Demand forecast planning

Are you flying blind everyday and failing to meet cost and service expectations?

How do you know whether your operation is about to fail?

Do you require a planning tool to substantiate your decisions to your boss?

Often managers and supervisors are expected to competently lead and manage their workforce to achieve cost, quality and service targets without the aid of a demand forecast planning system.

Image having an hourly or daily update available comparing the actual performance results to the plan and identifying all variations to assist the decision makers on a revised course of action.

Benefits to business of demand forecast planning include:

  • Visibility of the forecasted plan and actual results
  • Implementation of a plan with definitive objectives and goals
  • Maximisation of capacity performance
  • Scheduling and reserving of equipment and human resources
  • Achieving customer service performance
  • Minimising idle time and labour costs
  • Developing and activating demand contingencies
  • Taking advantage of demand opportunities

Developing a DFP system as a tool to formally forecast and plan in advance, prepares an operation or department to respond to the daily scheduled and unscheduled demands, and track progress against plan.

Such a system is designed on essential parameters i.e. volumetric data, performance indicators, lead-times, budget constraints, time frames, service indicators, customers etc.

Capturing fluctuations in demand over a period improves the planning and allocation of resources to achieve cost effect operational commitments.

The DFP system can be developed into a sophisticated or fairly simple design, with reporting capabilities to meet the specific requirements of an operation.