In this white paper, author David Goddard poses this question for planners and leadership teams: What are you doing 13 weeks from now?
He asks this question to show the importance of translating aggregate plans over longer planning horizons into detailed plans through the upcoming 13-weeks.
In doing so, he answers the critical question:
How does a 13-week planning process work, and who should be involved?
Goddard tells how initially 13-week planning may focus on supply chain actions and activities. As the process matures, more companies include other functions in the process, most notably sales, product management, and finance. Cross-functional planning over the short-term is called Integrated Tactical Planning (ITP).
Goddard’s white paper emphasizes the practical. Essential aspects of 13-week planning are described, including:
- Why 13-week planning is critical
- How a 13-week communication process works
- Who attends the review meetings
- Key performance indicators to monitor
- What is the payoff
- Cross-functional communication through Integrated Tactical Planning