Ralph W. Drayer, Former Chief Logistics Officer, Procter & Gamble Company
"This is a comprehensive 'how to' guide whether you are just beginning the journey or moving from pilot to implementation."

Book Description
Ron Ireland was one of the leaders in Wal-Mart’s effort to develop its supply chain processes for collaborative forecasting and replenishment execution using retail links for communicating point-of-sale, forecasts, and inventory information to its suppliers. As a result he helped pioneer the retail industry standard called Collaborative Planning, Forecasting and Replenishment (CPFR). This collaborative process, which involves sharing information with supply chain partners in real-time, enables substantially improved planning and financial results. Using his extensive knowledge and first-hand experience, Ireland, with Colleen Crum, demonstrates what is necessary to achieve successful win-win trading partner collaborations and describes what companies give up when they don’t collaborate.

Since an effective supply chain collaboration effort requires flexibility when adapting to each partner’s capabilities and the business environment, this book presents a blueprint that you can customize to fit your company’s and your company’s trading partners’ needs to achieve success. Supply Chain Collaboration shows you how to implement CPFR and other best collaborative practices quickly and successfully in almost any organization. Wal-Mart, Procter & Gamble and other highly successful companies are reaping huge competitive benefits from the CPFR process. Learn from the "visionary pioneer" of CPFR how your organization can as well.

Key Features:
• Delineates the steps for developing and implementing a CPFR process that can drive reductions in inventory, logistics costs and cost of goods sold, and increase revenue, profits, and customer satisfaction with minimized risk
• Describes how to effectively integrate trading partner data into the demand planning and sales and operations planning processes and the risks of not doing so
• Discusses how to assess a potential trading partner’s readiness, how to evaluate the effectiveness and financial results of a trading partner relationship, and how to collaborate for continuous improvement
• WAV offers free downloadable CPFR white papers, VICS CPFR roundtable discussion slides, and a CPFR readiness assessment grid — available from the Web Added Value Download Resource Center

About the Author
Ron Ireland, a principal with Oliver Wight, has more than 20 years experience in manufacturing, retail, and technology. Ron along with Robert Bruce first defined Supply Chain Partner Collaboration while working as executives for Wal-Mart. Ron and Robert spearheaded Wal-Mart’s effort to develop its retail link for communicating point-of-sale and inventory information to their suppliers. As a result, they are widely considered the "visionary pioneers" of what has evolved into the retail industry standard called CPFR (Collaborative Planning, Forecasting and Replenishment). Ron is a sought after speaker and a lead instructor for the CPFR Institute.

Colleen Crum, a leading consultant with Oliver Wight, has helped companies implement sales and operations planning and demand management for many years. She is an experienced editor and author and has also developed teaching curricula on forecasting and demand management. Crum is a sought after speaker and an active member of APICS and other leading associations.

FROM THE PUBLISHER