Analyst Insight: S&OP is much more of a journey than a destination. After getting the supply/demand match process established, the question becomes "what is needed to move the process beyond the supply chain function and get ownership across the organization?" A good place to start is the front end of your business. - Bryan Ball, Vice President and Group Director, Supply Chain and Global Supply Management Practices, Aberdeen

Analyst Insight: Data analytics is playing a bigger role in supply chain analysis and consulting practices. According to a Deloitte study, "big data" and advanced analytics are being integrated into optimization tools, demand forecasting, integrated business planning, supplier collaboration and risk analytics at a rapid pace. - Traci Doenitz, Vice President of Information Systems, Spend Management Experts

The most pressing concerns for consumer packaged goods companies today are transportation and network redesign - priorities that just two years ago barely registered on their radar, according to a report by The Boston Consulting Group and the Grocery Manufacturers Association.

Moving from manual spreadsheets to a global planning execution control tower solution brings major operational improvements to complex animal pharmaceuticals supply chain.

Sales executives, managers and reps spend countless hours in forecast meetings, yet often find their actual closed revenue falls far from the mark they predicted. With the advanced CRM technology and sales forecasting tools available today, it's a wonder this trend continues.

Analyst Insight: Demand planning can be both a complex and demanding exercise to fully conduct. To get past the initial challenges, it is tempting to consolidate demand planning into a few simple metrics and goals to support adoption. Blue Hill believes that this approach will ultimately sabotage the best-intended intentions to support enterprise demand planning. – Hyoun Park, Chief Research Officer at Blue Hill Research

Speed, Efficiency, Optimization. For many companies, actualizing this powerful trio can seem more like a dream than a concrete, achievable supply-chain goal. There are ways to realize all three, and the evolving excellence of supply chain technology is providing more and more opportunity to do so. Enter Big Calculations: the act of optimizing your business in real time, to create fast and efficient results.

Building true omnichannel merchandising capabilities requires the merging of previously siloed business functions. Footwear retailer Aerosoles has been omnichannel for about 10 years now, however, over the past 18 months the organization has decided to step up to manage the business properly.

S&OP has never been more important or more confusing. For the supply chain leader, it is growing in importance and is on the top of the list for a 2014 focus. However, the market for technology solutions is confusing. We count more than thirty-five solution providers claiming to provide S&OP solutions with a range of capabilities. Here we share insights on why it matters. - Lora Cecere, CEO and Founder, Supply Chain Insights