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    About Us

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    Why Attend

The Institute of Business Forecasting & Planning – IBF is a membership organization recognized worldwide as the premier full-service provider of demand planning, forecasting, business analytics, S&OP education, benchmarking research, training, certification, world-class conferences, and advisory services. Since 1981, the IBF has been helping businesses improve their forecasting and planning performance in an effort to enhance growth, optimize supply chains, and improve their bottom line. It has been said that no other organization on the globe has as much depth in its educational content for Demand Planning & Forecasting as IBF.

Having some of the world’s most well known global companies as its members, the IBF is constantly finding and disseminating better ways to manage demand, improve organizational efficiency, and company performance. By becoming an IBF member, you can ensure that you stay current with proven best practices, link with global professionals facing similar challenges, ascend in your career, and bring your organization to best-in-class levels in performance. The IBF is a pioneer in developing a Demand Planning, Forecasting, and S&OP Certification program that can help boost your credentials, as well as, give management greater confidence in its people. The IBF is known for two levels of certification: Certified Professional Forecaster (CPF®) and Advanced Certified Professional Forecaster (ACPF®).

Online Training Schedule
  • #1 Fundamentals of Demand Planning
    May 13, 2021
  • #2 Forecasting Analytics
    May 17, 2021
  • #3 Collaboration & New Product Planning
    May 19, 2021
  • #4 Supply Chain Planning
    May 21, 2021
  • #5 S&OP - Sales & Operations Planning
    May 25, 2021
  • #6 CPF Prep/ Review
    May 27, 2021
Fundamentals of Demand Planning & Forecasting: 1-Day Workshop
IBF Re-Certification - 3 Points
Section 1: Fundamentals of Demand Planning.

Demand Planning & Forecasting is both an art and a science. It requires informed judgment, business expertise, and technical skills. Done well, it can provide a true competitive edge and increased sales, while managing inventory and maintaining best-in-class customer service. Forecasting depends on both a structured process and modeling. Both are equally important. In this workshop, we will describe not only the fundamentals of forecasting and planning, but also why the forecasting process is important and what role it plays in demand planning.

Key Learnings:

  • What you need to know about demand planning & forecasting
  • Why we need forecasts and what role do they play in the supply chain
  • How to effectively create and launch an effective demand planning process
  • The ingredients of an effective forecasting process why we need it
  • Why is it important to have a consensus forecasting process in place
  • Why is it important to have a single number forecast and plan
  • What contributes to bull whip effect and how to avoid it
  • Why unconstrained demand is important in demand planning
Section 2: Demand Planning & Demand Management.

Both demand management and demand planning call for managing the demand, that is, what to do if demand is greater than supply or if supply is greater than demand? It's in the best of interest of a company to balance supply with demand. This requires demand sensing (reading and interpreting the signals of the market) and demand shaping (shaping the demand to optimize sales and profit). For effective demand planning, we have to set some business rules, that is, how to deal with different issues that might arise. For example, how to deal with products that are highly volatile, how to allocate products among different customers when there is a shortage, what criteria to use for pruning products, and so on. Also, we need to regularly review such things as forecast performance, customer service, and inventory levels, which will also be addressed in this workshop.

Key Learnings:

  • How to sense and shape the demand
  • What business rules need to be established for effective demand planning
  • What are the success factors and impediments to demand planning
  • How to deal with products that are highly volatile
  • What demand planners should review every month and why
  • How to interface demand planning to the S&OP Process
  • How to interface the S&OP to New Product planning and Long-Term Business Plans
Presented By:
Speaker photo
Mark Lawless, ACPF
Institute of Business Forecasting & PlanningSenior Advisor/Facilitator
Pricing
Non-member
IBF Members
Single Day
Full course
(5 days)
Full course + CPF Review
(6 days)
Membership + Full Course + CPF Review & EXAMS (incl. Book)
(6 days)
Full Course + CPF Review & EXAMS (incl. Book)
(6 days)
$379

Member’s discount: -$50

$1,795

Member’s discount: -$250

$2,095

Member’s discount: -$250

$3,325
$3,475

Member’s discount: -$400

$329
$1,545
$1,845
N/A
$3,075
Put the IBF to Work for You!

Become an IBF Member and Start Improving Your Forecasting & Planning Performance Today.

The IBF Advantage:

IBF members include well-known company professionals that span a broad array of business sectors. By joining our organization, you can make certain that your company sets up the right forecasting & planning process and uses the best techniques available. Moreover, you can be sure that your forecasting and demand planning staff has the proper knowledge and skill set for success.

As an IBF member you receive:

  • A subscription to the Journal of Business Forecasting, which is primarily written by and geared toward practitioners.
  • Our Research Reports which include valuable benchmarking information and provide you with eye opening information on various topics in Business Forecasting and Planning.
  • Special discounts on our Conferences, Workshops, Training Seminars, Certification Program, as well as on any new products and services we will offer in the future.
  • Access to Journal of Business Forecasting Past Articles (FREE)Access to our growing online Knowledge section & Action Templates
  • Complimentary 1-day Tutorials at select Global events ($1000 USD Value)
Upcoming Events & Trainings
April 16 - 18, 2024
New Orleans, Louisiana USA
Demand Planning Conference With Data Science Workshop...
May 2, 6, 7, 15, 22, 29, 2024
10:00 am - 4:00 pm EDT
Online
Preserve cash, achieve new product forecasting success, optimize Inventory & supply chain efficiency and more....