Kinaxis Inc. has created RapidResponse for Demand Management, an on-demand software tool to help companies balance the dual goals of customer satisfaction and improved operations performance. Formerly RapidResponse for Fulfillment, the new product allows users to make daily changes within their sales and operations planning (S&OP) horizons. It combines with Kinaxis's RapidResponse for Manufacturing to give supply-chain managers the ability to manage risk, from individual orders or forecast changes down to the component supply level. According to Kinaxis, the software allows companies to dispense with manual efforts, spreadsheets and other "makeshift" measures for managing the S&OP process. Features include exception-based alerts of projected misalignments in supply and demand, such as forecast changes beyond tolerance, late demand impacting quarter-end sales, supply disruptions and late customer orders. RapidResponse offers fully automated integration of demand and supply data from multiple sources, including customer relationship management, enterprise resource planning, tools for demand planning and supply-chain management, spreadsheets and point-of-sale data. Information can be organized in role-based views, to ensure that each user sees the information that is pertinent to its specific function. Customers can analyze the impact of daily demand and supply changes using "what-if" scenarios.
http://www.kinaxis.com