Sales & Operations Planning: Sales’ Insight in the Planning Process

Sales input is the key to the success of an S&OP process. The author explains in detail how to use it and why. To make the process robust, we need executive support, sales team engagement, leverage, and accountability. The best way to leverage the input of Sales is to focus on the goals they are pursuing, and making transparent their input as well as ensuring they are adding value. ANdREW S. MCCALL | Mr. McCall is the Sr. Director of Customer Management at Steelwedge Software Company. Prior to that, he led the Sales & Operations Planning Practice at Plan4Demand. He has over 27 years of experience across number of industries including Food & Beverages, Consumer Packaged Goods, Chemical, Paper & Forest Products, Footwear & Apparel, and Wholesale Distribution. As the S&OP solution leader, he chairs the S&OP Leadership Exchange LinkedIn group, and runs monthly webinars on S&OP practices. In a consulting capacity, he has worked for a number of companies including Pernod Riccard, Diageo, Coopervision, Sun Products, Crown Imports, Jackson Family Wines, Stanley Black & Decker, and Campbell Soup. Prior to joining Plan4Demand, he worked for Dole Foods, LAN Network Connections, Hufft ...