Craft 'Ohana Unifies Operations & Crushes Growth Goals with Crafted ERP BevX

In 2022, Craft ‘Ohana Founder Garrett Marrero and President and COO Scott Metzger had a decision to make. Faced with the complexities of growing a multi-category beverage business in a saturated market, they knew their current software was too limited to support the depth and breadth of their vision. They needed an infinitely scalable, end-to-end solution with a 360-degree view of their compliance obligations, product lines and brands. After an exhaustive search, they chose Crafted ERP BevX as the backbone to their current and future operations.

Following a successful implementation, Craft ‘Ohana — the parent company of Maui Brewing Co., Maui Hard Seltzers, Kupu Spirits and Modern Times Beer + Coffee — has triumphed over the challenges of its former data infrastructure as well as the lack of visibility and unification across its multi-category brands. Today, the company is firmly entrenched as the 26th largest brewer in the United States (and growing!) – and it does it all on a single, fully-integrated platform.

Previously tethered to ERP software that lacked the agility and user-centric design needed to support the company’s dynamic environment, Craft ‘Ohana sought a solution that could match its pace and scale. Furthermore, limited data transparency made it difficult to strategically identify areas for operational improvement.

“When I joined Maui Brewing, we were struggling with our data integrity and visibility, which hindered our ability to make smart, data-driven decisions,” shares Metzger. “We had big ambitions to grow Maui Brewing into what is now Craft ‘Ohana, but we knew we would have to change the data infrastructure.”

To bring their vision to reality, Metzger and team kicked off an extensive search for a new technology partner and ERP solution. Scalability and access to real-time data were top priorities, as was a platform that met the unique needs of a complex and highly-regulated beverage manufacturing business.

“One key thing to consider when evaluating a new system, especially such a critical, core system like an ERP, is the future. It’s important to envision what you want. Invest in a system that’s not just going to work for you now but also in five or ten years,” describes Metzger.

Collaboration and Unification

Twenty-five hundred miles of the Pacific Ocean separate Craft ‘Ohana’s two primary production facilities, making both its corporate structure and culture unique. Multiple retail locations across Hawaii and Southern California — not to mention a multi-category product portfolio — added even more complexity. For Craft ‘Ohana, a single system was not just a nice to have — it’s a must have.

“Crafted ERP BevX allows us to have different business lines all within one system,” Metzger explained. “We make beer, hard seltzer, hard teas, spirits, spirits-based RTDs and coffee, and being able to do all that without switching between systems is a huge benefit.”

Crafted’s unified business management platform provides greater visibility across the organization, resulting in a more engaged, collaborative work environment. Metzger added, “We use Crafted for everything! Having a reliable single source of truth has enabled strategic discussions to take place on common ground with common data.”

Data Wields Its Operational Influence

Before the switchover, Craft ‘Ohana struggled to get accurate, timely information out of its old ERP system, which affected its ability to forecast and strategize. Crafted ERP BevX has significantly enhanced Craft ‘Ohana’s decision-making process through timely insights into issues, inefficiencies and — most importantly — root causes.

Built for Beverage

Metzger describes Crafted’s platform as a “click, not code” interface. The intuitive design is userfriendly and purpose-built for modern beverage manufacturing. Out-of-the-box reports and analytics are easy to customize, meaning the team can focus on producing delicious beverages and leave the system design to the Crafted developers.

“One great thing about working with the Doozy team is that they have experience in our industry and know the struggles we’re going through as operators. It makes a huge difference in terms of the way they approach not just the platform’s design but also usage and support,” Metzger elaborates.

Eyes on the Future

Looking ahead, Metzger anticipates further growth and process improvements with Crafted, stating: “As we dive deeper into Crafted it will allow us to enhance our e-commerce site and our coffee brand. We’re on the verge of finishing our integration with Shopify and Crafted, and we hope that helps us take that channel to the next level.”

Craft ‘Ohana stands ready to shape its future one strategic move at a time. The company’s dedication to growth and innovation positions it to continue exploring new opportunities and possibilities in the bev-alc industry — and beyond! Further, the collaboration with Doozy Solutions transcends the conventional vendor-customer dynamic and has evolved into a true partnership where mutual success is intertwined.

“Crafted and the Doozy team will be by your side to help guide you and respond to your issues. They are very receptive to our needs and understand the unique challenges that a company in our specific manufacturing environment might face day in and day out,” states Metzger.