Overview
Sales & Operations Planning, (S&OP) is a system used to plan operational activities using Forecasts, Inventories, and Production Plans to support customer requirements and drive business results. S&OP requires the ability to summarize and segment market, customer, and product data. For instance, S&OP structures may include Forecast Reviews broken down by various markets or geographical regions. Meanwhile, Supply Chain and Operations are concerned with changes at the product level. For them, Product Attributes like Item Type and Base Material can give Supply Chain Professionals the insight they need to source and Procure raw materials. Now that the problem is framed, let’s investigate how two Corning Data clients used JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Summary Forecast along with Material Requirements Parameters to improve Business Performance.
Seasonal Apparel Company
A seasonal Apparel company segmented customers by geography and items by color and product group. In Colorado and Vermont, loose-fitting men’s jackets are forecast to increase 12% while in the mountains of Austria and Italy, bold reds and greens are forecast for 8% growth. Entry of these forecast categories are entered and spread to the detail level. Armed with this knowledge, Buyers contact suppliers and request the colors and styles that match up with projected demand. Receipts are distributed to the appropriate markets and market share increases along with revenues.
Industrial Products Division
An Industrial Products Division segments customers by industry, sales team, and service center. Items are segmented by base material, size and product group. During sales reviews in advance of the S&OP meeting, Oil & Gas is projected to increase 5% while Automotive is projected to fall 8%. In the Houston market, structural products are expected to grow by 7%. During the S&OP Meeting these projections are confirmed, a high-level production plan is developed and forecast Summary inputs are entered into JD Edwards. These inputs are spread to the detail level and Operations has a plan to produce the expected products to satisfy the various demands. Availability improves and lead-times are reduced, providing this client a competitive advantage.
Summary
In both of these scenarios, Forecast inputs are made to the underlying summary categories in JD Edwards. These forecast summaries are spread down to the detail level. Here, they become the demand used to generate material requirements and to run production. If the forecast is inadequate, a parameter is set to accept the GREATER of forecast or sales demand. This ensures operational response to ever-changing customer needs.
Summary Forecast is an enabler of Sales and Operations Planning processes. There are, however additional business processes and monitoring systems required to ensure control. Let the experienced consultants at Corning Data partner with your business team to tie Sales, Operations, and Finance together for optimal results.
Want to learn more about Summary Forecasting and S&OP in JD Edwards? Contact us at 800-455-5996 or info@corningdata.com.
Joe Mulrooney is a Corning Data Senior Applications Specialist. He has more than 20 years of experience in Materials and Supply Chain management with Fortune 500 and small privately-owned firms. He specializes in implementing JD Edwards Manufacturing, Planning and Forecasting systems to drive lean improvement and operational results.
