Demand planning with SAS

Customer expectations are higher than ever.

Never in human history have expectations of availability been so high. The market standard today is to get anything you want in the world in just a few days. They make it look as simple as clicking a button and making it appear, but it’s far more complex than that. Organizations need reliable forecasts of future customer demand to ensure that their supply chains are fine-tuned to mitigate risk. Modern demand planners are keeping this fragile balance intact by integrating advanced analytic tools into their arsenals to keep customers happy and their operations running smoothly.

SAS can support you at every stage of the demand planning journey with SAS Visual Forecasting and SAS Intelligent Planning. These tools enable users to make reliable predictions and informed decisions for demand planning with ease.

Demand planning in SAS Visual Forecasting

SAS Visual Forecasting is a powerful tool for demand planning, allowing users to leverage graphical representations of data to identify trends and patterns. SAS provides robust forecast modeling and visual tools that help users create reliable demand forecasts.

For example, one major consumer goods manufacturer has successfully utilized SAS's visual forecasting tools to streamline multi-channel forecasting across retail, discounter, and eCommerce. By analyzing historical data and visualizing future trends, they can make more informed decisions about production and inventory management across 50 global markets. Some of the results of this project were:

Demand sensing for manufacturing optimization

ML-infused hierarchical forecasting

Increased forecast reliability and accuracy

SAS Intelligent Planning

For those with planning solution needs in manufacturing, retail, consumer packaged goods, SAS Intelligent Planning offers an end-to-end enterprise demand planning solution. This powerful solution fuels operational excellence by offering advanced capabilities that go beyond traditional forecasting. Intelligent Planning allows users to execute complex processes in a single solution, including SKU management, forward planning, adjustments to plans and scenario comparisons to help predict and plan for demand in their business. This holistic approach ensures that businesses can respond effectively to changing circumstances.

Some features of the SAS Intelligent Planning solution include scenario analysis, optimization algorithms, and machine learning models that enhance the accuracy of demand predictions. Demand Planners can then act on these insights making tactical decisions to their plans in one solution, with integrated worksheets, communication portal, visualizations and alerts to manage competing priorities.

The future of demand planning with AI

The future of demand planning is poised for significant changes as AI tools and more powerful computing resources become integrated into the process. These advancements will enable demand planners to solve bigger problems and achieve greater precision in their forecasting and planning. For instance, AI-driven demand planning can analyze vast amounts of data in real-time, providing insights that were previously unattainable. Additionally, the integration of IoT devices and sensors will offer real-time data on consumer behavior, further refining demand forecasts. As these technologies continue to evolve, demand planning will become even more dynamic and responsive to market changes.

SAS is your partner in modern demand planning

SAS is at the forefront of delivering solutions that enhance productivity, power, and trust for customers worldwide. By helping businesses understand their data and make better decisions, SAS ensures that demand planning stays effective and adaptable to the latest technological advancements. As the demand planning landscape evolves, SAS continues to provide the tools needed to extract real value from data, empowering businesses to thrive in a competitive environment.

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