Design and implementation of S&OP / IBP

About the company

We performed a project on the design and implementation of S&OP / IBP for the leading company in natural food preservation, biochemicals, and innovation leader in biobased and biodegradable plastics. 

 

The challenge

The current organization is the result of a merger of two former divisions with different business characteristics. At the starting moment, the attempts to implement S&OP have not been successful with involving sales, finance, and senior leadership. At the start, S&OP had a negative connotation within the company. Due to the growing business, cross-functional alignment was needed to optimize capacity and shape demand to optimize profit.  

 

The project

In very close collaboration with the customer, we designed an S&OP blueprint, which fits the new organizational structure by leveraging existing meetings. Moreover, the design onboards both sales and finance next to operations (incl. procurement), while at the same time respecting differences in business characteristics in the markets. Lastly, involving the executives was an essential component of the design. We implemented the blueprint globally including KPI dashboarding and meeting packages, and we coached key players on behavior. Change management was the key success factor in the project with various steps from creating a new branding for S&OP up to training and coaching of senior leadership on demonstrating the right behavior.  

 

Results

The monthly S&OP / IBP process runs from downstream sales and factories up to the executive level. We trained the S&OP/ IBP lead and process manager which sustained and improved the process. The process resulted in better decision-making with a focus on medium and long-term important topics without (bilateral) shortcuts. The process is fact-based and forward-looking instead of backward-looking. Over time, the process has grown to a true IBP process at level 4 (Gartner). The company is now considered a thought leader in the field of IBP.  

 

Ready to transform your IBP process?

Get in touch with us to learn how our specialists can help you optimize your S&OP / IBP process by streamlining the process, backing up your decision-making with realtime data, and training your people in the new way of working.

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