WORKSHOP I

"Customer Collaborative Initiatives: How to Leverage Collaborative Parnerships to Increase Forecast Accuracy, Improve Customer Service and Manage Demand"

Collaborative forecasting and replenishment activities of an organization’s supply chain include both the suppliers and the customers. The collaborative processes truly represent the B2B extension of the internal supply chain and require agreed-upon goals, as well as information sharing between suppliers and customers. In this session, we will review the various collaboration initiatives that are fairly common in the CPG sector including VMI, CMI, ECR, CFAR, and CPFR and their key benefits to the manufacturer’s supply chain. We will also try to identify the evolution of these collaboration initiatives, the current trends and practical limitations of each initiative. In the second half of the workshop, we will discuss the implementation of collaborative techniques at Schering-Plough HealthCare Products and show how we leverage these processes to increase sales, improve forecast accuracy and customer service, and manage demand. We will also discuss some measurement techniques and performance measures.

Suncare Forecast Manager

Forecast Analyst

SCHERING-PLOUGH

WORKSHOP II

"How To Set Up A Forecasting Process And System Design In a Consumer Goods Environment"

In this workshop, we will discuss step by step how to develop a cross-functional forecast process with an integrated system solution that incorporates statistical forecasting and customer-based information.The focus will be on the data elements that drive SKU-level forecasting within a consumer goods environment. We will discuss the criteria for selecting a system solution and the complexities associated with project implementation.We will also explore the different types of forecasts (unconstrained vs. constrained; base vs. promotion). We will conclude with a discussion on the various metrics that are used to measure forecast performance (MAPE, Bias, Defects, Error Distribution etc.).

Director of Sales Forecasting

JOHNSON & JOHNSON

WORKSHOP III

"How To Synchronize Production With Consumer Demand Using Customer Data"

The key to success of a company is in the functional integration, which is, how well supply chain operations are synchronized with consumer demand. Synchronizing production with consumer demand requires an understanding of how true market or independent demand data reflects market activity. The more a manufacturing company accesses and uses independent demand data collected at the point of sale (POS), the more likely its forecasts will accurately predict consumer activity in the market place. Thus, best-in-class forecasting companies capture and use POS data to derive forecasts that drive their production processes. In this workshop we will show how firms can effectively employ different types of customer data, and why blending various types of demand data streams is necessary for maximizing sales forecasting effectiveness and supply chain integration.

Associate Director, Global Strategic Forecasting

WYETH-AYERST