SAP Supply Chain Planning


Supply Chain Management: SAP Supply Chain Planning

The art of orchestrating supply chain planning can be intricate. Unforeseen changes in supply, demand, and market changes are a test in agility. The ability to synchronize planning for sustainable growth is the key to building a resilient supply chain.

Supply Chain Planning Defined

Supply chain planning (SCP) is a forward-looking process. It is coordinating assets to optimize the delivery of goods, services, and information from suppliers to consumers. Organizations can leverage solutions to help navigate the complexities of planning and orchestrating supply chain operations flawlessly. SAP Integrated Business Planning (IBP) is powered by SAP S/4HANA memory and is a cloud-based planning software for supply chain management. IBP is a process for aligning a company’s business goals across operational functional areas.

Supply Chain Management: SAP Supply Chain Planning

The art of orchestrating supply chain planning can be intricate. Unforeseen changes in supply, demand, and market changes are a test in agility. The ability to synchronize planning for sustainable growth is the key to building a resilient supply chain.

Supply Chain Planning Defined

Supply chain planning (SCP) is a forward-looking process. It is coordinating assets to optimize the delivery of goods, services, and information from suppliers to consumers. Organizations can leverage solutions to help navigate the complexities of planning and orchestrating supply chain operations flawlessly. SAP Integrated Business Planning (IBP) is powered by SAP S/4HANA memory and is a cloud-based planning software for supply chain management. IBP is a process for aligning a company’s business goals across operational functional areas.

Key integration elements are:

  • Supply and demand
  • Finance and Operations
  • Functions and business processes
  • Strategy outcomes
  • Non-financial measures
  • Cash flow, costs, and revenues.

A structured process that comes from an IBP approach enables companies to make better informed and fact-based decisions. It provides planning, what-if scenario capabilities, and real-time demand commitments, considering constraints. Increased visibility enables companies to incorporate insights from supply chain projections, financial projects, and strategic plans. There are unmatched benefits of IBP for SAP Supply Chain Planning, like optimization of logistics, improved cross-functional collaboration, planning agility, risk mitigation, and improved forecast accuracy.

SAP Supply Chain Planning yields several benefits:

  • Decreased costs
  • Increased profits
  • Reduction in delays
  • Improved efficiency
  • Increase in output
  • Better cooperation.

Vendor partners that can offer software solutions or operational intelligence include – SAP, Reveal or Gib.

Key Considerations for SAPinsiders are:

  • Video Q&A with Eric Jones from GIB on Connecting the Dots Between Supply Chain Planning and Execution. Learn how to tame many supply chain complexities with end-to-end -supply chain solutions by watching this video. The discussion gives a perspective on why supply chain planning tools are an imperative in today’s highly complex supply chains.
  • Demand Planning Alerts Increase the Accuracy of your Forecasts. David Ducray explains that demand planners are often faced with converting large amounts of data into an accurate forecast. Review different ways to spot trends and errors in data by using alerts to help you create a more accurate forecast. Allow planners the ability to manage by exception.
  • Meeting Demand with a Constrained Supply Using Product Allocation in SAP APO Global ATP. Alok Jaiswal reviews the process flow of how product allocation can be used in SAP Advanced Planning and Optimization (SAP APO). This utilizes global available-to-promise (ATP) to meet customer requirements by managing the supply of scarce products.

75 results

  1. Digitally Transforming the Supply Chain

    Published: 14/August/2019

    Reading time: 4 mins

    As supply chains become more complex, and technology continues to evolve at increasingly rapid rate, companies need to embrace innovation to stay competitive and achieve their business goals. So how can SAP customers make sure they are well positioned for this reality — now and in the future? Based on SAPinsider research, this article provides…

  2. Bringing Automation and Collaboration into the Supply Chain: Overall Trends and the Path Forward

    Published: 14/August/2019

    Reading time: 5 mins

    In recent months, SAPinsider has conducted a significant amount of research around solutions for digital supply chain management (SCM) — particularly in the areas of automation and collaboration, both of which our research has revealed as playing a significant role in the successful modernization and optimization of supply chains. To build on that research, and…

  3. Best Practices for SAP Customers Operating in China

    Published: 12/August/2019

    Reading time: 4 mins

    Financial planning and analysis (FP&A) is a top financial concern for SAP customers, according to a recent SAPinsider benchmark report, “SAP S/4HANA Finance: State of the Market,” where more than 400 individuals across all lines of business from nearly 150 companies were surveyed regarding their strategy for SAP S/4HANA Finance. However, many organizations are still…

  4. SAPinsiders Should Proceed with Cautious Optimism in China

    Published: 15/July/2019

    Reading time: 3 mins

    SAP perceives a big opportunity to fill a supply chain management (SCM) gap and consequently has started expanding its local partner base in China. As part of its current cloud strategy, SAP released solutions for customers last year on the Alibaba Cloud — the largest Chinese cloud services provider — and has done an excellent…

  5. Strengthen Your Core Before You Do More

    Published: 12/July/2019

    Reading time: 3 mins

    Before investing in additional technology to improve their supply chain, SAP customers must consider what value they currently receive from their existing SAP software. Supply chains specifically can feel the negative effects of organizations’ underutilization of the SAP capabilities available to them. This article reveals several areas where SAP customers can concentrate to make better…

  6. Prepare for a Supply Chain Digital Transformation

    Published: 02/July/2019

    Reading time: 4 mins

    SAPinsider recently surveyed SAP customers on digital transformation of the supply chain for an upcoming benchmark report, and our research and conversations with leaders revealed many lessons when it comes to preparing for this transformation. What to Expect from the Transformation Survey respondents that we identified as leaders — that is, organizations that consider themselves…

  7. Delivering on the Digital Supply Chain Promise

    Published: 11/April/2019

    Reading time: 5 mins

    The drones are taking over. If not the drones, then artificial intelligence (AI) will take over and make decisions on our behalf. We will just lean back, and our jobs (if we still have them) will amount to pushing some corrective buttons, occasionally. Whatever the spin, and whatever people imagine, parts of the digital supply…

  8. HR: Case study: Pacific Coast Building Products’ journey to the cloud using SAP SuccessFactors Rapid Deployment solutions

    Published: 05/March/2019

    Reading time: 1 mins

    Gain insights from Pacific Coast Building Products’ journey to transition to the cloud with SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central and talent management solutions using SAP SuccessFactors Rapid Deployment solutions. HR2017_Musillani_Casestudypacificcoast Robyn Musillani If you have comments about this article or publication, or would like to submit an article idea, please contact the editor…. This content is...…

  9. Points to Consider on Your Supply Chain Digitization Journey

    Published: 14/February/2019

    Reading time: 4 mins

    For years supply chain management has involved a series of processes completed in disparate legacy systems. In today’s hyper-competitive digital business world, however, enterprises face challenges rising from customers’ demand for more customized products via varied channels and with faster delivery times. To meet this demand, enterprises need better collaboration and communication with their suppliers,…

  10. New Horizons: An Outline of the SAPinsider Digital Supply Management New Research Approach

    Published: 29/January/2019

    Reading time: 2 mins

    I’m reading a book titled The Barons of the Sea, which is an account of the 19th century merchants and trading companies that battled for supremacy in importing tea from China in exchange for shipments of opium. The goal of these entrepreneurs was to find a way to shorten a traditional six-month journey from China…