Many articles have been written about successful S&OP implementations. Often these articles only over content or context, hardly ever they cover both. But a successful S&OP demands an integral approach. Only in that case Sales & Operations Planning leads to practical actions and results. Quite similar to playing on chess on multiple boards. A...
As always, this year’s IBP Boost Camp was based on the concept of “learning by doing”: hardly any PowerPoints but getting to work yourself in a realistic but virtual environment. Participants from very diverse companies including Albert Heijn, FrieslandCampina, Nexperia, Brocacef, Shimano, Stedin and Puratos tested their S&OP / IBP skills in “The...
For years now, supply chain blogs and articles have invariably begun with a statement about the changing world. There is certainly plenty going on right now, and even the causes themselves are changing. Whereas we used to be able to blame the increasing uncertainty and volatility on changing consumer behaviour, more recently the culprits have been...
For any process to work well, the people running it need to have the right skills and competencies and S&OP is no exception. Even when having done an excellent job in creating buy-in and setting-up processes and systems, S&OP will not be effective if the practitioners are not able to execute it.
With a crystal-clear objective, motivated teams, an effective process and – of course – the right resources, organizations can achieve great things. Various pharma companies have developed, gained approval for and manufactured effective vaccines against COVID-19 with unprecedented speed and on a scale that was previously considered impossible....
“Now, absolutely everyone’s convinced of the value of our new IBP process!” said the IBP manager to a client where we set up an Integrated Business Planning (IBP) process last year. This company is gaining a competitive edge by making smart choices related to market segments, customer focus, production capacity and inventory management with a...
Sales & Operations Planning is essential in organisations with supply chains of any substance. Many companies struggle with it though. A summary of do’s and don’ts. Hans van der Drift is partner with Involvation, a consultancy that focuses on supply chain management. He observes that many organisations struggle with Sales & Operations Planning...
You won’t have missed it: S&OP is a trending topic. There’s no escaping it. If you’re not in, then you’re out! Right? Well, I would be the last person to deny that effective S&OP is essential to successful business. The question, however, is whether you are ready for it. Does your company meet the conditions of effective S&OP? Preventing...
The tenth final of the event known as ‘The Fresh Connection Global PRO Challenge’ was held last month. In this Global PRO Final, 20 company teams from all over the world compete for the title of Global Supply Chain Management Champion plus an illustrious prize: an intensive four-day executive course at MIT in Cambridge, USA. Four demanding...
Selecting a new Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) solution has major implications for a company. A ‘wrong’ or suboptimal choice can have long-lasting consequences for both the implementation project and the business itself. The potential impact, whether positive or negative, is generally substantially greater than any time and money spent on a...