Kinaxis expands ScottsMiracle-Gro partnership on planning

Kinaxis has expanded its partnership with ScottsMiracle-Gro, focusing on supply chain planning across ScottsMiracle-Gro's North American network.

As part of a broader overhaul of its planning operations, ScottsMiracle-Gro is increasing its use of Kinaxis Maestro. The system is expected to improve forecasting in a business shaped by seasonal swings, regional weather patterns, retailer promotions and shifts in consumer demand.

The move deepens an existing relationship between the two companies. ScottsMiracle-Gro had already seen results from earlier work and has now chosen to extend that approach across more of its operations, according to Kinaxis.

Supply chain planning is especially important for ScottsMiracle-Gro because demand can shift quickly at key points in the year. A warm spring weekend, for example, can trigger a sudden rise in purchases of lawn and garden products, while poor weather can suppress demand in some regions and lift it in others.

That volatility has made standardisation a priority. Before adopting the Kinaxis platform, ScottsMiracle-Gro relied on manual workflows and had limited consistency across business units, making it harder to respond quickly during peak periods, according to the company.

Planning shift

The expanded partnership is intended to bring planning, decision-making and execution together on one system. Kinaxis said this would give ScottsMiracle-Gro a more unified model for balancing supply and demand across a network that must respond to changing conditions in near real time.

Scenario planning was a key factor in the decision to expand the relationship. Maestro allows users to model weather changes, material shortages and production trade-offs, helping planners adjust more quickly when conditions shift.

For a consumer goods company with a strong seasonal profile, those trade-offs can be acute. A sudden jump in demand may require changes to production schedules, inventory positioning and retailer fulfilment plans, while a weak season can leave stock in the wrong place.

Better visibility across those decisions should reduce the risk of stockouts and cut inefficiencies, the company said. ScottsMiracle-Gro also wants to strengthen service for retail partners that depend on reliable deliveries during short, high-demand selling windows.

ScottsMiracle-Gro described supply chain technology as a core part of its broader transformation work. It is aiming to improve responsiveness and operational efficiency while building a planning process that can support longer-term growth.

David Huskisson, Senior Vice President, ScottsMiracle-Gro, outlined the rationale for the expanded deployment.

"Consumer satisfaction is a core conviction for our company," said David Huskisson, Senior Vice President, ScottsMiracle-Gro. "To deliver high-quality, dependable products when and where consumers expect them, we needed a supply chain platform that is dynamic, reliable and responsive. Kinaxis is enabling us to better manage demand and navigate volatility while supporting our growth objectives and strengthening service to our retail partners."

Sector pressure

The deal reflects a broader push among manufacturers and consumer goods companies to tighten supply chain planning after several years of disruption. Businesses that depend on seasonal peaks have faced added pressure from erratic weather, changing consumer habits and shifting retailer requirements, all of which can undermine forecasts based on historical patterns alone.

In lawn and garden products, weather can have a particularly direct effect on sales. Warmer temperatures can bring forward the start of the season, while prolonged rain or unseasonal cold can delay purchases and alter regional demand profiles.

That creates a planning challenge stretching from procurement to production and distribution. If the system reacts too slowly, shelves may be empty during key trading periods; if it overreacts, businesses can be left with excess stock after the season has passed.

Kinaxis, which focuses on supply chain planning software, said ScottsMiracle-Gro operates where demand volatility and customer expectations intersect. It argued that closer integration between planning and execution would allow faster operational responses when assumptions change.

Mark Morgan, President of Global Commercial Operations, Kinaxis, commented on the expanded relationship.

"ScottsMiracle-Gro is operating at the intersection of demand volatility and high customer expectation," said Mark Morgan, President of Global Commercial Operations, Kinaxis. "With Maestro, they are building a more connected, agile supply chain that can sense change, evaluate options, and respond with confidence. By expanding our relationship and bringing planning, decision-making, and execution together on a single platform, they are enabling teams to orchestrate actions across the business, adapt faster to volatility, and create a competitive advantage in an increasingly unpredictable market."

Kinaxis is listed in Toronto and markets software used by companies to coordinate supply chain planning across procurement, manufacturing and fulfilment. ScottsMiracle-Gro is a major supplier of branded consumer lawn and garden products in North America, where timing and product availability can have an immediate effect on seasonal sales.

The expanded partnership underscores how companies in weather-sensitive sectors are placing greater emphasis on planning systems that can respond quickly when demand patterns change.