Speaker(s):   Noel Watson (HBS)

Title:    Supply Chain Demand Planning: A Case Study of Consensus Forecasting.

Abstract
In the past 15 years there have been calls within the forecasting literature for moving beyond the examination of improving forecasting methods to considering the organizational environment, culture and, the forecasting process. More recently studies have examined the use of collaborative forecasting as a key part of a process which has been successfully used in a civic government setting to improve budget forecasts. Within supply chain planning processes, the needs for different types of forecasts within the organization and as a means of communication with partners and stakeholders pose challenges to a process based on such a time intensive methodology. Can a deeply participatory forecasting methodology be successfully used as a part of a demand/supply planning process in a dynamic fast paced supply chain setting? We examine such a planning process to understand the dynamics that govern its apparent success.