Over the years, the IBF has identified many companies that lead the way in S&OP/IBP and what it takes to become best-in-class. Successful implementation of S&OP/IBP and sound forecasting principles provides a key competitive advantage—both during normal operations and in crises like Covid-19. For many organizations, this transformation is a struggle, with many unclear about their current state and how to build the right roadmap to planning maturity. This includes maintaining sufficient inventory to increase customer fill rates while improving cash flow.

This leadership stream offers the opportunity to learn how top companies achieve true cross-functional participation, alignment, and accountability. You’ll hear how industry leaders use best practices and forecasting fundamentals to deliver results in the age of artificial intelligence (AI). Together, we will address the changing world and how to mature your planning processes and build future capabilities. Learn what most companies have failed to do—deliver a robust, value-adding process that everyone buys into.

The knowledge you will gain includes:

• How to integrate internal and external variables into your planning and S&OP/IBP processes
• How to better assess risk during times of disruption like Covid-19 and use scenario planning and demand shaping to respond proactively to changing demand
• How to achieve true cross-functional participation, alignment, and accountability across all departments, including Finance, Sales, Commercial, Supply Chain, and more
• How to track and measure S&OP/IBP and demand planning effectiveness
• Tools you can use to help evaluate where you are in your S&OP journey, including IBF’s advanced maturity model
• Key pitfalls to avoid when building your S&OP/IBP roadmap
• What benchmarks to use and which to avoid
• How to measure your S&OP/IBP performance

As a leader, it is up to you to provide insights and build demand planning and business forecasting capabilities. That’s hard enough at the best of times but is even more challenging when a crisis hits and teams must think outside the box to predict and manage demand. We now compete not so much on price or quality, but on our ability to interpret data. Given that predictive analytics and business forecasting have reached a tipping point, we must look at organizational design for demand planning differently.

In this executive stream, you’ll hear senior-level panelists from a variety of companies and industries sharing strategies that have worked to best recruit required talent, develop sustainable processes, and select technology that enables them to succeed. You’ll see what companies are doing differently now to invest in the future of planning and managing big data and artificial intelligence capabilities. This is a unique opportunity to see how senior leaders see the bigger picture, envision future requirements, and be inspired to adapt your demand planning and business forecasting capabilities.

The knowledge you will gain includes:

• How to determine the optimal demand planning structure for your organization
• The right balance of specific skills needed to succeed, including the skill sets required to handle disruptions and the “new normal”
• How to manage more with limited or fewer people and resources
• How to start a technology search and avoid technology pitfalls, along with tips and tricks for quick, easy access to data and decision-making
• How to develop an analytics-driven roadmap and sell it to leadership
• How to use predictive analytics technology to predict and respond to massive demand disruptions like COVID-19
• How to provide analytics insight to all areas of the business
• How to identify key demand drivers and incorporate them into your forecasts

The supply chain is continually relied upon to deliver value and service, despite the challenges posed by ongoing volatility, disruption, and gridlock. How supply chain leaders are prepared to reduce risk and navigate uncertainty in this increasingly dynamic and difficult environment is crucial, especially as the effects of the recent pandemic, global conflicts, climate change, and other factors persist.

This executive stream will focus on the ability to respond to and adapt to changing economic and environmental circumstances, while achieving customer and business objectives. This informative leadership panel will examine how planners have led during times of disruption and how they are currently developing strategies for regeneration and expansion. Learn how to manage risks and navigate uncertainties in today’s complex environment. Discover how planners are guiding through change and preparing for regeneration and growth by looking at real-world examples. Learn how to establish flexible and robust supply chain skills to position your company for the future.

The knowledge you will gain includes:

• How to optimize supply chain operations for efficiency and sustainability
• Strategies to mitigate risks and navigate uncertainties in a dynamic environment
• Real-world examples of how supply chain leaders are planning for renewal and growth
• The key pillars of a resilient supply chain: efficiency, agility, and sustainability
• How to lead through disruption and plan for supply chain renewal and growth
• How to address challenges and uncertainties impacting supply chains globally
• Strategies to enhance efficiency, agility, and sustainability in your supply chain
• Business models to build resilience and set your organization up for future success