Case Study: Interstate Batteries achieves accurate demand planning and streamlined S&OP with John Galt Solutions' ForecastX

Interstate Batteries Powers Up Demand Planning With Forecastx

Interstate Batteries, the No. 1 replacement battery brand in North America and a billion-dollar, privately held company with products sold through more than 200,000 dealers and centers, faced chronic forecasting problems because it relied on a simple supplier-derived shipment forecast. That approach offered little visibility into how demand flowed from more than 300 distributors to thousands of dealers, resulting in excesses and shortages and preventing a formal S&OP process. To bring forecasting in-house, Interstate Batteries selected ForecastX from John Galt Solutions.

John Galt Solutions’ ForecastX was implemented inside Excel so the team could quickly run statistical forecasts using the Procast best‑fit algorithm, import sales data from reporting tools, and make informed adjustments for S&OP. The solution provided a strong statistical baseline, greatly improved forecasting efficiency (eliminating manual model selection), and delivered measurable accuracy gains recognized by suppliers—“better than it has ever been”—which increased credibility across the value chain and jumpstarted Interstate Batteries’ S&OP.

Interstate Batteries

Tim Leeth

Demand Planning Manager