We blinked and September is here. The holidays are now another blink away and this year, manufacturers ramped up their operations to meet the surge in demand for various products earlier than usual. The holiday period is one of the busiest times of the year, and as one might expect, a significant portion of annual sales often occurs in just a few weeks. So how does a manufacturer actually prepare?
Olusola Oduntan, senior product manager at Plex, by Rockwell Automation, says effective supply chain leadership requires overcoming a myriad of internal and external challenges, including accurate demand forecasting, meticulous scheduling and planning and resolving inventory discrepancies. Last year's holiday season saw record-breaking sales, despite inflation concerns and with the global economic landscape remaining uncertain, manufacturers must prioritize proactive holiday planning now more than ever.
"Supply chain planning solutions offer incredible opportunities for leaders to proactively plan for these challenges. Today, most solutions are cloud-based, automatically updated, and easy to customize for specific industries. The best solutions provide advanced analytics to deliver real-time insights and reporting to help manufacturers streamline their operations and gain a competitive edge during seasonal events, such as the holiday market," says Oduntan. "Integrated supply chain planning solutions enable better decision-making, enhanced visibility across the supply chain, and more agile responses to unforeseen disruptions. Manufacturers must move toward digital transformation to leverage real-time data and predictive analytics, ensuring they can meet consumer demands efficiently and effectively."
Jumping on the planning bandwagon early helps manufacturers mitigate risks while leaving time to adjust to market shifts. " Holiday demand forecasting begins on the factory floor. By taking proactive steps today, manufacturers can ensure they are well-prepared to meet demands efficiently and effectively, streamline operations, and avoid the experience of a chaos-filled holiday season," explains Oduntan. And by investing in planning solutions, manufacturers can keep their eyes open to the demands of the busiest shopping season of the year.
