Many players have input to the forecasting process, but it is the demand planner who bears the brunt of criticism if a forecast is not quite accurate.

Analyst Insight: The greatest gap between performance and satisfaction of supply chain applications is in the area of demand planning. The reasons are many, but many are rooted in organizational and processes issues causing many people to throw in the towel too early. – Lora Cecere, Founder of Supply Chain Insights

Demand planning and forecasting projects are popular tactics today for boosting financial results and shareholder value-for good reason. They typically produce one-time and often significant inventory reductions but also higher inventory turns that allow organizations to sustain lower inventory levels over time. The results look great on paper, prompting executives to search for more ways to "optimize" inventory throughout the supply chain.

Aligning supply chain planning with execution is now a competitive necessity and essential for all organizations, according to a new study. Results from the 2014 Supply Chain Benchmarking Study reveal investment priorities and top challenges of more than 300 supply chain professionals from a wide cross-section of the market.

So-called "growth through innovation" strategies continue to drive supply chain complexity at a rapid pace, making it harder for businesses to forecast, according to the 2014 Terra Technology Forecasting Benchmark Study. Data shows that demand planning has reached a performance ceiling with forecast value-added declining for a second year.

From banners to jerseys, flags to face paint, the World Cup illustrated just how important a brand is for firing up fans. As brands come to mean more to everyday consumers, so, too, do the processes – from procurement to distribution – needed to fulfill a brand’s promise.

Demand planning has a big impact on business performance. Planning error can put revenue at risk by driving component shortages. Persistent planning biases can tie up cash by driving excess inventory. Furthermore, the act of planning and dealing with planning error is time consuming and drives costly overhead. In fact, it is common for supply chain management executives to cite "planning errors" as the greatest obstacle they face to achieving their goals and objectives.

Winning the game in demand management is a yard-by-yard gain. There may be some super long passes and some genius calls, but by and large, making progress requires granular visibility of the market, and software that can understand the data and, like a great quarterback, call the shots in a timely way.