This is the most comprehensive book written in the area of demand planning and forecasting, covering practically every topic which a demand planner needs to know. It discusses not only the different models of forecasting in simple and layman terms, but also how to use forecasts effectively in business planning. It covers forecasting processes from Silo to Consensus Forecasting to Sales & Operation Planning(S&OP) to Collaborative Planning, Forecasting and Replenishment (CPFR) to Integrated Business Planning (IBP), and describes how each one improves over the other. It gives many real life cases and examples to make the point. No matter how accurate forecasts are they have no value unless they are used. For that, it explains how to report, present and sell forecasts to management. Nothing improves unless it is measured. It discusses in detail key performance indicators, which are used or should be used in business. Also, what we can do to improve forecasts. Above all, it brings out a number of worst practices, with the thinking once companies recognize what they are doing wrong, they will do something about them. Also, the book discusses the criteria for selecting a forecasting & planning package or system and more.

This book is for everyone who wants to make better forecasts. It is not about mathematics and statistics. It is about following a well-established forecasting process to create and implement good forecasts. This is true whether you are forecasting global markets, sales of SKUs, competitive strategy, or market disruptions. Today, most forecasts are generated using software. However, no amount of technology and statistics can compensate for a poor forecasting process. Forecasting is not just about generating a number. Forecasters need to understand the problems they are trying to solve. They also need to follow a process that is justifiable to other parties and be implemented in practice. This is what the book is about. Accurate forecasts are essential for predicting demand, identifying new market opportunities, forecasting risks, disruptions, innovation, competition, market growth and trends. Companies can navigate this daunting landscape and improve their forecasts by following some well-established principles. This book is written to provide the fundamentals business leaders need in order to make good forecasts. These fundamentals hold true regardless of what is being forecast and what technology is being used. It provides the basic foundational principles all companies need to achieve competitive forecast accuracy.

Effective demand management is becoming critical to acompany's profitability. Demand Management BestPractices: Process, Principles, and Collaborationprovides best practice solutions that will improveoverall business performance for supply chain partnersand all functions within a company impacted by the demandmanagement process. The ......

Forecasting is required in many situations. Stocking an inventory may require forecasts of demand months in advance. Telecommunication routing requires traffic forecasts a few minutes ahead. Whatever the circumstances or time horizons involved, forecasting is an important aid in effective and efficient planning. This textbook provides a comprehensive introduction to forecasting methods and presents enough information about each method for readers to use them sensibly.

Comprehensively teaches the fundamentals of supply chain theory This book presents the methodology and foundations of supply chain management and also demonstrates how recent developments build upon classic models. The authors focus on strategic, tactical, and operational aspects of supply chain management and cover a broad range of topics from forecasting, inventory management, and facility location to transportation, process flexibility, and auctions. Key mathematical models for optimizing the design, operation, and evaluation of supply chains are presented as well as models currently emerging from the research frontier. Fundamentals of Supply Chain Theory, Second Edition contains new chapters on transportation (traveling salesman and vehicle routing problems), integrated supply chain models, and applications of supply chain theory. New sections have also been added throughout, on topics including machine learning models for forecasting, conic optimization for facility location, a multi-supplier model for supply uncertainty, and a game-theoretic analysis of auctions. The second edition also contains case studies for each chapter that illustrate the real-world implementation of the models presented. This edition also contains nearly 200 new homework problems, over 60 new worked examples, and over 140 new illustrative figures. Plentiful teaching supplements are available, including an Instructor’s Manual and PowerPoint slides, as well as MATLAB programming assignments that require students to code algorithms in an effort to provide a deeper understanding of the material. Ideal as a textbook for upper-undergraduate and graduate-level courses in supply chain management in engineering and business schools, Fundamentals of Supply Chain Theory, Second Edition will also appeal to anyone interested in quantitative approaches for studying supply chains.

"This book is an insightful, well-balanced, stimulating SCM Strategy book that clearly tells managers, consultants, as well as educators that the SCM concept is not a fad but a must strategy to gain competitive advantage in today′s dynamic global market place. There are three major strengths. First, it is an unprecedented interdisciplinary SCM strategy book that explains how companies obtain, maintain, and even enhance competitive advantages based upon a well-laid SCM strategy. Second, it provides readers a unique, well-balanced framework for SCM strategy formulation. Third, it is a valuable contribution in the area of SCM in that it does a good job in explaining such a complicated SCM strategy to readers in such a simple manner." —Soonhong (Hong) Min, University of Oklahoma Author of the bestselling text Supply Chain Management, John T. Mentzer′s companion book Fundamentals of Supply Chain Management: Twelve Drivers of Competitive Advantage has been developed as a supplemental text for any course dealing with strategy and supply chains. Written in an entertaining, accessible style, Mentzer identifies twelve drivers of competitive advantage as clear strategic points managers can use in their companies. Research from more than 400 books, articles, and papers, as well as interviews with over fifty executives in major global companies, inform these twelve drivers. The roles of all of the traditional business functions—marketing, sales, logistics, information systems, finance, customer services, and management—in supply chain management are also addressed. Complete with cases and real-world examples from corporations around the world, the book′s exemplars will help students and practicing managers to more effectively understand, implement, and manage supply chains successfully.

Using data science in order to solve a problem requires a scientific mindset more than coding skills. Data Science for Supply Chain Forecasting, Second Edition contends that a true scientific method which includes experimentation, observation, and constant questioning must be applied to supply chains to achieve excellence in demand forecasting. This second edition adds more than 45 percent extra content with four new chapters including an introduction to neural networks and the forecast value added framework. Part I focuses on statistical "traditional" models, Part II, on machine learning, and the all-new Part III discusses demand forecasting process management. The various chapters focus on both forecast models and new concepts such as metrics, underfitting, overfitting, outliers, feature optimization, and external demand drivers. The book is replete with do-it-yourself sections with implementations provided in Python (and Excel for the statistical models) to show the readers how to apply these models themselves. This hands-on book, covering the entire range of forecasting—from the basics all the way to leading-edge models—will benefit supply chain practitioners, forecasters, and analysts looking to go the extra mile with demand forecasting.