Sales and operations planning implementation: a study in an automotive company

Abstract

This research aims to develop and implement a systematic for the Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) in an automotive company located in southern Brazil. Inititaly, a systematic review was performed in six databases: EBSCO, Emerald, ScienceDirect, Scopus, Taylor & Francis e Web of Science, covering the ten years of publications. In the review, 368 articles were analyzed, in which 42 articles were selected. The results highlight the main tools used in a broad scope of applications, as well as the metrics for measuring the impact in each studied context. Six pillars were defined to synthesize the tools: demand management, forecasting, human resources, new product introduction, supply chain management and tactical planning. A framework for the S&OP implementation was developed, providing a view of the body of knowledge and depth of applications in each specific pillar. Afterwards, based on the review insights, a S&OP implementation systematic was created in a six-step sequency: maturity evaluation, team development, demand planning, supply planning, operational planning and KPIs evaluation. Results were evaluated seven months after the project go-live, depicting a reduction of 18.42% in inventory costs, 3% growth in the desired service level by the company, and a 40% increase in forecast acurracy in the period. Improvements in the organization's maturity level were also identified in comparison to its initial stage.