Perspectives on Sales & Operations Planning

S&OP Managed Services

Achieving business success requires a balance of people, process and technology. In the world of sales and operations planning (S&OP), we see innovative ways to achieve these goals without adding head count and expensive infrastructure. ‘Managed Services’ can take on some exciting new forms.

Technology: Software-as-a-Service has grown exponentially during the past 5 years. Companies that protected their data from any possible outside visibility are now trusting third party providers to manage their data. Steelwedge continues to host client solutions and has migrated clients away from on-premise to on-demand environments. The chief benefits include reduced IT support costs, staying up to date with the latest release and experts who know our systems backwards and forwards.

Process: Consulting services typically are viewed as one-time project engagements rather than on-going managed services. Yet, there is merit in looking at process from a continuous improvement perspective. Strategic resources, experts in their fields, can provide key insights and business direction advice over an extended period. S&OP covers such a wide array of business functions that having an S&OP champion is imperative. That S&OP champion may very well be an expert, managed services professional.

People: Is there somebody out there that has the knowledge and experience to help my business meet its goals without hiring additional headcount? A managed services approach may be just the answer. With managed services, a specific business function responsibility is transferred to a strategic partner. That partner brings a critical skill set to meet the targeted area of need.

Widely used in areas of Information and Communication Services, managed services has lagged in areas of sales and operations planning (S&OP), forecasting, demand planning, supply planning and inventory management. Most often, companies have viewed their information as too sensitive to share with outsiders or that outsiders do not have enough understanding of our business to step in and help. Times have changed. Information is managed externally through partners and the door has opened for strategic services.

Steelwedge is driving change in the world of collaborative planning. Managed services is one of the tools we use to assist our customers in meeting their business goals.

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Tags: Collaborative Planning, Demand Forecasting, managed services, S&OP, sales and operations planning