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Case Studies
Manufacturing Company Engages TJG to Reengineer Planning, Forecasting, and Workflow Processes prior to Business Intelligence Tool Implementation
Challenge:
A manufacturing company sought an integrated sales budgeting and forecast solution to support Supply Chain initiatives and to replace its existing time-consuming, Excel-driven process. First, the tool had to accommodate a small group of non-finance users who were doing customer level planning. Second, the solution required the agility necessary for bottom up planning & forecasting, top down visibility, and rapid data aggregation. Last, the improved process would need to allow for product level planning detail, without excessive data entry and review.
The Bottom Line:
During a 12-week engagement, one consultant from The Johnsson Group led the project team through the exercise of reengineering its company planning, forecasting and workflow processes, culminating in the implementation of a leading Business Intelligence planning tool. Through the construction of an interface with the clients’ ERP system, the company was able to develop historical product allocations and utilize them within their planning process. The use of these relevant allocations, coupled with software functionality, resulted in a significant reduction of time spent on the planning process. Correspondingly, more emphasis was placed on data analysis and adjustment efforts. In addition, the improved quality of forecast data gathered during the process served to enhance supply chain initiatives, resulting in increased focus on product procurement and inventory management activities.
