Ripple Foods Finds the Right Partner to Bring Visibility

Challenge

Ripple Foods required improved budget and promotion analytics capabilities. Their existing tool excelled at planning but lacked robust reporting functionality, forcing manual Excel-based analysis that consumed 1-2 weeks per cycle.

Solution

Big Bang integrated Oracle NetSuite ERP with BluePlanner forecasting software via Celigo, leveraging a five-year partnership history. The consultant team designed interfaces, configured the integration, and resolved implementation issues.

Key Benefits

Real-Time Visibility

NetSuite’s financial data flows seamlessly to BluePlanner, providing immediate product tracking visibility across suppliers and distribution channels.

Forecasting & Budget Control

BluePlanner’s forecasting accounts for geography and seasonality, enabling strategic promotional decisions aligned with monthly and annual spending budgets. As noted: “Because we are constantly changing what we are doing at the customer level, we can see how it’s impacting our monthly forecast for the future.”

Why This Mattered

Elizabeth McCauley, Assistant Controller: “That’s why we’ve maintained the relationship for five years. We’re happy with the quality of work, the responsiveness of the team, and the effort and skill that goes into building something complicated.”

Sales Planning Manager Sarah Pratt appreciated Big Bang’s approach: “I appreciated that Big Bang took something complicated and said it in my own words…When I shared concerns or asked questions, I felt like I was a priority to them.”

Director Kevin O’Connell noted Big Bang’s strategic recommendation to defer a complex implementation phase, preventing project delays while preserving future competitive advantage.

Takeaway

Establish internal milestone deadlines early to avoid rushed final phases when critical information transfers between project stages.