High-Tech Giant Captures Large Unexpected Orders and Unplanned Demand Without Disrupting Supply Chain

• Analytics & Modeling - Predictive Analytics
• Functional Applications - Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERP)
• Functional Applications - Product Lifecycle Management Systems (PLM)

• Software

• Business Operation
• Sales & Marketing

• Demand Planning & Forecasting
• Supply Chain Visibility

• Software Design & Engineering Services
• System Integration

The technology company faced challenges in handling 20%-30% of unplanned orders with non-standard volumes and product mixes. These unplanned orders risked causing customer dissatisfaction, contractual penalties, and higher costs. The company aimed to maximize revenue by not losing feasible orders and minimize risks of reputational damage and increased costs due to missed or delayed order fulfillment. However, the information required to assess order feasibility was spread across multiple internal systems, and data quality was poor. Functional gaps in legacy planning solutions and reliance on manual processes further compounded the challenges.

The customer is a technology and services company based in the United States, generating over $50 billion in annual revenue. With a workforce of over 150,000 employees operating in multiple countries, the company sells through direct and indirect channels. While most customer orders are fluid and well-planned, 20%-30% of the orders are unplanned and have non-standard volumes and product mixes. The unplanned nature of these orders creates risks of potentially disruptive impacts, such as dissatisfied customers, contractual penalties, and higher costs to expedite manufacturing and shipping. The company had previously created a dedicated sales hotline and specialized order review processes to capture these large upside orders while limiting disruption, but these steps were insufficient.

The company decided to implement e2open's solutions to address the challenges of handling unplanned orders. They expanded the use of e2open applications deployed in their channel business and added capabilities to manage demand and synchronize sales and operations teams. The selected applications included e2open Channel Data Management, e2open Demand Planning, and e2open Sales and Operations Planning. Initially, the company aimed to replace its legacy planning systems with e2open's modern applications. However, they realized the need to resolve direct sales data challenges first. They adapted e2open's Channel Data Management application to identify specific products across sales quotes, CRM opportunities, and planning bills of materials (BOMs). Subsequently, they deployed e2open Demand Planning and e2open Sales and Operations Planning to replace their legacy planning solution. This combination provided planners with insights to quickly assess order feasibility, run what-if scenarios, collaborate with sales and suppliers, and prevent disruptions and expedited costs.

• The new solution automatically identifies 80% of large upside orders, freeing planners to focus on assessing order feasibility.
• Planners can quickly assess the feasibility of every order, run what-if scenarios, and look for alternative parts when availability is constrained.
• The company can collaborate with sales and suppliers to adjust plans, prevent disruptions, and provide accurate delivery dates.

• E2open Channel Data Management automatically identifies 80% of large upside orders.