How to Plan For Peak Season: Conagra foods Retail’s Journey

HOW TO PLAN FOR PEAK SEASON: CONAGRA FOODS RETAIL’S JOURNEY By Aerica H. Ostrov Outlines the methodology for planning for a peak season … describes the tools the Demand Planner should use, and what to cover in pre-season and in-season meetings … in production planning, make sure to account for some down time. What is peak season? Peak season is defined as a time period when demand is significantly higher than other times in a year. It is expected that demand will exceed production capacity, necessitating a well planned pre-build of inventory. Outsourcing will not be discussed. The brand for which this process was created averages 40% - 45% of its annual volume within a two month time frame. This process proved successful for servicing our customers, managing costs, and for controlling inventory levels as we exited the season. The Demand Planner should be well positioned for leading the efforts for peak season. This is because the Demand Planner has an on-going relationship with other team members throughout the year. He/She has insight into the strengths and shortcomings of each group, and can understand how the different groups’ actions interrelate and affect each other. ...