Learn more about Tom Wallace _____________ View Our Available S&OP Resource Material _____________   Words from Wallace   March 2008    In This Newsletter    What's New: Sales & Operations Planning: The How -To Handbook, 3rd Edition   Bullets From Bob: Parallel Paths: Beware of a Too Full Plate   Upcoming Events: Find out if and when Tom or Bob will be in your area.   APICS/IBF Joint Symposium: Sales & Operations Planning: The Best of the Best

S54.95 Order Now   WHAT’S NEW Well, the biggest news we have is that the THIRD EDITION of SALES & OPERATIONS PLANNING: THE HOW-TO HANDBOOK is off the press. My co-author Bob Stahl and I are feeling pretty good about this book. We think the new material in it will help to “move the ball down the field” another few yards, to use a football analogy. In the Second Edition, we added new material not in the First Edition: Lean Manufacturing,  Supply Chain Management., Global S&OP,  Highly Seasonal Products, and Postponement. Here’s the Third Edition material that was not in the Second: 1. Implementation Methodology – a better way to make it work 2. Behavioral Aspects of Implementation – it’s a people game, pure     and simple 3. New Product Launch – how to make launches quicker and more     sure footed 4. Risk Management – to help anticipate and recover from supply     crashes in a world with longer and more brittle supply chains 5. Graphical Displays – in color 6. The Use of Control Charts – to monitor demand and supply      variability 7. Software Selection Criteria – what should your S&OP software do      for you? 8. Highly Variable Supply – where demand can’t be forecasted until supply is known 9. Fixing a Broken S&OP Process – it’s been installed, but it’s not working well                     and last but not least 10. “Mini Case Studies” from Real World Companies The book’s in stock; we’re shipping.  You may want to take a look a some Previews - Table of Contents, Prologue, and Chapter 1. End of commercial. Now here’s Bob with some very solid advice about full plates and working smarter. Thanks for listening, Tom Wallace

Learn More about Bob Stahl ________________ New to S&OP? S&OP 101 BULLETS From BOB Parallel Paths: Beware of a Too Full Plate Recently  I was sitting on yet another airplane, on my way to visit a company getting ready to implement Executive S&OP. I recalled that a year ago this company was in a place where many companies find themselves today: with a full plate of work already, not counting this new opportunity called Executive S&OP. After an Executive Briefing a year ago, they wisely decided that they had too much going on to give Executive S&OP the necessary time and effort. In addition to running the business (which required 110% or more of everyone’s time), they had two other major initiatives going on: a plant closing, and a once-in-a-lifetime marketing opportunity. Facing this circumstance, they had two choices: Find a way to carve out a “parallel path” and thus provide resources for Executive S&OP, or Defer their work on Executive S&OP until their resources of time and energy freed up They discussed and debated the alternatives, then determined that their decision to postpone was not a form of procrastination. Rather, it was a sincere desire to do Executive S&OP right, rather than do it sooner and wrong. They had to “clear the deck” by completing the two major initiatives already underway, in order to focus on Executive S&OP and give it the priority it deserved. Executive S&OP is never all that a company has to do. What every company must do is find a way to have parallel paths for Executive S&OP and preexisting efforts and projects, so that appropriate resources can focus on Executive S&OP. If this can’t be done, then in order to be successful they must defer and clear the decks before they start. I call this “setting the conditions for success.” The reason for this approach is found in the following keys to success: Understand that, for most companies Executive S&OP requires a difficult  change in organizational behavior Understand the work it will take to make the necessary changes Have sufficient resources – the company’s own people – to get the work done Be able to apply those resources to the tasks at hand as a high priority To state the obvious: it's far better to do Executive S&OP later and correctly, rather than sooner and wrong!! Good luck, Bob Stahl

Find out if and when Tom or Bob will be in your area. or Schedule them for a teaching or speaking event in your organization.   __________________   S&OP CONFERENCE, CHICAGO, JUNE 19-20 APICS and IBF have joined hands to offer a 2 day symposium "Sales & Operations Planning, the Best of the Best", Chicago, June 19-20. This first-of-a-kind event will feature leading edge practitioners and thought leaders discussing what S&OP is, how it works, what benefits it yields, and how to make it work.  Tom Wallace will give the opening address, setting the stage for the entire conference and will lead a panel discussion with experienced users from industries such as chemicals, heavy equipment, and pharmaceuticals. Bob Stahl will present on Successful Implementation with Rick Homac, VP Operations with Homac, a manufacturer of electrical equipment.   All attendees will receive a complimentary copy of the Sales and Operations Planning: The How-to Handbook, 3rd Edition.

The Review Package Includes one each of these books that are dedicated to Sales & Operations Planning The How -To Handbook, 3rd Edition The Executive's Guide The Self Audit Workbook A Visual Introduction (CD-Video) Order Now A value of over $165.00 Review Package price $119.95   Review Package If you already have an established S&OP process, but would like to update or improve it, this is a great place to start. Or If you are considering implementing S&OP and are looking for a comprehenisve overview. This package allows you to make informed decisions. We have created several packages designed to save you money while at the same time increasing your knowledge about S&OP and it's underlying processes. View all packages