Tag: Demand Planning

Bicycling, and Planning Software??

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What do long bicycle rides have in common with new planning software?  Maybe not much except they are two things I’ve been spending a lot of time on lately.

I completed my first cycling century (100 miles) at the end of last month. It took a lot of dedicated training time to get ready for it.  I’ve also been busy the past several months helping clients investigate new software for supply and demand planning and MRP.  It takes a lot of work to find a good fit.

When you commit to an endurance sport like a cycling century or a marathon it is important to count the cost and prepare well before you start.  If you don’t prepare adequately, you probably won’t be able to finish. Likewise, if you do not prepare well for your software selection, you may find yourself with a tool that does not get you over the metaphorical finish line of getting your planners out of Excel spreadsheets for planning.

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The Great Sequestration

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Yesterday the President of the United States extended nationwide social distancing guidelines for another 30 days.  Our lives and our supply chains are disrupted not only by the pandemic, but also the resulting Great Sequestration.  How should our supply chains adapt to these times and prepare for what comes next?

As most everyone else is, I am sequestered at home, washing my hands frequently, and just going out for essentials. While I’m sequestered, I’m also thinking about how this is going to impact the companies and industries I regularly work with. Not only how to manage the current disruption, but also how to prepare for the future.

After being in touch with multiple clients and industry organizations, I see three essential components to success when coming out the sequestration.  It doesn’t matter whether you are in Senior Management, Demand Planning, Supply Planning, Procurement, or anywhere else in the supply chain, these three things will be essential in how well you weather this crisis.

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