Every few months, someone in a supply chain forum asks a version of the same question: with AI getting this good, do we still need APS? Fair question. ChatGPT can generate a replenishment recommendation. Copilot can summarize your supply exceptions. New AI-native tools are being funded at a pace that would make a Gartner analyst […]
Are APS still relevant in the world of Claude & ChatGPT? Read More »
Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) has become a critical process for FMCG companies seeking to balance demand and supply while maximizing profitability. In today’s volatile market environment, implementing effective S&OP for FMCG operations can mean the difference between thriving and merely surviving. Understanding S&OP in the FMCG Context S&OP is a cross-functional planning process that
What is S&OP? A Complete Guide for FMCG Companies Read More »
Expert comparison of o9 vs Kinaxis RapidResponse supply chain planning platforms. Real-world insights on features, implementation, and performance for planners in 2024.
o9 vs Kinaxis RapidResponse: The Ultimate Supply Chain APS Comparison Read More »
There’s a hard truth about master data preparation, that almost no one tells companies before they implement an advanced planning tool like o9, Kinaxis, SAP IBP, or Blue Yonder: Your SAP master data is NOT your planning master data.And if you assume it is, your entire APS program is at risk. On paper, SAP (or
The Hidden Master Data You Never Knew You Needed Read More »
Organizations are building Control Towers to gain visibility, speed, and agility but very few fully understand where an Advanced Planning Solution (APS) actually fits into that roadmap. There is a moment in every supply chain transformation where leadership realizes something profound: “Our dashboards are not enough anymore.” The organization may have invested months building “visibility
Do You Need Advanced Planning Solution for Successful Control Towers? Read More »
When companies implement advanced planning systems (APS) with MILP Solvers, they typically expect “smart,” “optimal,” and “mathematically perfect” plans. But what planners often experience instead are surprises — outputs that feel counterintuitive, confusing, or in some cases completely opposite to what intuition would suggest. A MILP solver may: One planner during our implementation once said:
The Top 10 Reasons MILP Solvers Produce Surprising Plans — And How to Debug Them Read More »
For two decades, companies have used S&OP (Sales & Operations Planning) as their primary cross-functional alignment process. In theory, S&OP is elegant: demand, supply, finance, and leadership come together once a month to review the plan, debate scenarios, and decide the direction of the business. In reality, however, most S&OP processes look nothing like the
Making S&OP Better: Adavanced Planning Solutions in Supply Chain Read More »
Most companies approach advanced planning system selection backwards. They start with product demos, long feature lists, vendor pitches, and shiny dashboards. They debate UI colors, workflow screens, and scenario menus. But they rarely examine the one thing that truly matters: Does this planning system fit how our business actually works? Every supply chain has its
How to Choose an Advanced Planning System (And the Right Solver)? Read More »
“Planning systems don’t fail at go-live.They fail quietly, six months earlier — in the invisible gaps between data, process, and reality.” Across every planning transformation I’ve been part of — whether deploying o9, SAP IBP, Kinaxis, Blue Yonder, or homegrown APS — one truth has repeated itself with frightening consistency: 👉 Planning systems don’t fail
7 Reasons Why Most Planning Systems Fail Read More »
“You don’t fail at go-live.You fail silently during SIT — and discover it only at go-live.” In every advanced planning implementation I’ve been a part of — especially in complex environments like FMCG, multi-plant networks, or multi-market operations — one pattern repeats itself: The planning system never fails for technical reasons.It fails because SIT and
Behind Every Great Planning System Is Bulletproof SIT and Integration Read More »
