A demand planning system for a medium sized pipe producer

Abstract

This undergraduate final year project report is a reflection of the research and the work that have been done to develop a Demand Planning System. The Demand Planning System consists of a Sales Forecasting System that has been developed in generally available spreadsheet software and a model for managing the sales forecasting function in businesses. The report starts with a literature review on demand planning. After an analysis of data from the pipe producer’s Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, a conceptual design of a Demand Planning System for the pipe producer is given. Finally a description and analysis of the Sales Forecasting System follow. A forecasting managerial approach that integrates judgemental and quantitative forecasting methods to form a holistic demand planning solution is the ideal that this project is striving for.