The Planning Functions You Need to Ensure You Purchase, Manufacture, and Distribute Your Inventory Efficiently Across Your Business Everyday

Introduction: Mastering the Core Planning Functions for Daily Efficiency

Efficient inventory management is the backbone of any successful business, ensuring that products are purchased, manufactured, and distributed in a timely and cost-effective manner. At b2wise we believe that to achieve this daily efficiency four essential planning functions play pivotal roles: scheduling, planning, forecasting, and Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP).

Each function is designed to optimize different segments of your inventory and supply chain operations, enabling your business to respond swiftly to market demands and internal production needs. By mastering these areas, companies are able to maintain a steady flow of goods across all touchpoints, every day.

1. Scheduling

• Objective: To allocate and manage resources efficiently to meet production deadlines.
• Time Horizon: Short-term, typically hours to daily.
• Department: Operations, typically reports to the VP of Production.
• Data Granularity: Very detailed, at the routing or individual operation level within production.

2. Planning

• Objective: To ensure that inventory is correctly set and the levels are maintained to meet upcoming production and sales demands without overstocking
• Time Horizon: Short to medium-term, usually weekly to monthly.
• Department: Inventory or Supply Chain Management, typically reports to the VP of Supply Chain.
• Data Granularity: At the SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) level, focused on individual product replenishment.

3. Forecasting

• Objective: To predict future demand based on historical data, trends, and market analysis to inform production and purchasing decisions.
• Time Horizon: Medium to long-term, generally monthly to yearly.
• Department: Marketing or Sales, and integrates closely with Supply Chain, typically reports to the VP of Sales
• Data Granularity: At the product category or market segment level, broader than replenishment but less detailed than S&OP.

4. Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP)

• Objective: To align production and supply capabilities with market demand, strategic goals, and financial targets of the company.
• Time Horizon: Long-term, typically monthly to quarterly review cycles.
• Department: Cross-functional, involves leaders from Sales, Production, Finance, and more, usually led by a senior executive like the COO.
• Data Granularity: High-level, at the product family or overall business level.

Conclusion: Creating a Competitive Advantage

In today's VUCA world, where volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity dominate the business landscape, mastering the four key planning functions—scheduling, planning, forecasting, and Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP)—is not just beneficial, it's crucial for survival. The success of these functions hinges on carefully choosing the right methodologies, investing in thorough training for your team and having the right tools that are easy to use. By understanding and effectively implementing these strategic planning elements, businesses can achieve operational excellence and create a competitive advantage.

And never forget about data!

Since the onset of COVID-19, many companies have seen their Master Data departments shrink or fail to return to full capacity, posing a significant risk to operational efficacy. Without accurate and reliable data, these essential planning functions cannot perform as needed, undermining efforts to achieve operational excellence. Therefore, prioritizing the restoration and maintenance of robust master data management practices is essential.

b2wise

Demand Driven Institute

Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM)

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