Supply Chain Planning Archives

Supply Chain Planning provides the integrated framework to align demand, supply, capacity, production, inventory, and distribution, enabling predictable revenue fulfillment, superior customer service, resilient operations, and profitable growth. Explore insights on SIOP (Sales Inventory Operations Planning), demand planning, capacity and resource planning, production and materials planning, inventory planning, and network strategy. Learn how manufacturers and distributors leverage integrated planning, technology enablement, data, and analytics to improve visibility, optimize working capital, resolve constraints, and execute with confidence.

Forecasting in Flux: Importance of Supply Chain Flexibility
Gallery
Forecasting in Flux: Importance of Supply Chain Flexibility

In The News, Supply Chain Planning, Demand Planning

Forecasting in Flux: Importance of Supply Chain Flexibility

Lisa Anderson of LMA Consulting Group was quoted in a Harvard Business Review report about supply chain volatility and uncertainty that are part of the new normal.

Lisa Anderson2026-07-06T22:21:19-07:00October 27, 2023|Categories: In The News, Supply Chain Planning, Demand Planning|Tags: Demand planning, Geopolitical risk, Performance & Risk, Predictability, Resiliency, Risk Management, S&OP, SIOP, Supply chain disruptions, Supply chain planning, Supply chain visibility|

Supply Chains are on the Move
Gallery
Supply Chains are on the Move

Supply Chain Planning, SIOP / Integrated Business Planning (IBP)

Supply Chains are on the Move

Global supply chains are on the move. Executives have been hit with the harsh reality that the risk (supply chain, geopolitical, cyber, IP, etc.) is far higher than they realized when they outsourced with an eye to cost.

Lisa Anderson2026-06-20T18:59:26-07:00October 10, 2023|Categories: Supply Chain Planning, SIOP / Integrated Business Planning (IBP)|Tags: Geopolitical risk, Innovation, Nearshoring, Predictability, Profitability, Reshoring, Resiliency, Revenue growth, Risk Management, S&OP, SIOP, Skills Gap, Supply chain chokepoints, Supply chain disruptions, Supply chain planning, Supply continuity, Talent development|

Pitfalls and Solutions: Common Supply Chain Issues in Manufacturing and Distribution
Gallery
Pitfalls and Solutions: Common Supply Chain Issues in Manufacturing and Distribution

In The News, Supply Chain Planning, Production & Materials Planning

Pitfalls and Solutions: Common Supply Chain Issues in Manufacturing and Distribution

Lisa Anderson joined Food and Beverage Talk podcast to discuss supply chain challenges and opportunities in the food and beverage industry.

Lisa Anderson2026-06-07T01:11:14-07:00October 5, 2023|Categories: In The News, Supply Chain Planning, Production & Materials Planning|Tags: Customer service, Food & Beverage, Podcast, Predictability, Profitability, S&OP, SIOP, Supply chain planning|

Predictable Revenue & Resilient Operations for Manufacturing Success
Gallery
Predictable Revenue & Resilient Operations for Manufacturing Success

In The News, Supply Chain Planning, SIOP / Integrated Business Planning (IBP)

Predictable Revenue & Resilient Operations for Manufacturing Success

Manufacturing is in a state of flux. After seven straight months of contraction in manufacturing, it is not surprising manufacturers are thinking about cutting back. On the other hand, in many industries, manufacturers continue to have a robust backlog and are growing faster than their capacity.

Lisa Anderson2026-06-03T14:14:16-07:00August 8, 2023|Categories: In The News, Supply Chain Planning, SIOP / Integrated Business Planning (IBP)|Tags: Brushware Magazine, Capacity planning, Customer service, Demand planning, Predictability, Profitability, Resiliency, Revenue growth, S&OP, Scalability, SIOP, Supply chain planning|

Optimizing Business Decision Tradeoffs with SIOP
Gallery
Optimizing Business Decision Tradeoffs with SIOP

Supply Chain Planning, SIOP / Integrated Business Planning (IBP)

Optimizing Business Decision Tradeoffs with SIOP

Making the appropriate business decisions will make or break success. Executives get paid the big bucks to make these decisions. Unfortunately, one poor decision can outweigh thousands of good ones rapidly. SIOP (Sales Inventory Operations Planning), also known as S&OP, is a tool that will optimize these tradeoffs for effective decision making.

Lisa Anderson2026-06-20T14:00:33-07:00July 17, 2023|Categories: Supply Chain Planning, SIOP / Integrated Business Planning (IBP)|Tags: Best of, Capacity planning, Customer service, Geopolitical risk, I've Been Thinking Newsletter, Predictability, Profitability, Resiliency, Revenue growth, Risk Management, S&OP, SIOP, Supply chain planning|

Using Capacity Planning to Increase Revenue & Profitability
Gallery
Using Capacity Planning to Increase Revenue & Profitability

Supply Chain Planning, Capacity & Resource Planning

Using Capacity Planning to Increase Revenue & Profitability

Manufacturing is on a downward trend after eight months of PMI (purchasing manager's index) below 50. It dropped to 46 in June. China's manufacturing also shrank for a third month in a row to a PMI of 49. Yet manufacturers backlogs remain relatively robust in many industries, leading executives perplexed on what to do about capacity shortfalls.

Lisa Anderson2026-06-27T13:58:30-07:00July 6, 2023|Categories: Supply Chain Planning, Capacity & Resource Planning|Tags: Best of, Capacity planning, Case study, CRP, Customer service, Demand planning, Industrial Manufacturing, Predictability, Production & Materials Planning, Profitability, Revenue growth, S&OP, Scalability, SIOP, Supply chain planning, Workforce planning|

SIOP / S&OP: Don’t Reshore; Move Manufacturing Forward
Gallery
SIOP / S&OP: Don’t Reshore; Move Manufacturing Forward

Supply Chain Planning, SIOP / Integrated Business Planning (IBP)

SIOP / S&OP: Don’t Reshore; Move Manufacturing Forward

Globalization is not working. Geopolitics abound. For example, the war in Russia and Ukraine ravages on. There are concerns around the nuclear power plant in Ukraine, occupied by Russia. And that is aside from the impact on oil, food, commodities and much more. China continues to threaten Taiwan and has already changed Hong Kong. It is no longer the same for business. There are countless risks throughout the world.

Lisa Anderson2026-07-05T18:11:47-07:00July 5, 2023|Categories: Supply Chain Planning, SIOP / Integrated Business Planning (IBP)|Tags: AI, Digital transformation, ERP, Geopolitical risk, Innovation, Nearshoring, Network optimization, Predictability, Predictive analytics, Reshoring, Risk Management, S&OP, Scalability, SIOP, Supply chain disruptions, Supply chain planning, Supply continuity|

Scheduling Best Practices to Improve Service & Performance
Gallery
Scheduling Best Practices to Improve Service & Performance

Supply Chain Planning, Production & Materials Planning

Scheduling Best Practices to Improve Service & Performance

The best companies focus on production scheduling. Even though Production Schedulers aren't typically highly paid positions, the function will make or break your ability to serve customers, improve operational performance and accelerate cash flow. Thus, it should be a key priority if you want to achieve profitable growth.

Lisa Anderson2026-06-20T15:01:25-07:00May 1, 2023|Categories: Supply Chain Planning, Production & Materials Planning|Tags: Best of, Capacity planning, Case study, Customer service, ERP, Inventory reduction, MPS, MRP, On-Time Delivery, Predictability, Production & Materials Planning, Production scheduling, Profitability, Supply chain planning, Working capital|

Balance Customer Orders, Inventory, & Profitability
Gallery
Balance Customer Orders, Inventory, & Profitability

Supply Chain Planning, SIOP / Integrated Business Planning (IBP)

Balance Customer Orders, Inventory, & Profitability

If you want to serve your key customers successfully (with high on-time-in-full (OTIF), short lead times, and proactive service) so that you can take advantage of the opportunities coming down the pike while addressing the hard realities of the current business environment (potential recessions, high interest rates, and less access to capital), you MUST balance sales, operations and inventory.

Lisa Anderson2026-07-05T21:57:15-07:00May 1, 2023|Categories: Supply Chain Planning, SIOP / Integrated Business Planning (IBP)|Tags: A&D, Customer service, Demand planning, Inventory optimization, Inventory reduction, Medical products, On-Time Delivery, Predictability, Profitability, Revenue growth, S&OP, SIOP, Supply chain planning, Working capital|

The Economy & Manufacturing: What Do the Statistics Say?
Gallery
The Economy & Manufacturing: What Do the Statistics Say?

Supply Chain Planning, SIOP / Integrated Business Planning (IBP)

The Economy & Manufacturing: What Do the Statistics Say?

According to this week's GDP report, the real growth rate was minimal (around 1.1%) during the first quarter. On the other hand, inflation remains high, around 5.3%. This seems to reflect stagflation. Unfortunately, business equipment spending was around -7.3%, and inventories are down. PMI (Purchasing Managers' Index), an [...]