Up, up and away

Positioned for growth
After five years, Spin Master’s supply chain makeover is wrapping up. Kennedy says there are a few small projects on the agenda, but for the most part, the processes are exactly where they need to be to support further growth.

To start, inventory levels are lower than they were before. This means that the company’s revenue growth has outpaced the money it needs to fund inventory levels, improving its cash flow immensely.

Since communication is clear, rush orders and make-goods are rare.

Workers are much happier and more productive.

Perhaps most importantly, the company’s customers—which now include some of the biggest names in retail—are more satisfied. Slowly but surely, this is giving Spin Master more and more coveted shelf space.

“The philosophy was to build a solid foundation and streamline the processes first. Align the teams, look at world-class processes, use a world-class tool, look at ourselves differently and let it digest,” Kennedy says.

“We’ve actually enabled the speed of the business we need to be a very confident and strong competitor in the industry we’re in. We now have all the abilities necessary to execute that.”