Streamlining Operations with Brew Ninja Brewery Management Software

Streamlined Operations and Centralized Management

To say brewing great beer came easy would be an injustice to the team at Pile O’ Bones Brewing Company. Pile O' Bones Brewing Company, is a company built on great beer, and is one of the largest craft breweries in Saskatchewan. As the business expanded, so did the complexity of their operations, prompting a need for a more efficient system to manage their growing brewery.

Prior to switching to Brew Ninja, the team at Pile O' Bones was relying on spreadsheets and outdated software to manage the business, which was time consuming and error prone. In Brew Ninja, the team found a centralized platform to unify all aspects of the brewery's operations. This allowed them to focus more on brewing high-quality beer while reducing administrative tasks and manual processes.

With all the relevant data entered directly into Brew Ninja, everything you need is in one place.

“It saves hours of time a week. It integrates for inventory. It integrates for sales. And it’s basically the CRM wing of QuickBooks as well.” -Brent Babyak, Operations Manager, Pile O’ Bones Brewing Company

Inventory and Keg Management

One of the most valuable features of the software is its ability to run a ‘just-in-time’ inventory, which means that the company doesn't have to sit on costly amounts of product on both the production and sales sides of the entire business.

“Being that beer is a spoil-able product, it means that we’re not making beer that we don’t need for months on end.” -Brent Babyak, Operations Manager, Pile O’ Bones Brewing Company

Like a lot of craft breweries, Pile O’ Bones has a couple of core brews which are always in high demand. That means, week to week, it can be difficult to forecast how many kegs will be needed. With Brew Ninja, Glenn has full visibility of the inventory in his warehouse at any time, from any device. This means that he always has a clear view of what’s available.

“Knowing your inventory live when you’re selling beer as a small craft producer is the most important thing." - Glenn Valdardson, General Manager, Pile O’ Bones Brewing Company

They’ve really benefited from the keg tracking functionality too. What used to involve a wet piece of paper and running ink now involves scanning the kegs as they package them, right from their phones, and tracking the location and status of each keg digitally.

Compliance & Accounting

For Operations Manager, Brent Babyak, Brew Ninja is both affordable and effective software. And one of the most unexpected savings is that Pile O’ Bones don’t actually need to employ a bookkeeper on staff.

That’s because Brent and Head Brewer Nathan do most of the data entry themselves, from their phones. And the real-time data collection isn’t an additional administrative burden, because they’re essentially just recording what was done that day - which can be used for valuable data analysis used to run the business. Through the integration with QuickBooks Online, it is easier for Pile O’ Bones to keep their financials up to date. Particularly during the pandemic, this allowed them to remain agile and make important decisions quickly.

With regulations frequently increasing and changing, Pile O’ Bones needed software designed to help them adapt and maintain accountability. They’d used other less integrated software for their business management, but it wasn’t until Pile O’ Bones tried Brew Ninja that they found a ‘great’ solution to their statutory accountability requirements.

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Honouring The Past: Brewing The Future

For the founders of Pile O’ Bones Brewing Company, it felt right to recognize the historic roots of their home city. Known variously as Wascana, Oksana, and Pile O’ Bones, it was renamed Regina for Queen Victoria in 1903.

In logo, name, and spirit, Pile O’ Bones Brewing Company serves as a reminder of the Indigenous peoples that inhabited the area for thousands of years before it became Treaty 4 land. Like the piles of bison bones left to honour the deceased animals’ spirits, their brand represents devotion and commitment to the local community.

Combine these noble intentions with a group of award-winning home brewers, and craft beer connoisseurs, and you have the makings of one of the finest and largest craft brewers in Saskatchewan.

Pile O' Bones Brewing Saves Time & Money with Brew Ninja

Streamlined Operations and Centralized Management

Inventory and Keg Management

Compliance & Accounting

Honouring The Past: Brewing The Future