Monthly Archives: May 2011

Announcing Breakthrough Cloud-based Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) “Service Delivery Platform”

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We’ve recently announced the release of a ground-breaking solution for improving the speed, flexibility and ease of implementing and adopting the Steelwedge Cloud-based S&OP solution.

The Steelwedge S&OP Service Delivery Platform dramatically enhances the ability of our clients, partners and users to rapidly configure, integrate, implement and train users on a process-driven collaborative Steelwedge S&OP solution.

S&OP has quickly become a management necessity for companies operating complex, global supply chains in today’s climate of uncertainty and risk.  Executives facing pressure to manage volatility and risk have embraced Steelwedge to align demand and supply decisions with revenue, margin and customer service goals.  Companies that have rolled-out best-in-class S&OP practices have realized big gains, including a year-over-year gross profit margin increase of 48 percent, according to a recent study published by Aberdeen Group.

“In today’s volatile world, companies need to rapidly respond to changes in supply and demand as never before.  The Steelwedge S&OP Service Delivery Platform is truly a breakthrough for companies desiring to rapidly implement and adopt a flexible S&OP solution that drives corporate agility.” explained Glen Margolis, CEO of Steelwedge. “This new technology platform enables companies to quickly and cost effectively adopt globally collaborative S&OP processes.”

To learn more about our cool new technology, visit our web site.

“S&OP Master Class” Video Lecture Series

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Have you seen these videos? If you’re new to S&OP, these are terrific for getting started. If you’re an old hand, you might learn something from leading analysts, academics & authors.

Lora Cecere:

Why have companies with strong S&OP processes done better in today’s economy?

Lora Cecere discusses the business challenges that are driving S&OP adoption. Learn why Lora has concluded that companies with strong S&OP processes and tools are flourishing in today’s economy, and in fact, are able to sense changes in demand five times faster than their competitors. Lora is a partner with Altimeter Group and is known as a supply chain visionary who understands technology. She brings seven years of industry analyst expertise coupled with two decades of manufacturing, marketing and software expertise.

Blake Johnson:

Why do companies need to incorporate supply and demand uncertainty in their S&OP process?

Blake Johnson, Ph.D. explains how leading companies are incorporating demand and supply uncertainty into their S&OP process to overcome the challenge of demand volatility. Learn why Blake encourages leading companies to forecast a range of potential demand so that managers can confidently evaluate trade-offs to achieve the optimal level of supply chain flexibility. A consulting professor at Stanford University, Blake is an internationally recognized expert in the field of supply chain risk and flexibility.

Tom Wallace:

Why is S&OP of such vital importance to many of today’s most successful companies?

Tom Wallace was present at the birth of sales and operations planning (S&OP) and has seen firsthand how it has evolved to become a vital management tool for many of today’s most admired companies. The author or co-author of more than a dozen books about S&OP, Tom answers the most essential questions about the S&OP. Learn what Tom thinks every CEO should know about S&OP and why companies are investing in purpose-built S&OP technology to maximize the effectiveness of the process.

My name is Khan and my Blackberry is made in India

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Photo: Comparison of the ship sailed by Christopher Columbus with the giant ships sailed by Zheng  He in 1405 (source:Wkikipedia)

 

The world of global sourcing, manufacturing and distribution is rapidly turning upside down.  Just a short time ago many pundits relegated India as a place filled with IT genius and broken infrastructure totally inhospitable to manufacturing.  After all, China was the place for manufacturing.  However, with each passing day history is moving in full circle.

It was very precisely 606 years ago that Zheng He, representing the Ming Dynasty, made his first trading voyage from China to India. He visited Calcutta, Cuchin, Sri Lanka and other well know places during his journey, traveling in a fleet of ships in 1405 that dwarfed in both size and number the ships that Christopher Columbus later sailed in 1492.  With these enormous ships Zheng He established a brisk trade between India and China in a twenty-five year period.  At the time it was the world’s largest sea trade.

European ships would not surpass these enormous Chinese vessels in size, sophistication or capacity for another 400 years.   Zheng He also managed to clear the seas extending all the way to the Horn of Africa and Somalia of pirates that had long plagued traders.

Today, analysts predict that the volume of trade in manufactured goods between China and India will surpass that of any other global trade route by the year 2020.  And just a few months ago China surpassed every other country in the world other than the United States in terms of economic output.  Anyone intrigued by the world of maritime shipping is aware that the biggest “post-panamax” ships were recently built by Chinese shipyards and are now operated by Chinese shipping concerns.  Those in involved in global IT have no doubt about the growth trajectory in India

So what does this mean to planners?  Volcanoes, earthquakes, terrorism, tsunamis, inflationary energy prices and the like will continue to have a huge, unpredictable impact on global supply chains.  However, we also need to plan for the impact of rapidly accelerating changes in global patterns in consumer demand, sourcing, and transportation.

Just as harnessing technologies such as the Chinese compass and the Indian crucible steel production process were keys to business success in the 15th century, it is becoming increasingly clear that in the 21st century the capability to rapidly assimilate, interpret and leverage information is now a business imperative.  Understanding new scenarios, analyzing trade-offs, and integrating sales and operations plans (S&OP) have never been more important.