How to advance S&OP into integrated business planning

As stakeholder and organisational demands mature, it is imperative for business leaders to deliver best value, exceptional customer service, and continuous growth.

Especially for food and beverage, FMCG, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, retail, utilities companies, these demands accompany with ensuring you have clear and collaborative processes and systems in place.

Integrated business planning (IBP) is industry’s best practice model delivering a truly strategic perspective to better planning, innovation, and sustained growth.

Oliver Wight, the global thought leaders on IBP, provide this definition:

“Integrated Business Planning (IBP) is the business planning process for the post-recession era, extending the principles of S&OP throughout the supply chain, product and customer portfolios, customer demand and strategic planning, to deliver one seamless management process.”

The biggest challenge for implementation of IBP is to overcome the traditional functional silo operation styles within organisations to integrate key areas of business. At the core of this transformation is leadership and people.

Who play the central roles in successful IBP implementation?

There are huge implications for finance to be in the collaboration of the C-Suite in integrated business planning. Financial visibility is critical in determining the needs and constraints for operations across functions and the impact of these on pivotal business strategies and directions.

Though finance needs to have a central role, key areas across the business – sales, marketing, product management, R&D demand, supply, and strategy – all need to be involved to deliver a visible, single business planning and forecasting model that aligns with organisational goals.

“In addition to providing substantial bottom-line benefits, the IBP process ensures early focus on any potential gaps in business performance – it allows organisations to predict and respond positively to changing conditions, in plenty of time.”

Oliver Wight, the global thought leaders on IBP, mention the key to success in implementing IBP:

• People are fundamental
• Education drives behavioural change
• Create internal experts within the company
• Develop multi-disciplined teams
• Consistent processes with clear responsibilities and accountabilities
• Deliver outstanding sustainable results through the integration of business processes and functions, and executive led and managed IBP

http://www.oliverwightasiapacific.com/en-GB/integrated-business-planning/what-is-ibp

In a three day agenda developed in conjunction with Oliver Wight, Akolade’s Integrated Business Planning Summit 2016 provides the opportunity to hear cross sector leaders share their experiences on how to best implement the process, align planning across functions, and effectively allocate the critical resources to deliver efficiency and profitability.

After finishing University with a degree in Business Marketing, I decided to make a big jump across seas for the first time and move from the east coast of America to Sydney, Australia. I landed my first job in a sales position in the event industry and soon thereafter moved into a marketing assistant role – following I had the pleasure of interviewing with Akolade which got me to where I am today.

Akolade is a fun, innovative company that brings together people from different walks of life to implement change. As the Marketing Manager, I have the pleasure of wearing many hats which motivates me to succeed, reach people in an array of avenues, grow our events to their full potential, and raise our story. As for me, I am a kind dedicated woman who loves to work hard, exercise, cook, be social and have some fun.