Plan to be Nimble

The fog of Business

“No battle plan ever survives contact with the enemy.”
Helmuth von Moltke the Elder

“You can always change you plan, but only if you have one.”
― Randy PauschThe Last Lecture

“Even the best plans can change if there’s an accident.”
― Lemony SnicketThe Reptile Room

I recently read an article on LinkedIn that said if you have a contingency plan, you’ve already admitted failure.  I couldn’t disagree more.  Unless you are omniscient, there is no way things will go exactly as planned.  Only the All-Knowing One can have a plan that foresees every eventuality. The rest of us need a plan B.
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Aggregation for Statistical Forecasts

It’s an age-old question.  Should forecasts be done at item (product) level or at a higher level? Obviously, you need a forecast at product level to tell you what to make.  And if you ship from more than one location, you need forecasts at product and location to tell you where to have it.  But what is the best level at which to run your statistical forecast?

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