Supply Chain Matters

MARCH 20, 2025

It requires a collective effort between suppliers, logistics providers, manufacturers, and customers to keep things moving efficiently. Many are integrating Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) with finance and logistics to improve decision-making. All rights reserved.

Supply Chain Planning Software 52

Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Software Supply Chain Planning Supply Chain Strategy 52

Supply Chain Matters

MAY 6, 2025

In the latter, the leveraging of Salesforce Cloud provides customers with the ability to more readily integrate various manifestations of customer along with product demand data and insights into an existing or planned future business-wide overall sales and operations planning ( S&OP ) or integrated business planning (IBP) process.

Supply Chain Planning Software 52

Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software Prescriptive Analytics Software Forecasting Software 52

Supply Chain Shaman

MAY 9, 2023

Organizations use S&OP as a hammer in search of a nail. As a contrarian voice in the industry, I want to share some research to steer the conversations towards a more fact-based dialogue. (I In this post, I want to focus on tactics that work and don’t drive success based on recent research of 107 business respondents.

S&OP 408

S&OP Supply and Demand Supply Chain Planning Software Sourcing Strategies 408

Supply Chain Shaman

JULY 25, 2016

The research starts in April and stretches over many weeks as we analyze the different elements and understand the patterns of each industry. Selfishly, we need standard for our research, but we also want to help supply chain leaders gain new insights from a deep data-driven analysis. What Can We Learn from the Research?

Pharmaceutical 279

Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Design Supply Chain Strategy Supply Chain Planning 279

Logistics Viewpoints

JULY 22, 2021

Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) as a process has been around since the 1980’s. While the terminology evolved, the underlying thesis of S&OP has stayed the same, i.e., bridge the divide between sales forecasts and operational plans while respecting the budget.

S&OP 284

S&OP Supply and Demand Optimal Sourcing Supply Chain Design Software 284

Supply Chain Shaman

AUGUST 21, 2016

I will also pen my 95th report for this week’s Supply Chain Insight’s newsletter. The open content research model is working. Figure 1: Driving Open Content Research. In the course of the cycle of building content–research, writing and speaking–I get many questions. How do I get started?”

S&OP 253

S&OP Supply and Demand Supply Chain Planning Software Price Reduction 253

Supply Chain Shaman

MAY 15, 2023

Now the writing follows the research. I mix the quantitative research with my observations and interviews, and the posts seem to roll from my fingers. If you would like to participate in a current research study, we would love your help and participation in the contract manufacturing study. It was a struggle!)

Manufacturing Procurement 468

Manufacturing Procurement Optimal Sourcing Agile and Lean Supply Chain Supply Chain Planning 468

Supply Chain Shaman

NOVEMBER 9, 2023

Let’s take an example. ” When I asked the question, I got an answer from LinkedIn that the research focused on digital maturity with SAP. The research is generated by SAP. Let’s take another example. Translation of the demand forecast into planned orders to minimize manufacturing constraints.

Optimal Sourcing 409

Optimal Sourcing Supply Chain Planning Software Manufacturing Procurement Modeling 409

Supply Chain Shaman

FEBRUARY 14, 2022

I wrote my first report on Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) while sitting on the floor in the Atlanta airport in 2005 when I was an AMR Research analyst. The model in Figure 1 became the foundational model for the Gartner S&OP model. Sales and Operations Maturity Model from 2005-2008. Figures 2 and 3.

S&OP 195

S&OP Supply and Demand Procurement Analytics Manufacturing Procurement 195

Supply Chain Shaman

SEPTEMBER 3, 2018

According to my research, top-performing supply chains possess three very different qualities. Let’s Start with Definitions: One of the difficulties in supply chain is the lack of common definitions. To help the reader, let’s start with definitions used in our research: Efficiency. What did we find?

Supply Chain Planning Software 377

Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software Agile and Lean Supply Chain Supply Chain Software 377

Supply Chain Shaman

DECEMBER 15, 2022

In my research, I find that the lack of alignment has a direct impact to value (operating margin and market price to book value). To entice you to participate let’s look at the data more closely. These gaps cannot be closed by a simple focus on S&OP or the implementation of a technology. Functional Metrics.

Manufacturing Procurement 397

Manufacturing Procurement Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Planning Software Procurement Analytics 397

Supply Chain Shaman

JUNE 6, 2013

In research study after study, we see that the greatest challenge to achieving supply chain excellence is the understanding of the supply chain by the leadership team. It combines decisions across sell, deliver, make and source processes to drive value based outcomes. This includes optimization and discrete event simulation.

Supply Chain Planning Software 330

Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Planning Optimal Sourcing Scenario Planning 330

Supply Chain Shaman

NOVEMBER 6, 2016

Importance Versus Effectiveness of Demand and S&OP Planning Solutions. This allows shared services of procurement and transportation to function smoothly to achieve the economies of scale. In the last three years the company has embarked on a path to improve Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP).

Supply Chain Planning Software 358

Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Planning Scenario Planning 358

Supply Chain Shaman

JUNE 5, 2013

Manufacturing is designed and planned in isolation. Comprehensive view of source, make and deliver. Most often the focus is on transportation or logistics, but does not take into consideration the trade-offs between make, source and deliver. Focus is on make, source and deliver together. Manufacturing.

Supply Chain Planning Software 255

Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Planning Supply and Demand Supply Chain Design Software 255

Supply Chain Shaman

JUNE 9, 2023

Few companies design their supply chains (research data shows that 9% of companies actively design their supply chains), and few planning systems actively analyze and drive answers to the questions: Do I have a good plan? In the Global Supply Chain, there are More Constraints To Address Than Just Manufacturing. S&OP Is Over-Played.

Optimal Sourcing 363

Optimal Sourcing Supply Chain Planning Software Supply and Demand Manufacturing Procurement 363

Supply Chain Shaman

OCTOBER 2, 2015

” The essence of the article was that the leading expert on smoking, Johanna Cohen from John Hopkins in USA Today, bravely admitted that after four years of research that she did not know. It’s what makes science strong. It’s only completely illuminating when we’ve fully turned the knob.

Supply Chain Planning Software 308

Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Planning Supply Chain Design 308

Supply Chain Shaman

MAY 13, 2015

Let me start with a true confession: I am a manufacturing gal. I relished the sound of a manufacturing line when I opened the door of the factory in the morning, and I liked managing inputs so that we could maximize outputs. Manufacturing is the foundation of my interest in supply chain management. It is now part of my DNA.

Supply Chain Design Software 332

Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Design Supply Chain Planning Software Agile and Lean Supply Chain 332

Supply Chain Shaman

JULY 6, 2020

Frank, the line manager for manufacturing, dominated the meetings. As a result, we shelved Ed’s idea. Testing Ed’s idea was beyond my circle of control. Despite goals to improve agility and resiliency, functional metrics for manufacturing efficiency continually throw the supply chain out of balance.

Agile and Lean Supply Chain 362

Agile and Lean Supply Chain Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Strategy 362

Supply Chain Shaman

JUNE 16, 2014

The research that I have conducted has enabled me to look at this holistically. When I left AMR Research I invested over 400K in building a database of supply chain financial ratios to correlate supply chain results. After three years of research, I have just refined the methodology to start to pull the trends. I am an old gal.

Supply Chain Design Software 319

Supply Chain Design Software Network Design Software Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Network Software 319

Supply Chain Shaman

APRIL 14, 2013

I have worked for Gartner Group, AMR Research, Altimeter Group and now my own company, Supply Chain Insights. Here, I would like to share some background information on the Index and how I intend to use it in developing a higher level of research. It will become one of the cornerstones of our research. How was it developed?

Gartner 286

Gartner S&OP Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Planning Software 286

Supply Chain Shaman

JUNE 18, 2015

The practices are still emerging and have morphed dramatically over the course of the supply chain leader’s career. For perspective, let’s look back at history. In discrete industries, the early supply chain organizations reported to procurement. Looking Back at History. The goal was efficiency.

Sourcing Strategies 294

Sourcing Strategies Agile and Lean Supply Chain Inventory Reduction Manufacturing Procurement 294

Logistics Viewpoints

MARCH 17, 2022

It is one of those high-end brands with global recognition, and to my surprise, the manufacturer’s own website did not have any stock and no indication on when it would be available. It provides a single source of truth with visibility and analytics based on the same data. so I went online to order it.

Supply Chain Planning Software 335

Supply Chain Planning Software Forecasting Software Analytics Software Supply Chain Network Software 335

Supply Chain Shaman

MARCH 21, 2024

During the 1980s, I was on a management team for a large manufacturer. The Company was attempting to gain economies of scale by grouping manufacturing technologies within a common infrastructure to reap the benefits of a co-generation facility, a centralized warehouse, and a talented administrative team. The problem is more profound.

Inventory Reduction 434

Inventory Reduction Supply Chain Planning Software Cost Reduction Strategies Supply Chain Design Software 434

Logistics Viewpoints

MARCH 6, 2023

GEON Performance Solutions purchases plastic pellets and add plastic compounders to make products of different strength, resilience, and flexibility. The roots of IBP are in sales & operations planning (S&OP). S&OP is usually a month-long cross functional process that involves five steps.

Supply Chain Planning Software 324

Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Transformation Modeling Scenario Planning 324

Supply Chain Shaman

JUNE 3, 2024

I could write a blog about each story, but let’s save that for coffee.) Let’s take a discussion from my DM on LinkedIn from Ryan. ” My response, “Sorry Ryan, the research does not support that increased digitalization brought unprecedented levels of connectivity. I am researcher.

Supply Chain Planning Software 369

Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software Modeling Software Forecasting Software 369

Demand Solutions

MARCH 14, 2017

Ever been involved with launching a new manufacturing or distribution company? If so, you know what it’s like to work under pressure to contain costs. They’re familiar to most business users, and easy to learn for anyone who’s just starting their career. S&OP software enables actual business processes.

S&OP 133

S&OP Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software Forecasting Software 133

Supply Chain Shaman

MARCH 22, 2017

The use of the term supply chain to describe make/source and deliver as a function is relatively new. Within manufacturing companies, 1/3 of leadership teams have a supply chain human resource teams, yet only 50% are effective. A year ago, I attended a badly facilitated women’s networking conference. I left angry.

Supply Chain Software 180

Supply Chain Software Supply Chain S&OP Conference 180

Logistics Viewpoints

MAY 8, 2023

Traditionally, planning processes are designed to serve specific time horizons – sales & operations execution (S&OE) is used for short term horizon, sales & operations planning (S&OP) for the mid-term horizon, and integrated business planning (IBP) for long term strategic horizon.

Supply Chain Planning Software 282

Supply Chain Planning Software Modeling Scenario Planning Supply Chain Planning 282

Supply Chain Shaman

APRIL 15, 2015

Unlike many research studies, it is a panel that is known. The research is a study of large manufacturers. To have this discussion with the buyer of technology requires a mature analyst and a research methodology that analyzes user satisfaction. I struggle to find both in today’s market.

Supply Chain Planning Software 385

Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Planning Scenario Planning Modeling 385

Supply Chain Shaman

FEBRUARY 16, 2024

Let’s Start With Clear Definitions My inbox is full. I am a researcher. Let’s have fun! Let’s start with the definitions: Graph AI uses Machine Learning on graph-based technology to understand the relationships between variables to drive insights. Many of today’s solutions include Narrow AI.

Supply Chain Planning Software 417

Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software Modeling Supply and Demand 417

Logility

AUGUST 5, 2021

McKinsey & Company research recently revealed that 76% of surveyed consumers experimented with new shopping behaviors during the pandemic primarily because of product availability – an area in which larger competitors have an advantage. And the stakes have never been higher. Yielding Winning Outcomes in a Field of Uncertainty.

S&OP 130

S&OP Supply and Demand Beverage Optimal Sourcing 130

Supply Chain Shaman

OCTOBER 7, 2012

Q: Is it only inventory disrupting the agility resulting from inaccurate forecasts by S&OP? Is it S&OP? In the supply chain, variability and volatility come from many sources. Flexible Manufacturing Scheduling Practices: The design of manufacturing processes to flex with market fluctuations.

Supply Chain Design Software 231

Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Planning Software Optimal Sourcing Inventory Reduction 231

Supply Chain Shaman

MARCH 3, 2013

They were born from well-intentioned, bright professors from great schools – Boston College, Carnegie Mellon, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT )– in operations research. SmartOps was purchased by SAP. SAP released an S&OP solution using HANA in 2011. However, the picture is not that rosy.

Supply Chain Planning Software 218

Supply Chain Planning Software Modeling Optimization Software SAP 218

Logistics Viewpoints

JUNE 1, 2023

One day, a product is flying off the shelves, and the next, it’s gathering dust. That’s why staying on top of the latest supply chain planning trends is so important – they can make all the difference when it comes to staying competitive, reducing costs, and meeting your customers’ needs.

Supply Chain Planning Software 273

Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Planning Supply Chain Software 273

Supply Chain Shaman

JULY 21, 2013

Some days when I need a pick-me-up, I watch the videos of Theo Jansen’s Strandbeests. It is a discussion of supply chain design and the sharing of research that supports that the best supply chains have flexibility in the joints and are well designed on the ends to propel commerce. I like art, and love unusual sculpture.

Agile and Lean Supply Chain 257

Agile and Lean Supply Chain Supply Chain Design Software Supply Chain Design Supply Chain Planning Software 257

Supply Chain Opz

JANUARY 18, 2015

Introduction For many companies the implementation of a formal Sales and Operation Planning (“S&OP”) process has not delivered the expected improvement in demand and supply integration. Overly focused on efficiency and cost savings, i.e. on the “O,” the “S” in S&OP now seems to have become an afterthought.

S&OP 100

S&OP Supply and Demand Supply Chain Planning Software Supply Chain Planning 100

Supply Chain Shaman

SEPTEMBER 28, 2022

Definition: “Someone’s efforts, resolve, or viability are tested; things are meaningfully challenging. The supply chain team’s past thirty-two months of disruption were a long, winding road full of surprises. ” Following the announcement, Ford’s stock closed at the lowest valuation in eleven years.

Manufacturing Procurement 195

Manufacturing Procurement Supply Chain Design Software Network Design Software Supply Chain Planning Software 195