Big Rig Increases Keg Cycles by 106% using Kegshoe

By implementing Kegshoe Inc.’s keg tracking software, Big Rig Brewery has been able to eliminate their costly, inefficient, and outdated keg management practices. Their enhanced visibility over their entire keg inventory has allowed their business to grow exponentially faster and gain a stronger competitive edge in the craft beer industry.

Big Rig's Situation

Big Rig Brewery (Big Rig) has become a prominent brewery on the Ottawa and Ontario beer scene, with beer distribution rapidly expanding all across Ontario. In 2015, Big Rig realized their methods for managing their keg inventory were both inefficient and costly. Relying solely on their financial system to manage their kegs, it was impossible for Big Rig to accurately gauge their keg inventory levels and effectively manage their draught production.

The result was that kegs routinely spent 30 to 40 days (and sometimes longer) at a licensee before being returned to the brewery. Shortages of empty kegs to refill were common, and keg loss rates were reaching levels as high as 10% annually. Big Rig would need to purchase a new batch of kegs three to four times a year, yet the number of licensees was not growing at nearly the same rate. Even retrieving kegs from a licensee was a tedious process, where staff printed off weekly accounts receivables reports and called each individual licensee to verify if they had any kegs that need to be returned. Big Rig realized changes would be required to resolve these inventory management issues.

The Solution

In 2015, Big Rig began using Kegshoe Inc.’s keg tracking software. Within weeks of starting with the software, Big Rig was able to have a complete picture of their entire keg inventory. They were able to see which licensees had which kegs and for how long, track how many clean and dirty kegs were at each storage location, and view their entire draught production levels. With mobile iOS and Android scanning apps, the software has been easily integrated throughout the workforce. This enhanced visibility has had a major impact on Big Rig and has allowed the business to grow faster

The Results

As a result of using Kegshoe Inc.’s keg tracking software, Big Rig Brewery has been able to:

• increase licensee acquisition by 25% while reducing keg purchases by 20%;

• expand sales force by 6 employees;

• improve median keg cycle time by approximately 50%; and

• reduce annual keg loss rates by approximately 86%.

By the Numbers

To see the full results breakdown, download the full case study.

To learn more about Kegshoe Keg Tracking, contact our team today.