As an eCommerce business that is striving to stay ahead of the competition in this saturated, online landscape, S&OP can make the difference between a profit or a loss. When it comes to strategizing and planning, most top-performing businesses run their processes through S&OP.
Put simply, S&OP stands for Sales and Operations Planning. Put differently, it is an approach that allows businesses to align the supply with demand, resulting in better customer satisfaction, greater customer satisfaction and company performance, and overall revenue growth.
What Is S&OP?
More specifically, S&OP is a process of planning, execution, and monitoring the supply of goods and services, as well as the sales revenue generated by these goods and services. S&OP is used to identify and escalate trends, so businesses can avoid supply issues and inventory shortages.
How Can S&OP Enhance Your eCommerce Business?
1. Provide Better Transparency and Encourage Collaboration
S&OP works toward transparency and collaboration among different departments within an organization. It allows sales, operations, and supply chain teams to communicate and solve problems on the same page. You can then create a clear and concrete plan, which all members can follow, in order to boost revenue.
2. Streamline Key Departments and Operate Off of One Set of Numbers
By leveraging S&OP, companies are able to streamline their product supply to create a single set of numbers. This is what allows businesses to truly see the demand that is out there.
Also, it allows them to be more responsive, by being able to effectively produce the right amount of goods and services necessary to meet this demand through an organized use of key performance indicators (KPIs).
3. Enhances Inventory Management
S&OP allows for better inventory management, inventory turns, and inventory utilization. This is because the sales forecasts are no longer being set by a single department, but by a team that has a larger picture of the company's sales, and the supply chain.
4. Balances Supply and Demand
Through the use of S&OP, a company is able to successfully balance the production of goods to match the customer demand. This way, if the demand for a product is low, the business will not have a surplus of goods in the supply chain, which will result in revenue loss.
Also, if a trend changes in the market, a business can quickly adapt to the demand and supply the right amount of goods and services, resulting in revenue growth and customer satisfaction.
5. Reduces Risk
S&OP allows businesses to minimize their risk by monitoring the company's sales forecast. When sales goals are not met, this can present the opportunity to negotiate with suppliers for better contract terms.
It also allows businesses to identify and effectively react to changes in trends. This way, you are able to avoid business risks such as overly large stocks, excess inventory costs, and unnecessary production costs.
The Bottom Line: The Pivotal Role S&OP Plays in Your eCommerce Business's Success
Every business can benefit from sales and operations planning. By combining the efforts of all departments, the sales forecasting process is more consistent, accurate, and reliable.
Where Can You Find the Best ECommerce Accounting Services in Australia?
If you’re looking for a reliable and affordable accountant in Australia, we’re your best option. We offer various services that can improve your venture's profitability rate, so get in touch with us today for a free consultation!