Fermentation Experts Boost Stock Control with MRP Software

Révolution Fermentation went from an at-home labor of love to an intercontinental e-commerce business, boasting a million dollars in yearly revenue. Here’s how MRP software played a pivotal role in supporting its growth.

Fermentation expertise from Canada

Révolution Fermentation, based in South Quebec, aims to make home fermentation accessible to a global audience. Founded in 2018 by Jean-Luc Henry and his wife, the company specializes in creating fermented foods like kombucha, yogurt, sourdough, etc., using living cultures such as yeast, bacteria, and molds. The product line includes everything from fermentation starter kits and living cultures to ingredients and fermentation tools—essentially everything one needs for at-home fermentation. 

Jean-Luc describes the business as catering to a “niche but wide” market – home fermentation is certainly a specialty but a very diverse one. This has led Révolution Fermentation to provide comprehensive educational materials, including recipes, videos, and FAQs, via their website, which drives around 80% of sales. The company’s mission is simple but effective: “Popularizing home fermentations with quality products and advice from passionate people.” 

Home fermentation experienced explosive growth during the pandemic, similar to many other do-it-yourself activities. This led the company to its first expansion into a small warehouse in 2020 and a subsequent entry into the French market in 2021. Today, Révolution Fermentation has 3 full-time employees, two third-party logistics (3PL) partners—one in Canada and one in France—and a growing number of SKUs (stock-keeping units). 

MRP was a new concept

As is often the case, fast growth comes with challenges, particularly in managing inventory and efficiently scaling production. Initially, Jean-Luc ran the fledgling operation using a combination of spreadsheets and simple inventory planning software. However, as production volumes grew, Jean-Luc and his team started facing recurring stockout issues, especially during surging demand. 

“We were running out of stock too often,” Jean-Luc recalls, “We needed to do regular stocktaking to purchase the right amount of materials. By the middle of the month, the stock levels had changed substantially, which the spreadsheets weren’t reflecting. So, we needed to restart the process a lot. It was a real pain to plan out quantities and schedule production. ” 

At the time, Jean-Luc didn’t know what MRP (Material Requirements Planning) was. A consultant introduced him to the concept through a business incubation program. Jean-Luc was hesitant to move away from the familiar comfort of spreadsheets at first but once he realized the potential of automated production software, he began to explore MRP systems. 

After comparing a few options, he decided on MRPeasy, largely because of its functionality. “Other competitors looked great on the outside but seemed to be missing key features. MRPeasy seemed to have the best engine behind it and also very good support. So we decided to give it a try.”

Implementation took just 10 days

Implementing MRPeasy turned out surprisingly quick for Révolution Fermentation. In December 2023, after about a week of research, Jean-Luc decided to move forward with MRPeasy. With the help of an external consultant who had experience in MRP implementation, the company was able to set up basic functionality in just 10 days.

“I needed to be more efficient. I understood that using processes built into the software and designed by manufacturing engineers would be more efficient than creating my own solutions from scratch.” Jean-Luc notes. 

The first Bills of Materials (BOMs) and routings were established, and the system was tested with a small number of products. Jean-Luc describes his company as having an agile approach. This allowed them to roll out MRPeasy quickly, starting with just a few products and functions, and adding more over time.

While the initial implementation was fast, Jean-Luc admits that the most significant challenge for him as a newcomer into the world of manufacturing software, was understanding the logic behind MRP and connecting the different elements within the system. “Figuring out the workflow from customer order to MO to PO was tricky,” he says. Support from MRPeasy’s team was invaluable. “I asked many questions, and most of the time, I got good answers quickly,” Jean-Luc shares.

Inventory control saw immediate improvements

Révolution Fermentation began to see the benefits of MRPeasy almost immediately, particularly in inventory management and production planning. One of the system’s major advantages was its ability to track real-time inventory levels accurately. “Before MRPeasy, we were doing stocktakes very regularly, but the data in the spreadsheets was still outdated,” Jean-Luc explains. “Now, we trust MRPeasy to know exactly where our inventory stands at any given moment.”

The improved inventory control has also significantly impacted the company’s production efficiency. Using MRPeasy, Jean-Luc and his team can plan how long each task will take and allocate labor accordingly. This is crucial for Révolution Fermentation, as their business is highly seasonal, with demand for specific products fluctuating throughout the year. “With MRPeasy, we can accurately tell how long it will take our team to produce everything we need,” Jean-Luc says.

Another benefit of MRPeasy is its ability to provide precise cost calculations. “Before MRPeasy, we had a rough idea of our material costs, but labor and manufacturing time were much harder to estimate,” Jean-Luc admits. “Now, we can accurately calculate the actual cost of production, which has greatly improved our pricing and profit margin analysis.”

A scaling business’s best friend

Jean-Luc has big plans for Révolution Fermentation, aiming to grow the business from $1M in sales to $10M. While there are still challenges and more integrations to roll out, Jean-Luc believes MRPeasy’s robust functionality and the support he receives make it an indispensable tool for his company.

To other manufacturers on a scaling path, Jean-Luc notes: “If it’s yourself that’s slowing your growth, you need to look at your business model. However, if production or stock issues slow down business, then MRP is the path to go down. Focus on what’s really relevant. If production efficiency is important, turn to MRPeasy. I would pick MRPeasy every time.“

Despite initial hesitations and a considerable learning curve, Jean-Luc and his team implemented an MRP system early on and are now reaping the rewards of improved stock control, accurate production scheduling, and better cost tracking. With MRPeasy, Révolution Fermentation is well-positioned to continue its growth and maintain its commitment to making fermentation easy for its customers.

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