Redefining S&OP in Project-Based Industries: How CDMOs Are Forcing a New Model of Strategy, Planning & Execution

For decades, S&OP/IBP has aligned supply, demand, and financial plans through periodic forecasting and review cycles. While effective in stable environments, this model is increasingly inadequate in industries defined by uncertainty, complexity, and high-stakes outcomes. In this article, I discuss how Contract Development and Manufacturing Organizations (CDMOs) must evolve their planning into a continuous decision-making system focused on execution under uncertainty. I propose a new framework that integrates SISPQ and OTIF objectives, hybrid planning capabilities across S&OP, S&OE, and vendor-centric collaboration. This ‘always-on’ control tower provides real-time visibility into risks across supply, capacity, quality, and compliance, enabling faster scenario-based decisions and proactive trade-off ...