list of issues and countermeasures which they implemented:
- QC template update. Changed QC page adding count check space.
- One half pallet per product. Avoided opening more than one pallet per product.
- Lot numbers on aisle sheets. Introduced lot numbers and BBE.
- Redesigned record pages. Added space for date and count when cases are removed.
- Counting timing. Count stock only when production is finished.
- Picking process training. Recognised need to train staff.
- Stock movement authorisation. Train personnel on authorised movement.
- Weekly floor meetings. Improved communication across the team.
Learnings
- Incorrect records and mistakes lead to time wasted.
- Culture change takes time and persistence.
- Team effort was essential to achieve a good result.
- Communication helped discover the source of problems and develop solutions.
“Our mission is to make great beer. We strive to make every drop of it just as good as the last.”Rye River Brewing CompanyCelbridge, Co. Kildare
The expertise already exists inside your organisation
We firmly believe that the expertise to develop business process improvements already exist in every organisation. This has clearly been the case in Rye River Brewing Company. Through their employees’ Lean projects, the company has made significant continuous improvements to their business.
Lean Teams has worked with Rye River Brewing Company to streamline their business and improve their processes. You may also be interested in: Case Study 1 – Wasted Time and Case Study 3 – Forecasting Racking. All our case studies are available here.
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Lean Business Improvement in Ireland
This case study is one of many examples of how Irish businesses are using Lean methodology to drive measurable improvement. Whether in manufacturing, professional services, healthcare, or the public sector, Lean principles help organisations identify waste, streamline processes, and empower their teams to work smarter.
At LeanTeams, we deliver practical Lean training programmes — including our Lean Business Simulation, Lean Essentials, and Lean Practitioner pathways — designed to create lasting results. Many of our programmes are eligible for Enterprise Ireland funding.
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