S&OP for business growth – Why I joined Quicksilver Consultancy

If you’d told me years ago that I’d become passionate about Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP), I probably would have laughed. Back then, it sounded like just another corporate ritual, spreadsheets, meetings, and endless forecasting debates. But over time, I realized S&OP isn’t just a process. It’s the heartbeat of a business. When done right, it’s what turns strategy into execution, aligns teams, and drives real commercial impact.

My first real taste of S&OP came during the 2008 financial crisis when I was working as a Supply Chain Manager at a Dutch steel producer. Almost overnight, sales orders plummeted, and we were staring at soaring stock levels with cash tied up in inventory we couldn’t move. What once seemed like a routine job of managing suppliers and materials quickly became a high-stakes challenge. When teams operated in silos, things broke down. But when I got everyone in the same room, speaking the same language, we shifted from reactive firefighting to proactive steering. That’s when I realized S&OP wasn’t just about planning; it was about survival and smart business navigation.

Later I managed the supply chain for a metals distributor with global sources and national demands. This role brought a whole new set of challenges. The market was volatile, and the variety in forecast certainty kept us on our toes. Sales prices moved faster than the supply lines could keep up, making it clear how crucial agile S&OP processes were in staying competitive and responsive.

The defining moment in my S&OP journey came during the first weeks of COVID-19. The world was in chaos, and businesses scrambled to adapt. Supply chains were disrupted, demand was unpredictable, and fear of making the wrong move loomed. I quickly initiated customer forecast research, focusing on key customers with significant sales volumes. I gathered insights on how their industries were impacted, some grinding to a halt, others surging unexpectedly. By analysing these trends, I extrapolated forecasts for the broader market.

After years in operational roles, I wanted to take this mindset further, to help companies not just plan, but plan for value. That’s why I joined Quicksilver Consultancy. We don’t just fine-tune supply chain processes, we turn them into a competitive advantage. At Quicksilver, S&OP isn’t about chasing consensus, it’s about creating clarity, control, and commercial impact. Their tailored solutions help clients achieve sustainable growth by focusing on precision, flexibility, and aligning strategy with execution.

Now, I work with businesses to shift S&OP from a monthly reporting exercise to a real business driver. Because in the end, it’s not about perfect forecasts, it’s about better decisions.

Curious about how to make S&OP work for your business instead of the other way around? Let’s talk and share experiences to move forward.

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