Shifting conditions outpaced planning processes for a leading manufacturer
One leading manufacturer of household products experienced this firsthand. Pandemic-driven shifts in consumer behavior led to a surge in home improvement demand. This spike exposed the limits of existing planning processes and introduced new risks, including operational inefficiencies and stockouts.
For the manufacturer, the challenge wasn’t just improving forecast accuracy. It was gaining the agility needed to keep supply aligned with evolving demand.
Better, faster decisions require connected data, planning and execution
Integrated business planning connects insights across the organization to support faster responses and stronger alignment between supply and demand.
Teams need a shared, continuously updated view of demand so they can act quickly while keeping supply aligned with changing conditions. Achieving that level of coordination requires integrated business planning solutions that combine advanced statistical algorithms with real-time data to support more accurate and responsive forecasts.
Transforming demand planning for a leading household products manufacturer
Through the EY-SAP Alliance, professionals from both organizations helped the manufacturer transform its approach to demand planning. Together, they implemented SAP Integrated Business Planning (SAP IBP) for demand planning, embedding a more connected, data-driven capability across the organization.
The focus wasn’t just better forecasts but also better, faster decision-making. By moving beyond fragmented processes and static inputs, the organization gained a continuously updated view of demand informed by real-time data and advanced statistical models.
As Shetty explains, addressing this level of volatility requires collaborative data that supports more resilient, informed decision-making across the planning process. “By working together with SAP, we brought together transformation experience and planning technology to enable a more connected, data-driven approach to demand planning,” he says.
The SAP IBP platform provided the analytical foundation, while EY teams helped align planning processes to fully leverage those insights. Together, this reflects an ecosystem approach that connects data, planning processes and advanced forecasting models into a unified environment.
Integrated planning enables stronger resilience and supply-demand alignment
An ecosystem approach helps organizations respond quickly and keep supply aligned with demand as conditions evolve.
With integrated business planning in place, the manufacturer gained a more connected and responsive approach to decision-making. Planners now operate with greater clarity. Real-time data and advanced analytics provide a more reliable and continuously updated view of demand, enabling teams to make more informed decisions with confidence.
That visibility has also improved speed. As conditions shift, planners can respond more quickly, adjusting assumptions and aligning supply with demand in near real time rather than relying on static plans. Alignment is tighter as well. A shared planning environment connects functions, data and assumptions, helping verify that supply decisions remain closely tied to evolving demand signals.
These outcomes are enabled by an ecosystem approach that brings together data, planning processes and advanced forecasting models into a single, connected environment. Rather than operating in silos, teams work from a shared foundation of insights, enabling more coordinated decision-making across the planning process.
More visibility, less uncertainty for a leading manufacturer
- Clearer visibility into demand
- Faster, more informed decisions
- Stronger supply-demand alignment
- Reduced operational risk
- Greater stability and efficiency
By integrating data and model-driven forecasts, the manufacturer can better anticipate change, evaluate scenarios and adjust supply strategies with greater precision. This more connected approach improves responsiveness while helping the organization navigate complexity and reduce the risk of shortages and excess inventory.
These capabilities extend beyond individual planning cycles. With a shared foundation of data and insights, teams can align more effectively across functions so that decisions remain grounded in the most current view of demand. More broadly, integrated business planning has reshaped how the organization operates. Connecting data, planning and decision-making through an ecosystem approach enables teams to act decisively, make better-informed decisions and stay aligned as conditions continue to change.
