Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP)

Senior management commitment to the planning process is vital to the success of this area of the business. Stories abound about the failure of MRPII systems and this is partly due to the lack of direction from senior management. It is essential that they recognise the need to use MRPII processes to manage the relationships between the sales and marketing groups on the demand side, and the manufacturing and other operational departments on the supply side. Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) is the process by which senior management commit to the planning process. Experience has shown that strong S&OP processes lead to effective use of MRPII and better achievement of operational plans.

This revised two day course provides an overview of Sales and Operations Planning and where it fits into Manufacturing Resources Planning (MRPII). The first day is designed to provide an overview of S&OP and will examine the factors for success as well as highlight potential barriers to its success.

Sessions will cover:

· What is Sales and Operations Planning?
· Who is involved in the process?
· Where Sales and Operations Planning fits into MRPII?
· How does Sales and Operations Planning fit into my business?

The second day is a more in depth look at S&OP and tailored to those who spend a significant time preparing and analysing the appropriate data. This day is more hands-on and will look at how to implement and operate a viable S&OP process.

Topics covered in the second day include:

· What stages need to be covered by the process?
· What are the information needs for the process?
· What are the likely outputs to the process?
· How do we implement the process?

Delegates may attend the first or second day only or may register for both days.

The course is aimed at Logistics Managers, Master Schedulers, Demand Managers, Business Analysts, Planners, Operations Managers and Senior Managers in Sales, Marketing, Finance and Manufacturing.

Participants will complete the course with a better understanding of the need for sales and operations planning and an appreciation of who should be involved in the process. They will know how to establish and maintain an effective sales and operations planning process.