Logistics and Supply Chain Management, 6th Edition

Demand management and planning

In the past ‘demand’ was often seen as a given and the business must react to it as best it could with only a less-than-accurate sales forecast to help it do so. Today the best run companies are taking a more proactive stance. They recognise that not only do the actions of the business impact demand (e.g. new product launches, sales promotions, advertising campaigns, etc.), but also that even market volatility can be coped with if the appropriate supply chain planning processes are in place. Demand management is the term that has come to be used to describe the various tools and procedures that enable a more effective balancing of supply and demand to be achieved through a deeper understanding of the causes of ...