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Fundamentals of Demand Planning & Forecasting Book

May 3, 2012
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Fundamentals of Demand Planning & Forecasting Book

Tweet I am pleased to announce the completion of my new book, “Fundamentals of Demand Planning & Forecasting.” To me, this is the most comprehensive book written in the area of demand planning and forecasting, covering practically every topic which a demand planner needs to know. This book discusses not only the different models of…

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Where Should We Place the Forecasting Function?”

August 10, 2009
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Where Should We Place the Forecasting Function?”

Tweet No matter where you place the forecasting function, you will have a bias in forecasts unless you create an independent department. Production people tend to over-forecast because it gives them fewer headaches resulting from out of stocks. But if they are evaluated on the basis of inventory, they would prefer under-forecasts. Salespeople have a…

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“The Perfect Pull Supply Chain: Why The Elimination of Forecasting Decreases Inventory and Increases Availability”

July 17, 2009
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“The Perfect Pull Supply Chain: Why The Elimination of Forecasting Decreases Inventory and Increases Availability”

Tweet I recently came across this white paper with the above title, written by a company called AGENTRICS, which I found  very strange and contradictory. Here are four reasons why: 1. The paper claims since we cannot forecast (meaning 100% accurately), forecasting is unnecessary. The practice of forecasting has caused and will continue to cause…

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Models Alone are Not Enough for Improving Forecasts

June 1, 2009
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Models Alone are Not Enough for Improving Forecasts

Tweet Statistical models are important, but they are not the be all and end all of forecasting. Forecasts can be further improved if: 1) Data is properly analyzed and treated before using a model 2) Have a process in place for obtaining data/information/feedback from various stakeholders, both within and outside the organization 3) Have a…

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