Manufacturing Planning

MRP, MRPII…DDMRP? The Planning of Manufacturing Explained

February 19, 2018

Of all the elements of a supply chain, the planning of manufacturing is the area that is probably most mired in confusing language and acronyms. MRP, MRPII, DDMRP, RCCP, MPS… the list goes on. Manufacturing is a complex beast and trying to grasp the basic planning processes can be challenging if you’ve not been exposed to manufacturing before. In this article, we explain, in straight-forward terms, the core concepts of the manufacturing planning process and put the mind-boggling acronyms into context. Read more

Issues Break S&OP Process

Five Issues That Will Break Your S&OP Process

February 1, 2018

Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) is a powerful decision-making process that provides a platform to balance supply and demand on a mid-to-long term horizon. The benefits are numerous – improved service performance, stable production rates, enhanced teamwork and reduced inventories. Combine this with integrated financial planning and it’s a process that every business should operate. However, there are many issues that will break an S&OP process and in this article, we look at five of them. Read more

Demand Planning Strategy

Why You Need a Robust Demand Planning Strategy

January 9, 2018

Supply chains have made a big shift over recent years: we’ve watched as customer demand has gradually gained greater power. For the most part, we’re generally adapting to this challenging environment well. However, within the shift towards a customer led, and dominated, marketplace there’s one thing we frequently see isn’t tough enough – your demand planning strategy. In the current supply chain landscape, you need a tough demand planning strategy which has been developed to withstand the bashing waves of customer demand. Read more

Demand Forecasting Hashtag

Demand Forecasting and the Rise of the Hashtag

December 14, 2017

The retail industry has many tricks up its sleeve when it comes to predicting the customer and getting a hold on accurate demand forecasting. However, most of these tricks rely on customers past purchasing behaviour predicting future behaviour. It kind of works. However, it’s outdated and there are now other means of demand forecasting that can be more accurate. The humble hashtag being one of the new kids on the block. Read more

Omnichannel Forecasting

The Importance of Forecasting for Omnichannel Grocery Sales

December 4, 2017

According to a UK based report by Progressive Grocer, titled the 84th Annual Report of the Grocery Industry, only 12.2% of grocers have a “fully integrated strategy” for omnichannel retail. Whilst the American grocery market is quite different from that in the UK, this is interesting because omnichannel retail is on the rise in the majority of sectors. The American grocery industry being behind the game is perplexing. Read more

The Changing Face of Demand Planning

The Changing Face of Demand Planning

November 30, 2017

Demand planning is a supply chain management process that is all about predicting what’s coming. It’s a way of viewing the future not as an unknown, but instead getting the inside scoop on what is likely, probable, realistic, and not. It’s about trying to get accuracy out of hunches and guesstimates. In the modern supply chain, where margins are tighter than ever, it’s essential to get right. Read more