New White Paper by Debbie Bowen-Heaton on Demand Management

Demand Management - A sales and marketing process

In the consumer-driven business climate of today, the most successful organisations are those that can meet customer demand, as efficiently and profitably as possible. Even if you are one or more steps removed from the consumer, it is vital their needs and wants run through the bloodline of your entire supply chain.

At the same time, effective demand management and supply chain optimisation hinge on understanding where value is created from the customer’s perspective. By definition, this means demand management must be led and managed by those in your organisation who are closest to the customer and those who have the greatest understanding of what is happening at the point of consumption. Depending on your position in the supply chain, this is typically sales for the former and marketing for the latter. It is critical they work in an integrated way and in every respect, demand management becomes a real sales and marketing process.

Written by Debbie Bowen-Heaton, Oliver Wight Partner

For more information, download your copy today from www.oliverwight-eame.com

Oliver Wight EAME LLP launches French website

During September 2013, Oliver Wight EAME LLP launches it's French website. For all the information of what we do, guides and our workshops in France please see http://fr.oliverwight-eame.com/

 

Did you know that the Workshop Bundle offer applies to the French Public workshops?
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Integrated Business Planning for Effective Decision Making - Creating the decision imperative

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Extract from the Wight Paper.

Today, Integrated Business Planning sits at the heart of many organisations as the management process that runs the business, covering all the core functions from product development and operations, to sales, marketing and finance.

Its real power is in enabling the key decisions that influence the future direction of the company and the achievement of the strategic plan. As the capability of a business’s processes mature, these decisions become increasingly complicated and their timing ever more critical. 
 

However, the very practicality of structuring the Integrated Business Planning process so it really does enable effective and timely decision-making, is a challenge, which shouldn’t be underestimated. The most difficult decisions are those relating to issues, which will face the business in the future, since by definition, the future is unknown and there will always be unforeseen events, and circumstances that are subject to variation. Nonetheless decisions made today will have a defining effect on the business in one, two, or five year’s time. Deferring or avoiding these decisions can prove fatal. The key lies in configuring the Integrated Business Planning process, so it creates the same practical and emotional response for the decision-maker when reviewing future planned performance as it does when they are faced with the reality of past or current performance. It then becomes clear they have to act immediately to recover the situation.



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Managing People and Behaviours - Getting the best from your organisation

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Extract from the Wight Paper.

To stay on top in today’s complex and competitive business environment it is more important than ever for organisations to keep improving performance and strive for business excellence.

All too often when implementing business improvement programmes, however, organisations launch into tackling their processes and tools with enthusiasm and vigour, but overlook the importance of people and behaviours. If businesses want to implement sustainable performance improvement, it is essential they first recognise that people are the key drivers in any change programme and that success depends on the organisation’s ability to cultivate the right environment for change.

To extract the best possible performance from any business, it is vital to strike the right balance between people and behaviours, processes and tools. Hitting the ‘sweet spot’ where these overlap is fundamental to facilitate lasting change. Not only must businesses address all three in equal measure but also approach them in the correct order; and that means people first.

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20 questions you should ask about Integrated Business Planning - Part 2

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An Executive Guide to Integrated Business Planning
(Part 2)

 

 

	At what level of granualarity should you be planning for IBP?
	How does IBP exert control over the supply chain?
	Does IBP require a dedicated IT solution?
	How does globalisation and increase supply chain complexitiy impacted planning frequency?
	How does IBP allow for flexibility in supply chain planning?
	Can IBP optimise inventory?
	How long does it take?
	How much does it cost?
	What personnel do you need to commit to IBP?
	How do you get started?

Supply Chain Design & Optimization - Building Supply Chain Relationships

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Extract from the Wight Paper.

With continued economic uncertainty and increasing global competition, the customer remains king. Whilst money may be tight, there seems no let up in consumer demand for superior service, increased value and competitive price. Inevitably, this brings ever-greater pressure for efficiency gains and performance improvement. The health of an organisation depends more than ever on its ability to successfully meet the needs of its customers. In today's business environment, this cannot be achieved merely through internal business improvement; it is dependent on optimisation of the entire supply chain.