Planning Services

As the adjoining picture shows, in any business, planning, execution and monitoring processes are iterative processes that are closely interconnected. The importance of formal planning as a core function of business operations has never been greater – with increased global competition, shifting business models, and the need for a business to be both operationally efficient and well-positioned for growth. Success requires great execution which in turn requires the right, optimal plans to execute upon.

 

Key Planning Domains

Planning functions are scattered throughout an organization and have varying cycles – yearly, quarterly and daily. Considerations differ from industry to industry, company to company and involve factors that are often dynamic. The output of plans drive operational decisions. Planning solutions need careful evaluation of all these factors as well as the extent of the impact of best practices and technologies (EDI, VMI, RFID etc), that govern operational execution of plans.

 

Case Studies

New England based mid-size manufacturer

• Program to transition them into a branded marketing and distribution firm – historical sales & margins analysis, portfolio planning, price modeling, establishment of sourcing & distribution network -Efficiencies achieved in sourcing – 10%, Revenue growth anticipated – 8%

Large National Telecommunications Provider

• Load forecasting and field service technicians planning across a 5 state geography for a large telecom service provider, based on weather, infrastructure and other factors, optimizing customer service targets with budgets and overtime spend. – Decrease in labor spend by 5-8% and Increase in revenues by 1-8%

Large TX retailer

• Assortment rationalization based on rates of sale, store clusters, etc for a retailer – Decreased inventory one-time by 1%, Reduced days of inventory on average by 10%

Large Consumer Goods Manufacturers

• Outsourcing of the warehousing function for a manufacturer of consumer products – Reduced costs of
  warehousing – 10%, Reduced days in inventory by 15%
• Reengineering of the procure-to-pay process for a beverage maker, to allow for invoice-less settlements to suppliers and transportation service providers – Reduced claims and invoice processing costs by 30%

Principles and Values that Guide Us

Nathan Research adopts a unique approach to solutions development/delivery by combining original thought leadership with

• Customer involvement in problem and solution definition
• Field validation by working with users
• Continous R&D and innovation for practical solutions
• Knowledge/experience in a variety of solutions and techniques
• Relationships with leading industry organizations.