Conference Information
The past 18 months have left few in doubt about the advantages of managing demand effectively. First companies were buffeted by the sharp rise in energy costs, which resulted in skyrocketing transportation costs and reduced margins. Then they were hit by the economic downturn which resulted in an almost unprecedented drop-off in demand. There can be little dispute that demand and supply volatility has been a constant in this period, leaving very few companies unaffected.
Innovative companies were able to reduce the financial impact of the demand volatility by adopting demand management processes and systems. These systems enabled companies to detect and respond to the demand changes very early and very quickly. Both early detection and quick response are key aspects of agility, allowing companies to match inventories and component supplies with actual demand, greatly improving their financial performance.
In this on-demand webinar...
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You hear from demand management researcher Dr. Larry Lapide of MIT. Lapide discusses the fundamental aspects of demand management, the benefits that companies' demand management processes can realize, and the outcome of the research done by the Demand Management Solutions Group (DMSG).
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Learn firsthand how a manufacturer is dealing with volatile demand. Cisco vice president Karl Braitberg will discuss how his company's business is growing increasingly complex, making demand management and demand-supply balancing more complicated. To help Cisco deal with a larger product portfolio, more complex products, more business models, and many market adjacencies and opportunities, the company has adopted a number of demand management programs around customer segmentation and demand/supply balancing. Above all, Cisco has become very responsive to demand volatility by adopting new processes and systems.
The bad news? Demand volatility is here to stay. The good news? There's a lot that can be done to increase your supply chain agility, and your confidence in responding quickly and effectively to demand volatility.
Speakers
Adrienne Selko
eMedia Editor
IndustryWeek
Adrienne Selko manages the editorial content of IndustryWeek's award-winning Web site. Before joining the staff in 2004, Selko was managing editor of corporate publications at a large regional financial institution. She was also an editor for the U.S. based publication of a medical manufacturing company. Prior to that she ran a public relations and marketing company that published a best-selling healthcare book. Selko received a bachelor's of business administration from the University of Michigan.
Dr. Larry Lapide
Research Affiliate, Demand Management
MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics
Karl Braitberg
Vice President, Customer Value Chain Management
Cisco