Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP): Insights from a multi-case study of Brazilian Organizations

Due to the complexity of the Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) processes, implementation can be considered difficult and challenging. In complex environments, S&OP has received little attention, academically and practically. This lack of attention leaves a gap in understanding what the enablers and barriers are for implementing and managing a more efficient S&OP process. A better understanding would help managers facilitate an effective S&OP implementation and ensure positive results. The purpose of this manuscript is to characterize the factors for successful S&OP implementation (enablers), as well as the barriers that hinder its implementation specifically in the challenging environment of Brazil. The results suggest that some success factors such as top management support, cross-functional integration, metrics and performance monitoring, information systems and understanding processes/training are critical to successfully implementing S&OP. Also, indications are that a formal structure may be necessary to support the process implementation. In these situations, an S&OP department with matrix-like reporting is recommended. The main contribution of this paper is to provide an analytical scheme to organizations wishing to implement S&OP, by outlining the main enablers and barriers found in the literature and by analyzing empirical data, giving insights for S&OP implementation, especially in challenging contexts.