Demand Planning for SAP: The first step to enabling your S&OP process
ifm's demand planning solution for SAP, GIB Suite Forecasting, is the first step to optimizing Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) inside SAP.
Typically, the S&OP process lives outside SAP with multiple stakeholders involved, disparate steps, and a lack of connection between supply chain planning and execution.
Having a process, and subsequent plan, that can be realized and executed is instrumental for SAP companies to achieve their S&OP goals, and GIB Suite Forecastingl is the initial step to actualizing those supply chain initiatives.
The Forecasting and Demand Planning module offers more precise predictions by providing demand and supply planners quicker accessibility to historical and real-time data from within SAP and from external sources.
Using 18 forecast models and a dozen error and tracking signal measures, the software automatically determines the best-fit statistical model for your planned materials. Real-time simulations allow for demand and supply planners to see how potential strategies may impact your organization’s ability to meet customer demand and increase profitability.
GIB Suite Forecasting allows demand planners to work more efficiently by addressing critical variances and manage by exception to reach an accurate, consensus demand plan. Our solution offers forecasting and monitoring features for demand planning that enhance your existing SAP ERP, SAP ECC and SAP S/4HANA environment.
Features
- 18 advanced, industry validated forecast models
- 12 error and tracking signal measures
- Automatic model selection
- Outlier detection and correction
- Multiple data sources: SAP, syndicated data, customer data, CRM
- Flexible planning hierarchies with the option to leverage SAP master data structures, or custom structures
- Top down, bottom up, or middle out planning
- Forecasting and monitoring via workflow, traffic light, and proactive alert features
- Promotional planning
Benefits
- Improved forecasting precision that increases fill rates and reduces inventory investment
- Process automation to reduce manual work
- Machine learning that re-optimizes plans based on new demand signals and error-tracking measures
- Improved inventory and production planning
- Native integration inside SAP that simplifies the IT landscape and eliminates data extractions
Target group
- Sales management, demand planners, forecast managers, inventory managers, supply chain management and other specialized departments
Enable High Accuracy Forecast Analysis via Process Automation
GIB automates the first step in the demand planning process by selecting the best fit statistical model. The automatic model selection is dynamic and applies 18 proven models to every material every time the forecast is recalculated. Demand planners maintain complete visibility into how the system is ranking, scoring, and selecting a particular forecast procedure.
Evaluate Past Performance vs Projected Forecast
The GIB Performance Comparison Matrix is where demand planners can compare a multitude of different data while staying proactive about the magnitude of change from a previous period’s actual sales data to the current projected forecast. In this way, the demand plan is focused on the most critical variances first, allowing demand planners to truly manage by exception.
Centralize the Demand Planning Process Inside SAP
The GIB demand planning dashboard has a recognizable, spreadsheet-like look and feel but eliminates the need for Excel. Demand planners can define their own planning hierarchy - as high level as regions or territories, or as detailed as individual sales people and their specific customers. The planning sheet incorporates customer forecasts, previous years’ sales, a baseline forecast, as well as any external data or manual adjustments to create a consensus demand plan. These requirements are automatically transferred within SAP to MRP for consideration.
