Inventory management To improve service, costs and product availability
S&OP is a supply-chain-driven process used to tactically manage sales and operations planning. Our offering supports the implementation of structured and effective S&OP/IBP processes by integrating the three essential pillars: People, Process and Tools. This helps improve your company’s overall performance and competitiveness.
Our convictions
Make decisions at the right level
Ensure that senior management’s business strategy is implemented through the S&OP process, using key decisions and trade-offs between different scenarios.
Manage S&OP/IBP processes jointly through the Supply Chain and Finance departments, linking objectives with constraints.
Assign other decisions to the relevant S&OP stakeholders and the appropriate departmental units.
Segment management and decision-making
“One size doesn’t fit all”: Segmenting your products, services, and markets enables you to tailor management processes, decisions, and actions to each specific context.
Adapt the level of analysis and decision-making to the specific challenges of each segment, based on the constraints and risks identified. This includes adapting the S&OP strategy to the specific characteristics of each segment.
Enrich demand information
Statistical forecasts are no longer sufficient and need to be enriched through collaboration between local and central organizations, as well as between the Commercial and Supply Chain teams.
Demand needs to be scenario-planned in order to anticipate variations and improve decision-making, using demand planning techniques.
Algorithms, Machine Learning, and AI, in collaboration with the teams, help facilitate demand management (clustering, trends, promotions, deployment forecasts, etc.).
Manage risks and constraints
Clearly identify the constraints addressed and managed through S&OP/IBP (resources, cash, critical supplies, etc.).
Clearly define the actionable levers by time horizon to adapt your resources in time to constraints and requirements.
Define a common response strategy to accelerate decision-making.
Establish a risk and exception management process to be addressed within the S&OP process.
Involve all teams in the processes
Ensure that all participants and decision-makers embrace the need for trade-offs.
Make it clear that the tool alone cannot solve everything: it is essential for collaboration, but insufficient if stakeholders do not share the same vision.
Embrace learning from mistakes as part of a continuous improvement approach and strengthen the organization’s resilience.
Our solutions and expertise
Building end-to-end processes
Design a robust S&OP process tailored to specific needs, in collaboration with teams, using a RACI framework.
Establish collaborative routines covering multiple planning horizons to support the process.
Propose organisational models, including multi-level and matrix structures, to adapt the process design.
Ensure consistency between S&OP/IBP planning levels, the budget and operational reality on the ground.
Rationalise and deploy the KPIs required for effective management.
Digitalising S&OP processes
Map your current IT systems and rationalize your technology choices.
Select the right solution from ERP, APS, CPM, and EPM platforms.
Provide “off-the-shelf” accelerator modules built with EPM tools such as Board and Anaplan (pre-built templates to facilitate implementation).
Provide business-side project management support throughout the transformation (governance, requirements specifications, testing and acceptance, etc.).
Align Master Data to ensure the overall consistency and relevance of the solution.
Integrate technological innovations (Machine Learning, AI) to maximize value creation.
Change management
- Design and support for the implementation of initial operational experiments (POCs).
- Support the transformation by coaching all stakeholders through S&OP workshops and training sessions.
- Align all stakeholders and departments around a common objective through shared KPIs.
- Define and implement a roadmap to support change, from the Executive Committee to S&OP operational teams.
ZOOM ON OUR TRAINING
Our certifications and training
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Partner, Head of Supply Chain Consulting
Raphael is a Director at Citwell and leads the Lille office. He began his career at Decathlon, where he spent six years working within the Supply Chain function, across both operations and project management.
Drawing on his extensive experience in transforming operating models, Raphael supports clients in driving continuous improvement and achieving sustainable, long-term growth.
Throughout his career, he has led major Supply Chain projects, including process transformation, strategic vision development, end-to-end planning, and inventory management for both components and finished products.
Among our references
Implementation of Anaplan and redesign of the Terminals’ S&OP process
Redesign and digitalisation of the S&OP process using Board
IBP feasibility study, IBP roadmap and forecasting.
Definition and support for implementing Forecasting and S&OP processes
Support for implementing demand-management processes and tools using DynaSys
Feasibility study: hybridisation of an APS and DDMRP around a key loop: DD S&OP
They testify
« Citwell supported us in implementing a digitalised S&OP process. Following a diagnostic phase, we deployed an action plan tailored to the various stakeholders, according to their level of engagement with the project. This S&OP process enabled us to provide better service to our customers while optimising inventory levels. »
Kenza Maalouf, Supply Chain Project Manager at Ingenico
« Citwell est un allié clé dans la conduite au changement et la réorganisation de notre supply chain, pour répondre d’une part aux besoins en compétences en interne et également pour faire face aux enjeux de croissance de notre secteur d’activité. »
Olivier Himpe, Directeur Supply Chain, Business Unit Services Clients de Nexter (KNDS)
« L’éclairage de Citwell a incité nos partenaires à mieux gérer leurs stocks de bouteilles, pour faire baisser les coûts de l’ensemble de l’organisation. Nous recommandons Citwell pour son pragmatisme, son sérieux, son agilité. »
Frédéric Mairesse, Directeur Général de Champagne Barons de Rothschild