Within this book, you'll be able to "go inside" a baker's dozen companies and learn how they use Sales & Operations Planning to run their businesses better. You'll meet large companies and smaller ones, household names and names not widely known, companies whose products you use and companies whose products you've never heard of. You'll also hear from the consultant who helped them implement S&OP.

The Best Practices Companies are:

Agfa
Amcor
Cast-Fab
Coca-Cola Midi
Danfoss
Eclipse
Eli Lilly
EMS
Interbake Foods
Norse Dairy Products
Pyosa
The Scotts Company
Unicorn Medical

Learn:

What is this thing called S&OP and why do successful companies use it? What's involved, what are the steps, and how does it work?

Where does S&OP work? With which kinds of products? With which kinds of customers? Does it help with the New Product Development and Design process?

How are the demand and supply plans for the detailed product mix managed in a way that is consistent with the volume plans from S&OP?

Is S&OP really needed in a company using Continuous Improvement methods like Lean Manufacturing or TQM/6 Sigma?

How does S&OP work with Supply Chain Management: outside the company, with customers, and with suppliers?

In what size company does S&OP work best? How does it work in privately-held companies, global companies and companies using a matrix organization structure? Does S&OP survive ownership or organization changes?

How can a company be sure that its financial plans match its operational plans?
About the Author:

Since 1977 John has helped manufacturers and distributors to improve their management controls and productivity levels, through hands-on consulting and company-focused education sessions on: logistics, supply chain management, ERP and manufacturing resource planning (MRPII); S&OP; sales planning, forecasting and demand management; distribution resource planning (DRP); and master production scheduling (MPS).

John has guided companies to successful improvements in their processes and systems through a process management approach. Many of them have reached the coveted "Class A" or "World Class" level of achievement. His experience spans the electronics, consumer goods, food, medical products, capital goods, construction equipment, pharmaceutical and chemical industries.

John was a co-founder of Partners for Excellence in 1991. For nine years he was a Principal of The Oliver Wight Associates. For five years he provided and managed consulting for two major software vendors. Prior to that, the positions he held included: MRPII Project Manager, Materials Manager, Production and Inventory Control Manager and Corporate Planner/Master Scheduler.

John holds an MBA (Summa Cum Laude) from the Rochester (NY) Institute of Technology and a BS in Business Management from the University of Dayton (OH).

John is certified at the fellow level (CFPIM) by the American Production and Inventory Control Society (APICS). He is a frequent speaker at international, regional and chapter meetings of many professional and industrial groups and has published numerous papers and articles concerning Management Improvement and Control. He was co-editor of the Sixth Edition of the APICS Dictionary, and a six-year member of the Master Planning Committee of the APICS Curricula and Certification Council.