August 19th, 2024
If S&OP is on your agenda, you are not alone. As part of our mission to build a dedicated support network, our most recent Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) Community event brought together industry experts from all sectors. Hosted by Equip Outdoors Technologies, our interactive event proved a huge success. But if you missed the big day, here’s a little taster.
Connecting, sharing knowledge, and exploring new opportunities with industry peers – That’s how our Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) Community empowers businesses to elevate their supply chain planning capabilities.
Connect with your S&OP community peers
With a warm welcome from Slimstock’s Jenny Lowrie, who spoke about the importance of community and collaboration, our most recent event got off to a strong start.
Highlighting the importance of collaboration in addressing the troublesome waters of modern business, Jen explains: “In a world full of complexity, our strength lies in our ability to connect, learn from each other, and utilise the combined resources available to us. This event is about more than just networking; it’s about building a community that adds real value and drives collective success.”
Inspiring keynote speakers
Dan Eckett, from SEKO Logistics, delivered our first session with compelling insights into the pivotal role of robust S&OP Processes. He shared how a lack of process caused challenges for their business and how tackling these issues head-on helped his team attain better visibility, ensure responsive planning, and optimise resource allocation.
Dan’s session was followed by Circular Supply Chain Founder Rachael Williams and Slimstock’s Pre-Sales Director, Mike Donnelly who focused on the role of people in S&OP.
Inspiring Peer Insights
One of the day’s high points was the session led by Matt Bingham, Head of Supply Chain at Equip Outdoors. He outlined why his business is embracing S&OP and the benefits they’re hoping to see.
As a business that is already starting to see the fruits of an optimised supply chain, Matt’s candid presentation offered attendees real-life examples of how S&OP can help unlock both efficiency improvements and new growth opportunities.
Networking and collaboration
One of the most pleasing outcomes of any event is that many start as strangers but leave as collaborators. And true to the event’s theme, there was plenty of time dedicated to networking and relationship-building.
The general atmosphere of the day was one of enthusiasm. With engaging roundtable discussions, new connections were created. As professionals shared their challenges, ideas, and visions for the future, many found solutions to problems holding their S&OP adoption back.
Dan Pogson | ECOBAT
“I always find these events very thought-provoking. We came away with many ideas on how to move forward with our own S&OP. Would I be interested in attending more events? Simple answer – yes!”
Moving forward
Most importantly, all the attendees left the event equipped with new connections, tools and insights to help transform their business strategies. Ongoing collaboration and innovation in the field of Sales and Operations Planning was the aim of the day. And one which was more than achieved.
Nick Brown | Hafele
“Thank you to the team for another useful event. It’s great to see how Slimstock promotes growth in the user community; it’s a great ethos. These sessions are valuable, as they help structure our thinking on S&OP implementation.”
Final thoughts
Reflecting on a fantastic day, Jen Lowrie concludes: “The benefits of this community are immense. Coming together allows us to share knowledge, overcome complexities, and seize opportunities we might miss individually. As we strive to build a robust, supportive network that helps all our businesses thrive, we look forward to organising more sessions.”
As the business landscape continues to evolve, Slimstock remain committed to supporting its community and helping businesses thrive. Stay tuned for future events and initiatives designed to drive success in a world full of complexity. Together, we can achieve great things.
