Getting to S&OP Success

You can make your S&OP process pay off for your company — here’s how:

Research abounds on the benefits of developing a productive S&OP process. It is one of the most discussed and written-about topics in the world of supply chain management. In countless surveys conducted by industry analyst firms, a solid S&OP process consistently ranks as one of the top three priorities for management teams.

Implementing an S&OP process and seeing it to full maturity takes time – there are no quick fixes or short cuts. Executives want to implement an S&OP process because the benefits are tangible. Best-in-class companies report consistent, repeatable performance
after implementing S&OP processes, and predictability is all-important.

S&OP, in its long form – sales and operations planning – is the decision process used to match a company’s demand to supply, and align its supply chain plans to its business strategy. For many management teams, S&OP initiatives are agents of change that can dramatically reduce costs while improving customer service. However, there is still a wide gap between a best-in-class and the typical S&OP process in place today. Many companies find it difficult to push past the challenges preventing them from achieving a highly effective S&OP process and realizing the associated benefits.

A typical S&OP process flow looks like this:

• Innovation & Strategy Review
• Demand Review
• Supply Review
• Financial Integration
• Executive Business Review

Download this white paper today to get more details, including solutions to many of the common challenges, and how to overcome them and maximize your S&OP success.