S&OP, Demand Control, and Quick Response Forecasting

There has been some discussion of late in IBF circles about Quick Response Forecasting (QRF). In my attempt to understand the concept, I have read a number of articles only to find myself a bit confused by proponents who discuss everything from Big Data, to point-of-sale data (POS), to “responsive” Supply Chains—each already having a place and a role in Supply Chain Planning, but none of which are conceptually new. On its surface, QRF seems to be a demand planning idea without particularly well-defined boundaries or purpose. After digesting the available literature, I think otherwise well-meaning folks are trying to define a process that already exists inside the Sales and Operations Planning process (S&OP). It is referred to as Demand Control (and sometimes SOE – Sales and Operations Execution) , and it is the transition point from more strategic planning to execution planning within S&OP.