Sales and Operations Planning can be a vital way to streamline supply chain operations and reduce inventories – something that many companies are seeking to do in the current economic climate.
But AMR Research reckons that although 86 per cent of companies have an S&OP process, only 13 per cent of companies maximise the full potential of the process.
So you won’t be surprised to learn that this is going to be the subject of our next live web TV debate which takes place on 9th July at 3pm.
The debate, which we are organising in association with Oracle, will look at the critical challenges to creating an effective S&OP process -ownership, increasing supply chain complexity and the frequency and the granularity of the planning process.
It will also look at the issues relating to dealing with suppliers and customers, as well as considering the impact of technology on the process.
We have an outstanding line-up of speakers led by Andrew Spence, business development director for supply chain management at Oracle, Dr Janet Godsell of Cranfield and Dave Anning, director of global supply chain at Smiths Medical.
But one of the most exciting aspects of the web TV debate format is that it allows viewers to participate and ask questions of the speakers.
Here are just some of the questions we will be throwing at our speakers:
* Have the goals of S&OP changed in the past 12 months and is there an increased focus on this process. Could S&OP be the tool of the moment for trimming inventories?
* Globalisation has increased supply chain complexity and has this affected the frequency with which planning needs to take place?
* S&OP can easily fail unless top level management take ownership of the process – but how do you achieve this?
* How you ensure that the data you are feeding in is clean, current and accurate?
* What factors need to be considered in a successful S&OP process – granularity, speed, and so on and how do you deal with factors over which you have little or no control?
Of course, there is a lot more to talk about, and you can ensure your participation by registering now at our Debate web site.
This has the additional advantage that you can check that your computer is set up properly to receive the transmission. It will also help you download the appropriate drivers if necessary.
Click here to find out more and register to participate.
