S&OP: An Opportunity to Lead from the Middle

Based on their experience, the authors describe in detail how to develop and implement a robust S&OP process. To develop it, you need buy-in from upper management, support from all other stakeholders, clearly defined goals and a plan to achieve them, and deadlines when the project will start rolling and begin yielding benefits. It is a long, drawn-out process, but patience, persistence, and hard work will pay off in the end. S&OP: An Opportunity to Lead from the Middle By John Hobby and Amy Jaeger JOHN HOBBY | Mr. Hobby is the Manager of Supply Chain Information Systems at Cirrus Logic where he has worked for seven years. He has an additional eight years of experience as a master scheduler and buyer at Freescale Semiconductor and Qualcomm. He is a Certified Production and Inventory Manager, Certified Purchasing Manager, and Certified Professional Forecaster. The conception and implementation of a Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) process does not always, and arguably should not come from the executive management. If your position places you at the midlevel of your organization, stop waiting for someone else to get it started. Take the initiative and lead from the position ...