Sales and operations planning (S&OP).
One plan for demand, supply, and inventory, reviewed every month. We build the sales and operations planning cycle with Sales, Operations, Finance, and Supply Chain, then connect it to the master schedule and the material plan in your ERP.
- 1 to 3 weekscomponent lead times, down from 8 to 12 weeks, through S&OP built with Sales
- 60+suppliers on a master production schedule and daily material requirements
- 95%customer on-time delivery over a 12-month span
From our founder’s operating roles. Not client results.
Where S&OP breaks down.
Most planning problems are not forecasting problems. They come from four gaps in the process.
Two forecasts
Sales plans in a spreadsheet, Operations plans from history, and Purchasing buys to whichever number arrived last.
No supply check
Demand is approved without testing it against capacity, supplier lead times, and material on hand.
Meetings without decisions
The executive review becomes a status update, and gaps between demand and capacity go unresolved.
Plan not tied to execution
The monthly plan never reaches the master production schedule or MRP, so the shop floor runs to a different number.
Our S&OP monthly cycle.
A standard monthly cycle, plus weekly sales and operations execution (S&OE) to manage the gap between plan and actual.
- Data
- Close the month: shipments, bookings, backlog, inventory, and forecast accuracy
- Demand review
- Sales and business development agree one demand plan by product family, including new work and open quotes
- Supply review
- Operations and Supply Chain test that demand against capacity, supplier lead times, and material
- Pre-S&OP
- Leaders resolve gaps, model scenarios, and prepare the decisions that need executive approval
- Executive S&OP
- One meeting to approve the plan, inventory targets, and trade-offs
- S&OE
- Weekly review of near-term orders, shortages, and supplier exceptions against the approved plan
- Horizon
- Rolling, and long enough to cover your longest cumulative lead time
- Measures
- Forecast accuracy and bias, plan adherence, customer on-time delivery, and inventory against target
- Execution link
- The approved plan feeds the master production schedule (MPS) and material requirements planning (MRP)
How it works.
Diagnose
Map how demand, schedules, and purchase requirements are set today, and measure forecast accuracy and schedule changes.
You receive: Current-state planning map and baseline measures
Design
Set product families, horizons, roles, the meeting calendar, and templates for each step of the cycle.
You receive: S&OP process design and calendar
Run
Facilitate the first cycles with your team, connect the plan to the MPS and MRP, and start weekly S&OE.
You receive: Working monthly cycle with a decision log
Hand over
Train the process owners, set the measures, and use the cycle to drive lead time reduction and inventory targets.
You receive: Process owner guide and measure set
From operating experience.
- Component lead times cut from 8 to 12 weeks to 1 to 3 weeks through an S&OP process built with Sales.
- Master production schedule and daily material requirements run across 60+ suppliers, with demand forecast alongside customers and business development.
- 95% customer on-time delivery and 90%+ supplier on-time delivery over a 12-month span.
Our founder delivered these results while running supply chain organizations between 2017 and 2026. They are operator results, not client results. See all results
What you receive.
- S&OP process design with roles and calendar
- Demand review and supply review templates
- Executive S&OP agenda and decision log
- Master production schedule rules and time fences
- MRP planning parameter review: lead times, safety stock, and order quantities
- Planning measures: forecast accuracy, bias, plan adherence, and on-time delivery
Standards, contracts, and systems our founder has worked within
- S&OP
- S&OE
- MPS
- MRP
- ABC/XYZ
- Infor LN
- Shoptech E2
- Fishbowl
Sales and operations planning questions.
Do we need new software for S&OP?
No. The process comes first. Your ERP and a few shared templates are enough to start. Planning software helps later, once the cycle runs every month.
Who needs to be involved?
Sales, Operations, Supply Chain, and Finance leaders, with the general manager or CEO chairing the executive meeting. Planners prepare the data.
What is the difference between S&OP and S&OE?
S&OP sets the plan by product family over months. S&OE manages the next few weeks by part and order, and handles exceptions against that plan.
How does S&OP work for high-mix, low-volume or defense programs?
Plan by product family or program. Treat contract delivery schedules and backlog as firm demand, and keep pipeline opportunities on a separate line weighted by probability.
Can S&OP shorten component lead times?
It can. In our founder’s operating role, an S&OP process built with Sales cut component lead times from 8 to 12 weeks to 1 to 3 weeks.
Start with a 30‑minute conversation.
Describe what you buy and where the problem is. We reply to every message directly.