Sales and Operations Planning best practices leveraging ERP platforms, especially D365FSCM
Session Overview: “This session bridges classical APICS/ASCM planning principles with modern ERP capabilities—showing how to move from reactive MRP to disciplined, proactive Supply Chain Planning directed by executive‑driven S&OP.
Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) remains one of the most misunderstood—and most powerful—business processes supported by ERP systems.
In a world of increasingly volatile demand, many organizations allow ERP planning engines to constantly “churn,” creating instability in production, purchasing, capacity, and executive confidence. This session presents practical, field‑tested S&OP best practices that stabilize operations while improving service and inventory performance.
Drawing on real‑world experience with Dynamics 365 Finance & Supply Chain Management (and principles applicable to other ERP platforms), this session will:
- Show how to stabilize production and buying in turbulent demand environments
- Explain how Demand Planning and Master Planning can provide the C‑Suite with a true “handle on the business”
- Demonstrate how dynamic Safety Stock strategies combined with ABC analysis dramatically improve supply‑demand performance
- Explore the high‑impact—but realistic—role Artificial Intelligence can play in S&OP and executive decision‑making
- Expose the power of the often‑overlooked D365FSCM Supply Forecast as a tool for decoupling and governance, not just calculation
This is not a theoretical session. Attendees will leave with concrete planning patterns, configuration concepts, and organizational insights they can apply immediately—regardless of ERP platform
Learning Objectives:
- Understand best‑practice Sales & Operations Planning as a business governance process, not just a planning run, and why stability matters more than constant recalculation.
- Learn the distinct roles of Demand Planning and Master Planning, including configuration and usage patterns that enable effective S&OP and executive‑level decision support in D365FSCM.
- Identify and apply under‑utilized D365FSCM capabilities—including Safety Stock Journals, ABC analysis, and Supply Forecasts—that materially improve supply‑demand performance and reduce planner firefighting
Speakers: Nigel Cox
Recorded at: Community Summit NA 2026
Type: Education Session
Ability Level: 201 – Intermediate
Primary Product: Dynamics 365 F/SCM (FO)
Tracks: Business Intelligence (BI) & Reporting, Manufacturing, Supply Chain
Terms: All rights reserved by the speaker, Community Summit NA, and Dynamic Communities and cannot be reproduced or distributed without express written consent by the speaker and Dynamic Communities.
