Articles and Insights

Our collection of blog articles provide insight into everything Sales and Operations Planning. Hear from global S&OP thought leaders on executive decision making, demand planning, and more. Subscribe to our newsletter for more exclusive articles and insights.

Doug Dedman

Aug 9
4 min

Executive S&OP: Best Practices

Many organizations say they have an S&OP process, but the critical question to ask is whether it is effective.

14 views0 comments

Doug Dedman

Jul 26
3 min

S&OP Risks and Assumptions

Risks are significant concerns or challenges that could impact any part of the plan – from demand to production or supply. Looking ahead, bu

31 views0 comments

Balancing Demand and Supply in S&OP: The Executive Nuts and Bolts

Doug Dedman

Sep 8, 2021
4 min

Balancing Demand and Supply in S&OP: The Executive Nuts and Bolts

Getting to an effective S&OP process starts with the right fundamentals. Learn the nuts and bolts of making your S&OP process work now.

137 views0 comments

The Executive’s Role in S&OP: Management and Participation

Doug Dedman

Aug 25, 2021
3 min

The Executive’s Role in S&OP: Management and Participation

S&OP doesn’t just require executive sponsorship – S&OP is an executive process. This is what an executive should be getting out of S&OP.

139 views0 comments

5 Outcomes from S&OP: an Executive's View

Doug Dedman

Aug 11, 2021
3 min

5 Outcomes from S&OP: an Executive's View

5 fundamental outcomes of an effective Executive S&OP process.

183 views0 comments

Dicor Completes the DBM Virtual S&OP Accelerator™

Doug Dedman

Jul 12, 2021
2 min

Dicor Completes the DBM Virtual S&OP Accelerator™

Dicor Corporation has successfully implemented executive S&OP using DBM’s new virtual process.

73 views

Oh Sh*t, and Plan: Why a good Executive S&OP Process is More Important Now

Doug Dedman

Jun 1, 2020
4 min

Oh Sh*t, and Plan: Why a good Executive S&OP Process is More Important Now

What we really want is good S&OP not good OS&P. It’s not about our ability to react, it’s about our ability to plan.

414 views1 comment

DBM announces deployment of its new Virtual S&OP Accelerator™

Doug Dedman

May 12, 2020
2 min

DBM announces deployment of its new Virtual S&OP Accelerator™

DBM Systems Ltd will begin May 2020 deploying a virtual approach to the S&OP Accelerator™ methodology.

83 views

MRP Logic Doesn’t Work for Master Scheduling

Dave Searle

Oct 1, 2019
3 min

MRP Logic Doesn’t Work for Master Scheduling

It’s a simple problem that is not widely understood. MRP is designed to net available inventory and maintain safety stock, and therefore wit

253 views0 comments

S&OP and the Financial Plan- Labour is a Fixed Cost

Duncan McLeod

Sep 3, 2019
5 min

S&OP and the Financial Plan- Labour is a Fixed Cost

The last article in this series dealt with the relationship between fixed and variable cost. Going forward, I am going to look at some of th

88 views0 comments

S&OP and the Financial Plan Contribution, Fixed Cost and Profit

Duncan McLeod

Jul 31, 2019
7 min

S&OP and the Financial Plan Contribution, Fixed Cost and Profit

The second article in S&OP and the Financial Plan. Take a look at how combining traditional costing models with S&OP derives a revenue plan.

165 views0 comments

Is Your S&OP Supply Plan Synchronized with the Master Schedule?

Dave Searle

Jul 2, 2019
5 min

Is Your S&OP Supply Plan Synchronized with the Master Schedule?

The key to executing an agreed upon supply plan lies within synchronizing your organization's master schedule to the plan going forward.

1,152 views0 comments

S&OP: Answering Six Fundamental Questions in One Graph.

Doug Dedman

May 1, 2019
5 min

S&OP: Answering Six Fundamental Questions in One Graph.

The Graphical 5-Section Sheet allows you to see the whole family story for S&OP in one place, helping executive management make efficient de

1,056 views0 comments

Family Ties: Making S&OP Work and Defining Product Families

Doug Dedman

Apr 2, 2019
6 min

Family Ties: Making S&OP Work and Defining Product Families

S&OP families should be setup by constraint with a view to markets to drive the right level of discussion in the process.

525 views0 comments

Show Me the Money: Linking the S&OP Shipment Plan to the Financial Revenue Plan.

Duncan McLeod

Feb 5, 2019
5 min

Show Me the Money: Linking the S&OP Shipment Plan to the Financial Revenue Plan.

The S&OP shipment plan must be stated in units, not revenue. This article outlines how to link the S&OP plan to a financial plan your CFO wi

291 views0 comments

The S&OP Meeting Scorecard: Measuring the Fundamentals of S&OP

Doug Dedman

Aug 23, 2017
7 min

The S&OP Meeting Scorecard: Measuring the Fundamentals of S&OP

The Meeting Scorecard is a process metric that evaluates if your organization is doing the right things to improve the effectiveness of your

4,955 views0 comments

The Consumption Model – How to develop a demand plan for your “Big Box” Customer

Duncan McLeod

Jun 30, 2017
7 min

The Consumption Model – How to develop a demand plan for your “Big Box” Customer

Incorporating POS data into your S&OP demand planning process is critical to developing an accurate family demand plan.

1,831 views0 comments

Everything I know about S&OP I learned on the farm: Plowing your way to S&OP stability

Doug Dedman

May 24, 2017
6 min

Everything I know about S&OP I learned on the farm: Plowing your way to S&OP stability

When it comes to S&OP, we strive for consistency in how we deal with change. How do we respond to what's happening without over-reacting?

270 views0 comments

Roughly Accurate or Precisely Wrong – How to deal with S&OP Forecast Error

Duncan McLeod

Dec 14, 2016
7 min

Roughly Accurate or Precisely Wrong – How to deal with S&OP Forecast Error

How important is accuracy vs. precision in your demand plan? What is the impact of variations that are within established S&OP tolerances.

380 views0 comments

Duncan McLeod

Oct 17, 2016
4 min

Demand Shaping: The “Bid Model” tool

In this article, I explain an effective technique for shaping demand. This technique can be applied in environments where prices are bid for

276 views0 comments

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