"Demand planning is the thing which everybody seems to focus on, because it's kind of theoretical. You come up with a forecast and it doesn't really influence anything. It's when you look at the supply side, that's when it becomes real."

Most supply chains are supported by investments in demand planning tools, sales and operations planning systems, and MRPs… so why is the supply plan being 'fixed' by a person with a spreadsheet and a hunch?

Mark Robinson is the CEO of Orchestr8, an enterprise supply chain planning platform. He has spent more than two decades helping global organizations including Shell, BT, 3M, and Boots improve their supply chain planning performance.

He has always maintained a particular interest in the gap between supply planning theory and the realities of execution - one that AI may just be ready to help bridge.

In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Kelly Barner and Mark discuss why:

-Bigger budgets don't buy better outcomes

-Supply planning can't be waved away as a background task

-A love of 'firefighting' may be half the problem with supply planning

Links:

Mark Robinson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-robinson-3a470211/

Kelly Barner on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-barner-6884443/

Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/art-of-supply-6895142546301960193

Art of Supply on AOP: http://www.artofsupply.com

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