From 10 SKUs to 10,000: How Algo Supports Growth at Any Stage

If your supply chain planning still lives in Excel, you’re not alone.

For many fast-growing brands, spreadsheets are the go-to tool for managing inventory, forecasting demand, and tracking replenishment. They’re flexible, familiar, and at least early on—“good enough.”

But as soon as your SKU count climbs, your channels multiply, or forecasting accuracy becomes business-critical, spreadsheets start working against you. Errors compound. Version control breaks down. Collaboration becomes impossible. And planning turns into firefighting.

We see it all the time: a single planner—sometimes the only one on the team—trying to juggle a rapidly growing supply chain using siloed tools, scattered reports, and hours of manual work. It’s an exhausting, high-risk setup that simply doesn’t scale.

That’s exactly where Algo fits in.

Whether you’re managing 10 SKUs or 10,000, Algo gives you the automation, intelligence, and support to grow without the spreadsheet stress. And you don’t need a full planning department or major transformation to get started.

In fact, some of our most successful customers began with a single user and a modest product catalogue. We helped them move from data chaos to confident forecasting—starting small with Data Services, accelerating impact with Demand Forecasting Services, and scaling into the full end-to-end demand planning solution as their needs evolved.

In this post, we’ll show how Algo’s modular platform empowers lean teams to unlock quick wins today—while building a strong, scalable foundation for tomorrow.

The problem with spreadsheets (even for small teams)

Spreadsheets aren’t the problem. It’s what they weren’t built for.

• They weren’t built to sync with your ERP, POS, and retailer portals.
• They weren’t built to alert you to missed forecasts or inventory risks.
• They weren’t built for multiple users working across time zones.
• And they definitely weren’t built to forecast demand across thousands of SKUs and dozens of categories.

What starts as a flexible solution quickly becomes a fragile one—especially when:

• Every data source looks different.
  Planners spend hours cleaning reports from ERP exports, retailer portals, and internal systems—just to get them into a usable format.
• One formula breaks the whole model.
  As spreadsheets get more complex, so do the risks. A single error in a lookup or logic chain can ripple through your entire plan.
• No one’s looking at the same version.
  By the time the final file is emailed around, someone else has made updates. And suddenly, no one’s sure what’s accurate.
• You only find problems after they happen.
  Spreadsheets don’t surface exceptions. They just sit there until something goes wrong and someone goes looking.
• Shared files get wiped out.
  All it takes is one mistake in a shared spreadsheet, and hours are lost trying to roll it back or recover what was deleted.

This isn’t just an enterprise problem. We see it most with lean, fast-moving teams—where the planner is also the analyst, the buyer, and the fire extinguisher.

4 Warning signs you’ve outgrown spreadsheets

If any of that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. And you’re exactly who we built Algo for.

If you’d like a deeper dive into the risks and limitations of spreadsheets—especially when complexity grows fast—check out our blog post, Why Move From Spreadsheets: Transitioning to Supply Chain Planning Software.

You don’t need a full team to plan like one

One of the biggest myths in supply chain planning is that you need a big team to operate like a big brand.

You don’t.

With Algo, even a solo planner can run demand forecasts, monitor inventory health, and surface planning risks without needing to build out a data science function or a reporting team.

Here’s how lean teams level up with Algo:

• Automated forecasts—no modelling required
  Algo’s AI engine generates accurate, demand-driven forecasts using your data—so you don’t need in-house statistical expertise to get started.
• Unified dashboards that do the heavy lifting
  Instead of toggling between spreadsheets and systems, planners get one source of truth with real-time updates and built-in logic.
• Real-time exception alerts
  Algo flags issues before they become problems—whether it’s a supply disruption, a demand spike, or a stockout risk.
• Fewer hours on maintenance, more on strategy
  Automation means less time spent reconciling files and more time spent refining plans, running scenarios, and making smart calls.

This is why many of our customers start with just one planner and a modest SKU count. The goal isn’t to hire faster—it’s to scale smarter.

How we support growth—one step at a time

Planning maturity doesn’t happen all at once.

That’s why Algo’s approach is modular. We meet you where you are—whether you’re drowning in disconnected data, stuck in spreadsheet mode, or ready to upgrade your full planning stack. There’s no one-size-fits-all rollout or heavy upfront lift.

Instead, we help you grow with purpose—one layer at a time:

Step 1: Start with clarity

Data Services
Many of our customers begin here. Their first challenge isn’t forecasting—it’s data chaos. Reports come in different formats, from different systems, at different granularities.

Algo’s Data Services team helps unify it all into one clean, forecast-ready stream—fast. We integrate with your existing ERP, POS, and retailer systems without disrupting operations.

“We had limited visibility of our partner sales and inventory data. This lack of visibility led to inefficient practices in predicting consumer demand.” – [Microsoft Devices, Before Algo]

Step 2: Forecast without replatforming

Demand Forecasting Services (DFS)
Once your data is clean, we deliver accurate demand forecasts—as a service.
No platform onboarding. No long implementation. Just AI-powered forecasting handled by Algo’s team.

DFS is ideal for lean teams who need quick wins without the pressure of committing to a full system.

Step 3: Scale when you’re ready

Algo Platform
As your planning needs grow, so can your toolkit. You can layer in:

• Demand Planning
• Inventory Planning
• Inventory Optimization
• Price Planning

All built on the same clean data foundation. And because our team leads the entire journey—no third-party integrators—you get speed, alignment, and ongoing support.

Introducing Two New Ways to Start Fast

Not every brand is ready to implement a full supply chain planning platform and that’s exactly the point.

At Algo, we’ve worked with enough planners to know what really slows teams down: disconnected data, manual forecasting, and pressure to perform without the tools to do it. That’s why we’ve designed two services specifically for lean teams who need fast, low-risk wins without overhauling their tech stack.

Data Services: Clean, Forecast-Ready Data Without the Headache

If your data is fragmented—coming from ERPs, POS systems, retailer portals, and spreadsheets—this is the place to start.

Algo’s Data Services solve the foundational problem: unifying and cleaning your data so it’s ready for real forecasting. We work with what you already have, whether it’s messy, inconsistent, or overwhelming.

What you get:

• Centralized, harmonized data streams
• Compatibility with your existing systems
• A clean, forecast-ready foundation—fast

Demand Forecasting Services (DFS): AI Forecasts—No Platform Required

Once your data is in shape, we can deliver demand forecasts as a service—so you can stop wrestling with spreadsheets and start making confident, data-backed decisions.

DFS is designed to deliver real business value without needing to onboard the full platform. Algo’s team handles the forecasting. You get the results.

What you get:

• AI-powered demand forecasts tailored to your business
• Delivered by Algo’s in-house experts
• No system implementation or replatforming required
• Typically live in 90 days

This is forecasting as a service—ideal for solo planners, overloaded managers, or teams in transition.

Not sure where to start?
If you’re still working in spreadsheets, Data Services and DFS are designed to help you level up without the risk. They’re the fastest way to see value from Algo—before committing to a full platform rollout.

Start small, scale smart

You don’t have to solve everything at once. Whether you’re a solo planner managing a few product lines or a growing team expanding across multiple channels, Algo gives you the tools to scale—without unnecessary friction.

Once your data is centralised and you’re forecasting confidently, you can layer in exactly what you need, when you need it.

Add modules as you grow

• Demand Planning – Move from forecasting to full-cycle planning
• Inventory Optimization – Align stocking decisions with forecast accuracy
• Inventory Planner – Simplify buying decisions with centralised planning tools
• Price Planning – Optimize pricing decisions to balance demand, margin, and competition

Each module is built on the same clean data foundation. There’s no duplication of effort, no rip-and-replace risk—just smart expansion as your needs evolve.

No Third-Party Integrators

Every implementation is guided by Algo’s in-house team. That means you get:

• Faster onboarding
• Deep alignment with your goals
• Support from the people who built the platform

“The JB Buying Team in partnership with V Net facilitated the management of our inventory during the current volatility associated with COVID-19. The Algo crew drove the system to accommodate the multiple “what if” scenarios required to resolve our daily inventory adjustments during a time of significant change that we needed to make, allowing us to continue supporting our customers, who had to make rapid adjustments to their lives associated with working and educating from home ”
Cameron Trainor, Managing Director JB HI Fl Australia

As you expand—new SKUs, new channels, new team members—Algo scales with you. Whether that happens next quarter or next year, you’re building on solid ground.

Real-World Results: From Spreadsheet Chaos to Scalable Control

Before they became Algo users, many of our customers shared the same story:

A single planner managing thousands of SKUs, pulling reports from multiple systems, and stitching everything together in Excel—hoping it holds.

Even well-known brands have been there. Some of our earliest implementations—including major tech companies and large-format retailers—began with spreadsheet-based workflows and manually updated forecasts.

They didn’t need a full replatform on day one.

They needed clarity, control, and a better way to forecast.

Here’s what happens when they get it:

• Planning time reduced by up to 80% within weeks
  Automation replaces reconciliation and repetitive updates—freeing up planners to think strategically.
• Error rates drop and forecast accuracy improves
  AI-generated forecasts based on cleaned, unified data outperform even the most sophisticated Excel models.
• Collaboration gets easier
  Teams stop chasing versions and start making decisions using one trusted source of truth.
• Growth becomes scalable
  What used to break under pressure now flexes with the business.

These results aren’t outliers—they’re the standard outcome when lean teams get the right tools and the right support.

A Visual Journey: From 10 to 10,000 SKUs

Planning doesn’t scale in a straight line.

It evolves—through growing complexity, changing teams, and shifting priorities. That’s why Algo’s platform is built to meet you where you are, and scale with you step by step.

Below is a snapshot of how that journey might look:

Growth doesn’t require a replatform. It just needs the right foundation—and a partner who grows with you.

Conclusion: Planning Power for Every Stage of Growth

Whether you’re managing 10 SKUs or 10,000, the pressure to forecast accurately, move quickly, and scale intelligently never goes away.

But here’s the good news: you don’t need a big team, a full replatform, or months of disruption to take the next step.

At Algo, we’ve built a planning platform that grows with you. Start with cleaned, unified data. Add AI-powered forecasting when you’re ready. And scale into full-cycle planning—on your terms, not ours.

For solo planners and fast-growing teams alike, the journey starts with clarity and ends with control.

Growth doesn’t require a replatform. It just needs the right foundation—and a partner who grows with you.