SupplyChain Magazine January 2021 | Page 47

“ The evidence from independent research says it is , with a significant competitive advantage for S & OP leaders in the key areas of customer service , profitability and cashto-cash cycle times ”

— Christine Barnhart
We recommend checking historical trends , gathering real-time customer surveys , and taking a cold hard look at your marketing plan . Eventually , you ’ ll compare your predictions with your finance review , and if you ’ ve done it right , you won ’ t be far off track .
3 . Supply Review The nefarious beast of syncing supply with demand . Now , as orders fluctuate fast and furious due to the global pandemic , you want to be able to simultaneously run multiple “ whatif ?” scenarios . “ What if they cancel their annual order ? What if December product transport is affected by closing borders ?” You get the picture . Ideally , you ’ d like to minimise product inventory-no one likes being stuck with more parts than they need-but still keep your customers happy as clams . A technology platform , when deployed correctly , can be one of the only ways to truly master this balancing act .
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4 . Finance Review Up next is everyone ’ s favourite part of the S & OP process . Money . After all , we manage supply chains in order to
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