Planning and forecasting are critical:
- The time customers are prepared to wait for their deliveries is much shorter than the time it takes to procure, make and distribute product;
- At a strategic level we must plan for the acquisition of new infrastructure, technology or skills;
- At the tactical level, we need to plan to align resources to enhance customer value in the most profitable way;
- We need to consider supply constraints in order to provide reliable delivery performance.
This is extremely complex in today’s volatile environment of new products and constantly changing demand patterns. Commercial activity, such as promotions, can have a dramatic and difficult to forecast impact on demand. The issue is further complicated by customers demanding shorter delivery lead-times at a time when more products are being sourced from the Far East.
There are also often internal tensions. Manufacturing demands large batch sizes that offer economies of scale, while marketing demands a greater product range with short lead times and greater levels of flexibility.
Sitting in the middle and trying to make sense of the conflicting opinions, the planner’s role can be neither easy nor comfortable.
In this seminar we will look at good practice in planning and forecasting from people, process and systems perspectives. We will use a range of presentations, exercises and case studies to illustrate key points and embed learning.
The Seminar
The seminar will be highly interactive and while it will contain a theoretical element, it is designed to help address delegates’ specific business issues. Delegates will have the opportunity to share their experiences, both good and bad, with fellow attendees.
There will be an individual self-assessment exercise, designed to identify the key opportunities within delegates’ organisations and provide the occasion to share this with peers, many of whom will have experienced similar issues.
Unipart facilitators will share examples of best practice, and there will be space for delegates to discuss these and identify how they could be applied within their own organisations.
Who should attend?
Directors and managers responsible for planning and forecasting.
Fees: Members - £75; Non-members - £150
(Non-member rate includes one year's Associate Membership of IOM)
To book onto this event please complete the booking form here or contact Membership Services quoting Event Code IOM050.
