Planning as a Service

Helping Companies Achieve Real Business Results…Fast

Supply chain planning is a complex process that requires advanced technology and specialized proficiency do it well. ToolsGroup’s SO99+ planning suite provides the technology – but problem solvers and key skills are in short supply, and many companies lack time-tested, standardized best practice processes. Internal options to scale up quickly may be limited. ToolsGroup can address this proficiency challenge by providing skilled resources that hit the ground running, helping clients achieve real business results fast.ToolsGroup’s Planning-as-a-Service offerings provide business-focused, technology enabled resources to help customers achieve value from their SO99+ implementation quickly. Building a partnership with our clients, we accelerate time-to-value over a traditional implement and learn approach; and we provide much greater flexibility than working with a large consulting firm. Let us show you how we can be your trusted supply chain planning partner.

Managed Planning Services

With ToolsGroup’s Managed Planning Services, your company gains access to domain and technology expertise that shortens time-to-value on your SO99+ investment. Outsourcing key planning capability helps your company quickly achieve business results while mitigating the time and cost challenges of building an advanced planning team in-house.As a virtual part of your organization, we bring precise supply chain modeling skills for deep insight into demand signals, inventory behaviors and supply chain volatility. Working with your team, we map out an integrated process that leverages our analytical/technological expertise for actionable insights – coupled with your business expertise – to help you achieve your corporate and business goals. We handle infrastructure and interpretation of system results, so instead of cleaning and massaging data your resources focus on analyzing and adding value – a better use of your human capital. Regardless of the scope of your SO99+ implementation, we have Managed Planning Services to help:

Demand Planning & Collaboration

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

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.

Replenishment Planning

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

With Planning Solution Support, ToolsGroup provides customized assistance to help clients achieve maximum value from their SO99+ investment. Like a “time share” for ToolsGroup expertise, Planning Solution Support allows customers to choose the amount of time and level of service that works best for them, removing the risk and cost of maintaining these skills in-house. Two services are offered:

Model Management Assistant

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

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