Helping Companies Achieve Real Business Results…Fast
Managed Planning Services
ToolsGroup’s Demand Planning as a service provides expert planners that know SO99+ demand planning inside and out, so clients can focus on their business. We start by curating the data and demand model to generate a statistical forecast based on your sales history. We then regularly collaborate with you to manage structural levers that influence the underlying model and/or work with you to apply your market insight as overrides to the forecast. Finally, after the close of every month, we regularly measure and evaluate forecast accuracy and value add – continuously working with you to improve overall forecast accuracy.
By partnering with ToolsGroup for demand planning, companies gain access to skilled analytical resources that complement their own business expertise, working together to continuously align forecasts and improve accuracy. This service works well on its own, but it can provide even greater value when coupled with Inventory Planning as a service.
Inventory Planning as a service allows users to leverage ToolsGroup’s inventory optimization expertise gained through more than 300 customer engagements world-wide. With this service, ToolsGroup modeling analysts work with the client’s business experts to continuously manage planning parameters and optimize inventory across all products and network locations. The service starts with ongoing safety stock target setting to balance service and cost, but beyond that we provide deep insight into the various components of your inventory as well as visibility to what your supply chain is capable of achieving given your current constraints. Then, leveraging the modeling engine and your business expertise, we can help you identify, evaluate and monitor strategies for continuously lowering inventory and/or improving service.
Inventory Planning services can be leveraged on their own, or coupled with ToolsGroup Demand Planning services. When ToolsGroup Demand and Inventory Planning services are combined, customers can be sure they will achieve maximum benefit from SO99+’s tightly integrated service planning platform.
For customers that have chosen SO99+ integrated Demand, Inventory Planning and Replenishment Planning as a service completes the service-driven planning picture with the final link back to the execution system. With Replenishment Planning, ToolsGroup’s Planner/Analysts monitor activity across the network every day – interpreting exception messages and recommending expedite, de-expedite, transfer and purchase actions that are aligned with the client’s overall service objectives. Leveraging ToolsGroup’s replenishment planning resources over hiring directly is yet another way companies can focus on their core business and leave the planning to us.
Planning Solution Support
Model Management Assistant provides “hands-on” support, working with the client’s super-users and IT resources to help with advanced technical tasks – and reducing the level of technical expertise needed in house. This level of support covers tasks like:
- Batch monitoring and troubleshooting
- Configuration changes or leveraging additional functionality
- Model changes
- Mass parameter uploads
- Development of new reports
- Answering questions about functionality or providing ad-hoc user train
Planning Functionality Assistant provides “expert knowledge” support, working with the client’s super-users to quickly address “help-desk” type tasks – but leveraging specific knowledge about the client’s implementation and responding faster than basic support. This level of support covers tasks like:
- Answering questions about functionality
- Providing ad hoc/targeted user training
- Development of SO99+ interface-driven reports