Integrated Business Planning

Let’s Rethink How We Manage Business

 

IBP is provocative, challenging, and, at times, contentious, yet the benefits are unquestionable. We have experience navigating the dynamics which impede IBP implementation in a variety of different businesses. This experience affords us the opportunity to help others take the concepts of IBP and provide pragmatic operational solutions, avoiding rabbit-holes, minefields, and some of the frustration associated with the deployment.  This site is created to provide online support, answer questions, and help others on their IBP implementation journey.

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BusinessIntegrated Business Planning

Challenges of IBP

After 8 years implementing, coaching businesses and designing Integrated Business Planning (IBP) processes I have accumulated a long list of common challenges that often plague IBP deployments.   To understand all the challenges it is important to understand the intent and purpose of IBP. To contextualize how IBP should work in a business it is best to illustrate with an example.  Let say you want to grow your business from $500M to $1B in 3 years while maintaining a 15% EBITDA.   This is the focus to which the IBP process is centered for all the 5 steps, product portfolio review, commercial…
Debbie Evans
May 24, 2021
Integrated Business Planning

“Independence Day: When Integrated Business Planning Declares Its Own Freedom!”

Introduction: As we celebrate Independence Day, we can't help but draw a hilarious parallel between the spirit of freedom and the world of Integrated Business Planning (IBP). Yes, you read that right! IBP, the strategic planning process that aims to synchronize and liberate business operations, has a comedic connection to the day we celebrate independence. So, grab your party hats and let's embark on a lighthearted journey through the intertwined worlds of IBP and the 4th of July. Breaking Free from Silos: Just as our founding fathers fought to break free from the chains of tyranny, IBP strives to break…
Debbie Evans
July 3, 2023
Integrated Business Planning

“The Comedy of Integrated Business Planning: An Unparalleled Adventure”

Integrated Business Planning (IBP) - a concept that sounds as exciting as a spreadsheet party! While it may be a critical business process, let's take a lighthearted approach and dive into the world of IBP, where strategic decisions meet the unexpected twists and turns of corporate life. The Perils of Forecasting: IBP starts with forecasting, where businesses try to predict the future like fortune-tellers armed with spreadsheets. But alas, forecasting can sometimes feel like gazing into a crystal ball that stubbornly refuses to reveal its secrets. Just when you think you've got it all figured out, reality does a cheeky…
Debbie Evans
June 29, 2023
Business

Navigating the Acronyms: Understanding the Differences between S&OP, SIOP, and IBP

In the world of supply chain management, acronyms abound. Three of the most frequently used, and often confused, are S&OP, SIOP, and IBP. While they all share common objectives in optimizing business processes, they are distinct in their approaches and scopes. In this article, we will delve into the differences between S&OP (Sales and Operations Planning), SIOP (Sales, Inventory, Operations Planning), and IBP (Integrated Business Planning), shedding light on their unique characteristics and how they contribute to the success of an organization.  If you asked 10 people to describe the differences, you likely will get 10 different answers.  Here are…
Debbie Evans
September 24, 2023