Route to Market & Supply Chain Blog

Sales & Operational Planning (S&OP) has been used by companies now for many years as the planning process that provides “one set of numbers” for the organisation on which to base its business planning. In many countries and cultures S&OP in its…

The CEO listened while the Commercial Director & Supply Chain Director tried to reach an agreement during the monthly S&OP meeting. Not only was he disappointed to hear a version of the same arguments from previous months (“we are short of stock…

FMCG producers seem far too ready to blame their Distributors when sales do not go to plan and targets are not met. However, it is not all their fault particularly if you are not clear on what is expected of them. To assist FMCG Producers to…

I had planned to write something about the importance of teamwork & S&OP & then try & link it to sailing – this would be an easy association. And then a real live incident made the story for me. We finally set sail again – break in the weather - &…

Once you have arrived at the office to start your new project, with a new management team and a new project team, many things about successful project management are the same all over the world. Top management support is essential Communication,…

After the grand total of 1 days sailing during the first week – the Mistral is back again & we are port bound - moral is flagging. ‘Customer service levels’ are dropping. This mind is wandering. Time for some nautical S&OP stuff again. Let’s…

No, of course it’s not true but I bet it grabbed your attention! If there is a more put down, criticised and unrecognised function in any FMCG/Pharma company then I would like to hear about it. Supply Chain is routinely the brunt of complaints from…

We finally got going (sailing that is) yesterday when the wind dropped to a breezy Force 4 on the beam (that’s from the side) - wonderful sailing weather. And it was marvellous – whizzing along at 7-8 knots. Mind wandering territory again ...…

This is a debate that I am starting to loose, I’ll stick with it though at least until such time as IT systems develop intelligence and personality. The theoretical debate on the role of IT in S&OP will of course run for a long time, hence this…

Dear Frustrated of FMCG Drinks, Thank you for your letter, which was a delight to read. Believe me; you are not alone in having such feelings and concerns. There is nothing worse than seeing the world’s greatest drinks salesman shining downand not…

It’s amazing how the mind wanders when one is stuck. In my case I have just started a sailing holiday with family in tow. Here we are in the South of France west of Marseille, boat at the ready & raring to go. Problem – there is a Mistral blowing.…

This week’s success factors cover the areas of organisation and people when developing S&OP. Some time ago the president of a major CEE trading group summarised the outcomes of a business wide S&OP implementation in three words “we are…

Well its over & the African showcase that was the World Cup has finished. As Spain (deservedly) celebrates and the circus leaves town, I am left to wonder “what next” for the continent? Thankfully I am not the only one in a similar reflective mood.…

The following blogs will address key points of consideration when embarking on a regional or global S&OP implementation. Part one covers the areas of End Market commitment & ownership and Process Design. End Market commitment & ownership: End Market…

Dear Agony Aunt, I have reached the end of my patience. I’m drinking too much coffee, I smoke like a chimney, I’m not eating properly and I just cannot sleep. I did not see any of the World Cup nor Wimbledon and now even my kids call me Uncle Dad as…