Mark Lawless

Going Beyond S&OP: Hedging Exogenous Business Risk

Mark LawlessSeptember 8, 2024

Forecasting is becoming more difficult and less reliable for business planning purposes. Forecasting models are typically developed using historical patterns of behavior and of related events. There is often an unspoken ceteris paribus assumption... Read More...

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What Makes a Great Demand Planner?

Mark LawlessJanuary 19, 2024

Demand forecasting and demand planning are foundational elements of business plans and business strategies across the many functions within the company. They encompass long-term planning, short-term planning, and everything in between. They ar... Read More...

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Price Elasticity & Demand Forecasting

Mark LawlessOctober 17, 2023

There are many factors that a demand forecaster must consider when developing a demand forecast. One of these factors is the pricing power of the company and of the brand. Pricing power will affect demand volume when prices change. It is importan... Read More...

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It’s a Great Time For Forecasters & Planners – Make the Most of It

Mark LawlessOctober 5, 2023

It is a great time for business forecasting and planning and those who do it! We have technology and data analytics tools that could not have been imagined just 30 years ago. We have able to shift from manual, time-consuming data collection and a... Read More...

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Rising Interest Rates Are Changing Everything For Business Planning

Mark LawlessJanuary 2, 2023

Companies have been working on their 2023 business plans and budgets since the beginning of fall 2022. During this time, numerous developments have occurred in the economy and financial markets. One of the biggest concerns is rising interest rate... Read More...

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Interest Rates Are Changing Consumer Behavior – Here’s What Demand Planners Must Do

Mark LawlessSeptember 28, 2022

As of this writing, Central Banks’ efforts to reduce inflation are underway. Central Banks around the globe are increasing their interest rates in response to the rate increases by the U.S. Federal Reserve. Whether you're in the USA or elsewhere,... Read More...

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Understanding Your Consumers’ Behavior

Mark LawlessMay 17, 2022

Businesses run in an environment of change and evolution that has multiple dimensions – Economic, Sociological, Political, Competitive, Regulatory, and Technological. At the very heart of the drive for business success is the customer/consumer de... Read More...

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Mitigating Interest Rate Risk With Scenario Planning & FP&A

Mark LawlessFebruary 1, 2022

2022 is beginning with substantial uncertainty and risk for businesses of all types. Much of this comes from the financial markets, and part of it relates to operating for 2 years in the pandemic. The list is long, but the main risks for demand p... Read More...

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What Inflation Means For Demand Planners

Mark LawlessNovember 18, 2021

After many years of absence, cost and price inflation is returning as a risk factor for business performance. This has major implications for Demand Planners and supply chain professionals. Central banks are re-assessing their monetary policie... Read More...

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Mitigating Supply Chain Risk and Its Financial Effects

Mark LawlessNovember 8, 2021

It is important for both supply chain and financial professionals to consider the impact of mitigation and risk management efforts on company financial performance. Projected demand for upcoming periods must be planned for, and we look to balanc... Read More...

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