DIRECTV’s service depends on equipment imported from Asia and forward-positioned in 250 locations to support home installations. Having long used Microsoft Excel to forecast demand, the company had a rocky journey to an automated forecasting system from SAP. Randy Sullivan discusses lessons learned and ultimate benefits.

Backward-looking KPIs, especially those on safety stock, are a necessity in successful S&OP processes, says Erik Hjerpe of TreeHouse Foods, a private-brand food manufacturer. He explains why this is so and how TreeHouse employs a variety of safety stock strategies.

The technology surrounding point-of-sale data has improved tremendously in recent years and companies are making much better use of this information, says Tina Lalor, senior business consultant with John Galt Solutions.

In a multi-year, multi-phase project covering people, processes and technology, Red Wing Shoes streamlined and improved its S&OP process, cutting planning time from six weeks to three and reducing inventory by 27 percent.

Susan Golicic, associate professor at Colorado State University, discusses recent CSCMP sponsored research on the state of supply chain innovation. While there have been no game changers in the last decade, steady incremental innovation has led to significant performance improvements, she says.

The shift toward omnichannel distribution has both positive and negative unintended impacts. On the positive side are opportunities to blend and leverage channels; on the downside are organizational and operational gaps. Steven DeFazio, executive vice president at Fortna, offers insights on both.

Lora Cecere, CEO of Supply Chain Insights, discusses new research from her company designed to identify the top 15 supply chains as measured against their peers, including capabilities and strategies that these companies share.