https://demandlabs.io/blogMethod notes on demand forecasting, inventory, supply and planning operations. Each one takes a single problem, works an example, and says where the method stops.en Mon, 02 Nov 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://demandlabs.io/blog/planning-system-upgradehttps://demandlabs.io/blog/planning-system-upgrade Mon, 02 Nov 2026 00:00:00 +0000SystemsA vendor release with no configuration change can still move thousands of plan lines. Why that happens, which differences deserve investigation, and how to build a regression baseline before the next upgrade. https://demandlabs.io/blog/planning-system-support-modelhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/planning-system-support-model Fri, 30 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000SystemsAfter go-live, a planning support team gets incidents, questions about correct answers, and configuration changes in one queue. How to separate them, keep the overnight chain running, and staff it. https://demandlabs.io/blog/vietnam-supply-chain-planninghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/vietnam-supply-chain-planning Thu, 29 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000RegionalVietnamese plants run on imported inputs, a moving Tet shutdown and a northern grid that fails in dry years. How to plan a site whose origin file decides its tariff. https://demandlabs.io/blog/carbon-credit-portfoliohttps://demandlabs.io/blog/carbon-credit-portfolio Wed, 28 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000EnergyCarbon credit portfolio management as a forward short position: sizing the obligation, compliance and voluntary in one book, and the abate or buy comparison. https://demandlabs.io/blog/mexico-nearshoring-supply-chainhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/mexico-nearshoring-supply-chain Tue, 27 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000RegionalNearshoring moves the factory to Mexico and moves the risk to the crossing, the IMMEX clock and the origin file. What changes in a plan built for ocean freight. https://demandlabs.io/blog/feedstock-price-pass-throughhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/feedstock-price-pass-through Mon, 26 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000IndustryIndex-linked contract formulas decide margin timing and pull volume across period boundaries. How lag, share and reference index interact, and how to separate price-driven volume from real consumption. https://demandlabs.io/blog/hazardous-materials-transportation-planninghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/hazardous-materials-transportation-planning Fri, 23 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000IndustryHazard classification changes which lanes, carriers and quantities are feasible, usually in steps rather than smoothly. The thresholds, segregation rules and routing limits a planning model has to carry. https://demandlabs.io/blog/minimum-remaining-shelf-lifehttps://demandlabs.io/blog/minimum-remaining-shelf-life Thu, 22 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000IndustryHow minimum remaining shelf life clauses shrink the life you can actually sell, and what that does to campaign length, allocation between customers with different clauses, and write-off risk. https://demandlabs.io/blog/ccus-project-economicshttps://demandlabs.io/blog/ccus-project-economics Wed, 21 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000EnergyCCUS project economics start with CO2 concentration in the stream. Three parts with three owners, hub sequencing risk, storage appraisal, and the revenue mix. https://demandlabs.io/blog/allergen-changeover-schedulinghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/allergen-changeover-scheduling Tue, 20 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000IndustryHow allergen changeover scheduling works when a validated wet clean costs more than any due date, covering the transition matrix, campaign length, carry-over through rework and what precautionary labelling buys. https://demandlabs.io/blog/cell-and-gene-therapy-supply-chainhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/cell-and-gene-therapy-supply-chain Mon, 19 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000IndustryWhy safety stock is unavailable when every batch belongs to one named patient, how to size manufacturing slots and the cryogenic shipper fleet, and what queueing does to a vein-to-vein promise. https://demandlabs.io/blog/patent-cliff-planninghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/patent-cliff-planning Fri, 16 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000IndustryHow to plan across a loss of exclusivity: separating price and volume erosion, sizing the final campaign against expiry dating, and meeting a supply obligation you cannot walk away from. https://demandlabs.io/blog/store-clusteringhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/store-clustering Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000RetailStore clusters built from square footage and region produce ranges that fit no store. How to cluster on demand share instead, how many groups to keep, and when to re-cut them. https://demandlabs.io/blog/hydrogen-ammonia-offtakehttps://demandlabs.io/blog/hydrogen-ammonia-offtake Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000EnergyHydrogen offtake planning as the binding constraint on a project: what breaks the chicken and egg, ammonia conversion costs, and certification that qualifies. https://demandlabs.io/blog/on-shelf-availabilityhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/on-shelf-availability Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000RetailStore shelves go empty while the system still shows stock, so replenishment never triggers. How record error, backroom stranding and phantom stock break availability, and what to count first. https://demandlabs.io/blog/supply-chain-planning-outsourcinghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/supply-chain-planning-outsourcing Mon, 12 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000OrganisationA planning job splits into six layers and not all survive being handed out. How to scope the work, write an SLA the provider actually controls, and price the retained team. https://demandlabs.io/blog/warranty-claims-forecastinghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/warranty-claims-forecasting Fri, 09 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000Service partsWarranty claims arrive months after the failure, so recent cohorts always look better than they are. How to build the development triangle that corrects it and what the corrected numbers feed. https://demandlabs.io/blog/telecom-supply-chain-planninghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/telecom-supply-chain-planning Fri, 09 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000IndustryTelecom supply chain planning across two businesses: rollout demand as a project schedule, device demand on a subsidy calendar, returns, and spares. https://demandlabs.io/blog/telecom-equipment-supply-planninghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/telecom-equipment-supply-planning Fri, 09 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000IndustryA telecom equipment vendor sells to a handful of operators whose tenders and rollout waves decide demand. How to plan the tender pipeline, call-offs, band variants and long-lead silicon. https://demandlabs.io/blog/fibre-rollout-planninghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/fibre-rollout-planning Fri, 09 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000IndustryA fibre build runs two flows on different clocks: premises passed on a construction schedule, and connections that follow take-up. Materials, crews and stock for each, and where they collide. https://demandlabs.io/blog/centralized-vs-decentralized-supply-chain-planninghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/centralized-vs-decentralized-supply-chain-planning Fri, 09 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000OrganisationWhere a planning decision should sit depends on whether the information behind it exists in a system or in a phone call. A decision-by-decision test, and what each operating model really costs. https://demandlabs.io/blog/automotive-supply-chain-planninghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/automotive-supply-chain-planning Fri, 09 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000IndustryAutomotive supply chain planning where one missing part stops the line: exposure two tiers down, sequenced delivery, the order bank, and engineering change. https://demandlabs.io/blog/automotive-aftermarket-planninghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/automotive-aftermarket-planning Fri, 09 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000IndustryParts demand comes from registrations six to thirteen years old, which makes the fitment join to vehicles in operation the asset worth maintaining. Where supersession and branch pooling cost you. https://demandlabs.io/blog/supplier-financial-riskhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/supplier-financial-risk Thu, 08 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000ResilienceA supplier's credit score moves months after the signals in your own receiving data. Which transactional indicators lead, how to size the false alarm problem, and what to do when one fires. https://demandlabs.io/blog/crude-blend-optimizationhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/crude-blend-optimization Wed, 07 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000EnergyCrude blend optimization on netback rather than delivered cost: what an assay constrains, two grades worked through, and where the value gets left behind. https://demandlabs.io/blog/supply-chain-stress-testinghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/supply-chain-stress-testing Tue, 06 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000ResilienceA supply chain stress test that names a failure threshold rather than a status: how to calibrate shock severity, model correlated outages, and run the test backwards from the failure. https://demandlabs.io/blog/digital-product-passporthttps://demandlabs.io/blog/digital-product-passport Mon, 05 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000SustainabilityA digital product passport is decided by the granularity of your batch records and the gaps in your bill of materials. What to build now while the delegated acts settle. https://demandlabs.io/blog/csrd-supply-chain-reportinghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/csrd-supply-chain-reporting Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000SustainabilityWhat changes under CSRD is that supply chain figures must be reproducible by someone else a year later. The datapoints a planning system can own, and the ones that belong somewhere else. https://demandlabs.io/blog/warehouse-wave-planninghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/warehouse-wave-planning Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000WarehouseWave planning decides when work reaches the floor. Working release times back from carrier cut-offs, sizing a wave against the packing drain rate, and when waveless release fits better. https://demandlabs.io/blog/tanker-scheduling-disruptionhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/tanker-scheduling-disruption Wed, 30 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000EnergyTanker scheduling disruption as a priced decision: which commitments survive a chokepoint closure, what the alternatives cost, and how to prepare in advance. https://demandlabs.io/blog/pick-path-optimizationhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/pick-path-optimization Tue, 29 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000WarehouseTravel dominates manual picking time, yet most sites walk a location sort nobody selected. How pick density picks the routing rule, why batching pays more, and what to measure. https://demandlabs.io/blog/demurrage-and-detention-chargeshttps://demandlabs.io/blog/demurrage-and-detention-charges Mon, 28 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000LogisticsDemurrage and detention are generated by appointment capacity, chassis supply and receiving hours. How to forecast the charge, budget its tail, and place the decision where someone can act. https://demandlabs.io/blog/freight-rate-forecastinghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/freight-rate-forecasting Fri, 25 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000LogisticsRate levels are close to unforecastable at long horizons while vessel supply is largely known in advance. What to forecast, how to score it honestly, and which decisions it should change. https://demandlabs.io/blog/kalman-filter-demand-forecastinghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/kalman-filter-demand-forecasting Thu, 24 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000DemandA Kalman filter tracks demand through missing weeks, level shifts and disagreeing data sources. What the two variance parameters control, how to estimate them, and how to read the innovations. https://demandlabs.io/blog/methane-emissions-mrvhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/methane-emissions-mrv Wed, 23 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000EnergyHow methane emissions measurement reporting verification reconciles factor based inventories with measured data, and why detection to repair is the metric. https://demandlabs.io/blog/time-series-cross-validationhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/time-series-cross-validation Tue, 22 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000DemandRolling origin design decides which forecasting model wins your bake-off. How many origins you need, when to refit, how to pool errors across items, and which comparisons are safe. https://demandlabs.io/blog/product-hierarchy-designhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/product-hierarchy-design Mon, 21 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000Data foundationWhy the product hierarchy inherited from finance or merchandising rarely suits planning, which attributes to store instead of fixed levels, and how to choose the level you forecast at. https://demandlabs.io/blog/unit-of-measure-conversionhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/unit-of-measure-conversion Fri, 18 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000Data foundationHow unit of measure conversion errors enter a planning run, why a wrong factor hides from every variance check, and the receipt-based test that finds them in an afternoon. https://demandlabs.io/blog/take-or-pay-contractshttps://demandlabs.io/blog/take-or-pay-contracts Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000Commercial termsWhy the headline discount tier is often the worst commitment to sign, how to price a take or pay shortfall before agreeing it, and which clauses change the arithmetic. https://demandlabs.io/blog/energy-demand-forecastinghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/energy-demand-forecasting Wed, 16 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000EnergyEnergy demand forecasting where joint production, term contracts and no inventory buffer break standard method. What transfers, and where scenarios take over. https://demandlabs.io/blog/incoterms-inventory-ownershiphttps://demandlabs.io/blog/incoterms-inventory-ownership Tue, 15 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000Commercial termsHow to read the incoterm on a purchase order as a planning parameter: which lead time legs you own, when in-transit stock becomes yours, and where cargo risk sits. https://demandlabs.io/blog/tail-spend-managementhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/tail-spend-management Mon, 14 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000ProcurementMost tail spend is too small to source competitively, and the arithmetic proves it. Where the break-even sits, which mechanisms move it, and why spend is the wrong ranking variable. https://demandlabs.io/blog/make-or-buy-analysishttps://demandlabs.io/blog/make-or-buy-analysis Fri, 11 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000ProcurementStandard cost includes overhead that stays behind when the volume goes, so most make or buy analysis compares the wrong two numbers. How to rebuild it on avoidable cost and break-even volume. https://demandlabs.io/blog/planning-system-testinghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/planning-system-testing Thu, 10 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000SystemsPlanning system testing in three layers: exact arithmetic identities, properties that hold whatever the numbers are, and comparison to a known baseline. https://demandlabs.io/blog/localization-portfolio-prioritizationhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/localization-portfolio-prioritization Wed, 09 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000EnergyLocalization portfolio prioritization as a constrained selection problem: what to maximise, the inputs that decide the answer, and how sequencing changes it. https://demandlabs.io/blog/divestiture-supply-chain-separationhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/divestiture-supply-chain-separation Tue, 08 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000Operating modelStanding up planning for a business being sold, when the item master has one hierarchy, a shared plant serves both owners, and the transitional service agreement has an end date. https://demandlabs.io/blog/supplier-transition-planninghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/supplier-transition-planning Mon, 07 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000Supplier riskSequencing a move off an incumbent so supply holds through the crossover, covering tooling title and transferability, the qualification calendar, the bridge buy arithmetic and the wind-down clauses that decide the cost. https://demandlabs.io/blog/drum-buffer-rope-schedulinghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/drum-buffer-rope-scheduling Fri, 04 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000ExecutionDrum buffer rope governs release from the constraint and reads buffer penetration daily. This covers the release arithmetic, the protective capacity it assumes, and what changes when the bottleneck moves. https://demandlabs.io/blog/product-substitution-planninghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/product-substitution-planning Thu, 03 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000ExecutionWhy chained substitution rules have to terminate, what a downgrade really costs once the premium item is tight, and the three fields that stop a substitution corrupting both forecasts. https://demandlabs.io/blog/terminal-berth-schedulinghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/terminal-berth-scheduling Wed, 02 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000EnergyTerminal and berth scheduling on the queueing curve: why the last few points of utilisation cost so much, demurrage as a partial view, and picking a target. https://demandlabs.io/blog/constrained-supply-allocationhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/constrained-supply-allocation Tue, 01 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000ExecutionHow to build a rationing rule from facts of record, defend it to a buyer without publishing the weights, and stop the shortage from rewriting the demand history it rationed. https://demandlabs.io/blog/demand-driven-material-requirements-planninghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/demand-driven-material-requirements-planning Mon, 31 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000ExecutionDecoupling points, buffer zone arithmetic and the lead time claim, tested against a well parameterised MRP carrying the same stock, so you can tell which part of the gain is real. https://demandlabs.io/blog/distribution-requirements-planninghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/distribution-requirements-planning Fri, 28 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000ExecutionWhy a source plant sees one 350 unit week and four empty ones, how the same arithmetic run at every shipping point makes that demand knowable, and when reorder points win. https://demandlabs.io/blog/master-production-schedulehttps://demandlabs.io/blog/master-production-schedule Thu, 27 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000ExecutionHow forecast consumption and the demand time fence turn a demand plan into a buildable statement, the two ways that arithmetic goes wrong, and what the schedule owes order management. https://demandlabs.io/blog/commodity-hedging-exposurehttps://demandlabs.io/blog/commodity-hedging-exposure Wed, 26 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000EnergyCommodity hedging exposure has to be measured before a ratio means anything. The exposure inventory, where unintended positions live, and basis risk you keep. https://demandlabs.io/blog/material-requirements-planninghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/material-requirements-planning Tue, 25 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000ExecutionWhy an MRP run rewrites orders that were fine last week, how lot sizing creates the lumpiness it was meant to absorb, and which dampener to reach for first. https://demandlabs.io/blog/forecast-consumptionhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/forecast-consumption Mon, 24 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000ExecutionForecast consumption decides how orders net against the demand plan inside the execution window. How the consumption windows misfire, where double counting hides, and what to reconcile weekly. https://demandlabs.io/blog/supply-chain-planning-proof-of-valuehttps://demandlabs.io/blog/supply-chain-planning-proof-of-value Sun, 23 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000EvaluationA supply chain planning proof of value protocol: the history to supply, rolling origin folds, the two baselines to require, and how results get flattered. https://demandlabs.io/blog/sell-in-vs-sell-out-forecastinghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/sell-in-vs-sell-out-forecasting Sun, 23 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000DemandSell-in vs sell-out forecasting: the distortions inside shipment history, building the inventory bridge to consumption, and working with partial visibility. https://demandlabs.io/blog/sap-apo-end-of-life-alternativeshttps://demandlabs.io/blog/sap-apo-end-of-life-alternatives Sun, 23 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000EvaluationSAP APO end of life alternatives set against the 31 December 2027 maintenance date, the four viable paths, and the custom logic count that decides them. https://demandlabs.io/blog/safety-stock-calculationhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/safety-stock-calculation Sun, 23 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000InventoryFour assumptions inside the standard safety stock calculation break in ordinary conditions, each in a direction that costs money. Which one to fix first. https://demandlabs.io/blog/promotion-uplift-modellinghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/promotion-uplift-modelling Sun, 23 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000DemandPromotion uplift modelling separates incremental volume from pull-forward and cannibalisation, starting with the baseline and the counterfactual under it. https://demandlabs.io/blog/probabilistic-demand-forecastinghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/probabilistic-demand-forecasting Sun, 23 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000DemandTwo tests separate probabilistic demand forecasting from a wider confidence band: whether lead time is random, and whether the output carries its economics. https://demandlabs.io/blog/petrochemical-margin-optimisationhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/petrochemical-margin-optimisation Sun, 23 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000EnergyPetrochemical margin optimisation when co-products carry a third of revenue: the three quantities called margin, feed choice, severity and transfer price. https://demandlabs.io/blog/multi-echelon-inventory-optimizationhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/multi-echelon-inventory-optimization Sun, 23 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000InventoryMulti-echelon inventory optimization stops every node buffering the same variability: guaranteed service, stochastic service, and the inputs that decide it. https://demandlabs.io/blog/lng-supply-planninghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/lng-supply-planning Sun, 23 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000EnergyLNG supply planning as an inventory problem at both ends: what a slipped slot costs in days of tank, diversion economics, and regasification slot rules. https://demandlabs.io/blog/intermittent-demand-forecastinghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/intermittent-demand-forecasting Sun, 23 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000DemandIntermittent demand forecasting for the part of a catalogue that sells rarely: classify first, Croston and its successors, and why the usual metrics fail. https://demandlabs.io/blog/hierarchical-forecast-reconciliationhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/hierarchical-forecast-reconciliation Sun, 23 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000DemandHierarchical forecast reconciliation when regional and national numbers disagree: what bottom-up and top-down discard, and what minimum trace uses instead. https://demandlabs.io/blog/fuel-retail-supplyhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/fuel-retail-supply Sun, 23 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000EnergyFuel retail supply one compartment at a time: the tank with a random drain, what a drop costs per litre, fixed delivery days, and wet stock reconciliation. https://demandlabs.io/blog/forecasting-model-selectionhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/forecasting-model-selection Sun, 23 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000DemandForecasting model selection by pedigree: which data shapes each model family was built for, four questions that narrow the list, and where ensembles cost you. https://demandlabs.io/blog/forecastabilityhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/forecastability Sun, 23 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000DemandForecastability measured before you buy: the naive baseline floor, how error explodes as the grain gets finer, and what an accuracy quote without one hides. https://demandlabs.io/blog/forecast-value-addhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/forecast-value-add Sun, 23 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000DemandForecast value add scored stage by stage against actuals: how to read a negative stage, the four measurement mistakes, and what changes once people see it. https://demandlabs.io/blog/censored-demand-forecastinghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/censored-demand-forecasting Sun, 23 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000DemandCensored demand forecasting recovers the sales a stockout hid, why the loop keeps shrinking the buffer, four recovery methods, and the flags they need. https://demandlabs.io/blog/agentic-ai-supply-chainhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/agentic-ai-supply-chain Sun, 23 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000EvaluationSix buyer questions that separate an agentic AI supply chain product from relabelled automation, covering guardrails, audit records and measurement. https://demandlabs.io/blog/trade-spend-allocationhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/trade-spend-allocation Sat, 22 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000CommercialTrade spend allocation as a reallocation problem: moving budget toward measured returns, the patterns that recur, and the supply check before it is set. https://demandlabs.io/blog/tariff-cost-pass-through-pricinghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/tariff-cost-pass-through-pricing Sat, 22 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000CommercialTariff cost pass-through pricing decided per item and channel, what has to be true of landed cost first, and why the supply consequence belongs in it. https://demandlabs.io/blog/supply-chain-scenario-planninghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/supply-chain-scenario-planning Sat, 22 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000Operating modelSupply chain scenario planning that moves cash: overlay scenarios instead of copies, financial measures declared in the model, committing the winner. https://demandlabs.io/blog/supply-chain-planning-implementation-failurehttps://demandlabs.io/blog/supply-chain-planning-implementation-failure Sat, 22 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000EvaluationSupply chain planning implementation failure is quiet: a planner finds three wrong recommendations and the work moves back to a spreadsheet. What to check. https://demandlabs.io/blog/supply-chain-network-designhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/supply-chain-network-design Sat, 22 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000NetworkSupply chain network design as capacitated facility location: the costs that never enter the model, service as a constraint, and the transition it ignores. https://demandlabs.io/blog/sop-vs-ibphttps://demandlabs.io/blog/sop-vs-ibp Sat, 22 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000Operating modelS&OP vs IBP in operational terms: a financial reconciliation that closes, the gap as an owned object, scenarios before the meeting, named assumptions. https://demandlabs.io/blog/renewable-generation-forecastinghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/renewable-generation-forecasting Sat, 22 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000EnergyRenewable generation forecasting scored on averages and sold into markets pricing extremes: the power curve, ramps, aggregation and probabilistic output. https://demandlabs.io/blog/price-elasticity-by-pack-and-channelhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/price-elasticity-by-pack-and-channel Sat, 22 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000CommercialPrice elasticity by pack and channel: where the spread comes from, the bias in the standard log-log regression, and why cross-price often dominates it. https://demandlabs.io/blog/power-demand-forecastinghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/power-demand-forecasting Sat, 22 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000EnergyPower demand forecasting across four horizons: the temperature response, why scoring with weather known flatters the number, and settlement arithmetic. https://demandlabs.io/blog/planning-assumptions-managementhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/planning-assumptions-management Sat, 22 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000Operating modelPlanning assumptions management with a scored ledger: what belongs in it, how to score entries next cycle, and how to keep it small enough to survive. https://demandlabs.io/blog/lead-time-variability-inventoryhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/lead-time-variability-inventory Sat, 22 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000InventoryLead time variability drives more inventory than demand noise: demand over lead time, why an ocean right tail breaks normality, and the order date. https://demandlabs.io/blog/inventory-rebalancinghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/inventory-rebalancing Sat, 22 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000InventoryInventory rebalancing checks the network sideways before a purchase order is raised: consolidating transfer candidates, the obstacles, and when to buy. https://demandlabs.io/blog/finite-capacity-planninghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/finite-capacity-planning Sat, 22 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000SupplyFinite capacity planning against an MRP run that assumes infinite capacity: what a constrained solve adds, one shared constraint set, and the data to fix. https://demandlabs.io/blog/demand-sensinghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/demand-sensing Sat, 22 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000DemandDemand sensing is a latency upgrade rather than an accuracy one. The five mechanics, where the value lands, and the horizon at which the correction decays. https://demandlabs.io/blog/consensus-forecasting-processhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/consensus-forecasting-process Sat, 22 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000Operating modelA consensus forecasting process works when the room argues about assumptions rather than the number, and when padding is measured before it is managed. https://demandlabs.io/blog/bunker-fuel-procurementhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/bunker-fuel-procurement Sat, 22 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000EnergyBunker fuel procurement as three decisions in one purchase: the greedy lifting rule, the cost of deviating for a cheaper port, and ISO 8217 as a constraint. https://demandlabs.io/blog/available-to-promisehttps://demandlabs.io/blog/available-to-promise Sat, 22 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000SupplyAvailable to promise as a netting calculation against the master schedule: what to do when supply is short, three allocation policies, and re-promising. https://demandlabs.io/blog/vendor-managed-inventoryhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/vendor-managed-inventory Fri, 21 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000CollaborationVendor managed inventory moves the replenishment decision to the supplier. What has to be agreed, why your own stock can rise, and the data it depends on. https://demandlabs.io/blog/touchless-planninghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/touchless-planning Fri, 21 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000Planner operatingTouchless planning starts by measuring which lines a human touch improves. Finding the segment, the guardrails, a staged rollout, and what to watch once on. https://demandlabs.io/blog/supply-chain-digital-twinhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/supply-chain-digital-twin Fri, 21 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000NetworkA supply chain digital twin adds the weekly clock an optimiser leaves out: deliberate disruption runs, recorded seeds, and honest replication counts. https://demandlabs.io/blog/supplier-collaborationhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/supplier-collaboration Fri, 21 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000CollaborationSupplier collaboration works once the forecast you send carries a commitment. How to separate forecast, plan and reservation, and what should come back. https://demandlabs.io/blog/replenishment-parametershttps://demandlabs.io/blog/replenishment-parameters Fri, 21 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000Planner operatingReplenishment parameters set at go-live and never revisited: which ones exist, who may change them, trigger based review, and the audit that finds the worst. https://demandlabs.io/blog/postponement-strategyhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/postponement-strategy Fri, 21 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000NetworkA postponement strategy moves the decoupling point later so variants pool: where the arithmetic holds, the three forms, and why product design decides it. https://demandlabs.io/blog/planning-exception-managementhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/planning-exception-management Fri, 21 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000Planner operatingPlanning exception management when the queue is longer than the hour available: setting thresholds by consequence, grouping causes, ageing, and clearance. https://demandlabs.io/blog/oilfield-materials-planninghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/oilfield-materials-planning Fri, 21 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000EnergyOilfield materials planning against a schedule that moves monthly: where newsvendor logic justifies the stock, Palm's theorem on spares, remote surplus. https://demandlabs.io/blog/joint-business-planninghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/joint-business-planning Fri, 21 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000CollaborationJoint business planning fails when commercial teams commit to volumes supply never saw. How to separate commitments from ambitions and sequence the cycle. https://demandlabs.io/blog/grid-connection-queuehttps://demandlabs.io/blog/grid-connection-queue Fri, 21 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000EnergyWhat a place in the grid connection queue is worth: Little's Law on the wait, why one withdrawal stalls everyone behind it, and the cost of delay. https://demandlabs.io/blog/greenfield-network-analysishttps://demandlabs.io/blog/greenfield-network-analysis Fri, 21 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000NetworkGreenfield analysis deletes the estate and asks where sites would sit on the demand map: the centre of gravity, choosing k, and the cost of your own history. https://demandlabs.io/blog/drilling-rig-schedulinghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/drilling-rig-scheduling Fri, 21 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000EnergyDrilling rig scheduling as an asymmetric travelling salesman problem where the move cost dominates, plus skewed durations and what a rig contract buys. https://demandlabs.io/blog/distributor-reporting-to-principalhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/distributor-reporting-to-principal Fri, 21 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000CollaborationDistributor reporting to principal planners fails on late, unmapped files. The fields needed, the inventory identity check, and what the principal owes back. https://demandlabs.io/blog/collaborative-planning-forecasting-replenishmenthttps://demandlabs.io/blog/collaborative-planning-forecasting-replenishment Fri, 21 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000CollaborationWhy collaborative planning forecasting replenishment stalls after the data exchange, the four commitments a working arrangement needs, and how to test yours. https://demandlabs.io/blog/battery-storage-dispatchhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/battery-storage-dispatch Fri, 21 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000EnergyBattery storage dispatch with the cycle cost priced in: the spread that has to clear, why the revenue stack competes with itself, and hindsight backtests. https://demandlabs.io/blog/abc-xyz-analysishttps://demandlabs.io/blog/abc-xyz-analysis Fri, 21 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000Planner operatingABC XYZ analysis that changes a policy rather than producing a deck: what hangs off each of the nine cells, where to store it, and when to re-segment. https://demandlabs.io/blog/turnaround-planninghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/turnaround-planning Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000EnergyScope growth in turnaround planning: the cost of a day, three sources of scope, why schedules built on expected durations finish late, and discovery. https://demandlabs.io/blog/supply-chain-risk-prioritisationhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/supply-chain-risk-prioritisation Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000Supplier riskSupply chain risk prioritisation by consequence rather than event severity: simulating criticality first, three refinements, and making an alert actionable. https://demandlabs.io/blog/supply-chain-master-data-governancehttps://demandlabs.io/blog/supply-chain-master-data-governance Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000Planner operatingSupply chain master data governance for the fields that break planning: ownership per field, validation at creation, standing checks, and the defect position. https://demandlabs.io/blog/sub-tier-supplier-riskhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/sub-tier-supplier-risk Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000Supplier riskSub-tier supplier risk hides behind healthy tier one scorecards. Building the map without full disclosure, entity resolution, and acting on a concentration. https://demandlabs.io/blog/refinery-schedulinghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/refinery-scheduling Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000EnergyRefinery scheduling against a monthly plan built in averages: the tank coupling the plan cannot see, the pooling problem, and giveaway priced per day. https://demandlabs.io/blog/rebate-managementhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/rebate-management Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000CommercialRebate management fails on structure before administration: why a retroactive tier creates a cliff, what the accrual costs, and how to price the increment. https://demandlabs.io/blog/price-pack-architecturehttps://demandlabs.io/blog/price-pack-architecture Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000CommercialPrice pack architecture is a design decision before it is an analysis. How to space the rungs, price the gaps, and stop the middle pack absorbing the ladder. https://demandlabs.io/blog/local-content-economic-impacthttps://demandlabs.io/blog/local-content-economic-impact Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000EnergyLocal content economic impact comes from the Leontief inverse rather than the headline percentage. Direct, indirect and induced effects, and what it assumes. https://demandlabs.io/blog/key-account-planninghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/key-account-planning Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000CommercialThe account plan and the item forecast cross rather than nest, so nothing forces them to agree. The grain that does, and what one thirty percent customer adds to the buffer. https://demandlabs.io/blog/inventory-working-capitalhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/inventory-working-capital Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000Working capitalInventory working capital targets that land where nobody chose: why a uniform percentage misallocates, the service frontier, and four kinds of stock. https://demandlabs.io/blog/dynamic-pricing-supply-constraintshttps://demandlabs.io/blog/dynamic-pricing-supply-constraints Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000CommercialUnder a binding supply constraint, price rations at no volume cost, so the number to estimate is the market clearing price. Weigh the contribution against the customers who qualify a second supplier. https://demandlabs.io/blog/distributor-margin-structurehttps://demandlabs.io/blog/distributor-margin-structure Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000CommercialStacked tier margins compound, so a distributor margin structure has to be built backwards from the shelf. Five functions sit inside the percentage and only two scale with your price. https://demandlabs.io/blog/demand-planner-workloadhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/demand-planner-workload Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000Planner operatingDemand planner workload has no benchmark. Where the time goes when measured, span of control as an equation, touch rate, and what to take off the desk first. https://demandlabs.io/blog/currency-timing-purchasinghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/currency-timing-purchasing Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000Working capitalCurrency timing purchasing decisions with the forward curve rather than a house view: what trades off, why buying early usually fails, and hedging instead. https://demandlabs.io/blog/cost-to-servehttps://demandlabs.io/blog/cost-to-serve Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000Working capitalA cost to serve analysis allocated as a percentage of revenue can only reproduce the gross margin ranking, so the drivers have to be counts somebody measured. https://demandlabs.io/blog/channel-conflict-pricinghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/channel-conflict-pricing Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000CommercialChannel conflict pricing starts with arithmetic: when the gap between two of your own net prices beats the cost of moving goods between them, the leak opens. https://demandlabs.io/blog/cash-conversion-cyclehttps://demandlabs.io/blog/cash-conversion-cycle Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000Working capitalWhat planning controls inside the cash conversion cycle: turning a week of coverage into a number finance uses, where to measure it, and the payables trap. https://demandlabs.io/blog/warehouse-slottinghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/warehouse-slotting Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000ExecutionWarehouse slotting past velocity ranking: the cube per order index, order affinity, the golden zone against lifting limits, and what a move list costs. https://demandlabs.io/blog/warehouse-labour-planninghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/warehouse-labour-planning Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000Operating layersWarehouse labour planning converts a demand plan into hours using lines rather than units, an intraday profile, and a flexible layer ranked by notice period. https://demandlabs.io/blog/truck-load-buildinghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/truck-load-building Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000ExecutionTruck load building as bin packing with side conditions: the freight density that decides whether weight or cube binds, and how to measure fill honestly. https://demandlabs.io/blog/third-party-logistics-capacityhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/third-party-logistics-capacity Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000Execution3PL capacity planning after the warehouse is outsourced: the volume band on the invoice, forecasting in the provider's units, and what priority costs at peak. https://demandlabs.io/blog/supply-chain-control-towerhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/supply-chain-control-tower Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000ExecutionA supply chain control tower that ends at a coloured icon has automated two stages of four. What an exception queue needs, and why the loop has to write back. https://demandlabs.io/blog/service-parts-planninghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/service-parts-planning Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000Operating layersService parts planning driven by the installed base rather than the part's own history: the two lifecycle turns, the all-time buy, and fill rate at the van. https://demandlabs.io/blog/sales-territory-designhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/sales-territory-design Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000ExecutionSales territory design drifts after the project ends. What balance means, the compactness trade, the price of moving an account, and reviewing on a cadence. https://demandlabs.io/blog/sales-and-operations-executionhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/sales-and-operations-execution Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000Operating layersSales and operations execution as a decision rights problem: what the weekly forum may change inside the time fence, and what it has to escalate instead. https://demandlabs.io/blog/route-optimizationhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/route-optimization Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000ExecutionWhy route optimization loses to the routes drivers already know: what the solver solves, what master routes buy, adherence, and unmeasured service times. https://demandlabs.io/blog/returns-forecastinghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/returns-forecasting Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000Operating layersReturns forecasting as a convolution of sales and a lag distribution fitted from your own history, split by cause, with grading modelled as a lead time. https://demandlabs.io/blog/process-mining-industrial-operationshttps://demandlabs.io/blog/process-mining-industrial-operations Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000EnergyProcess mining industrial operations against the event log: where it earns its keep, findings that recur, conformance checking, and what a deviation means. https://demandlabs.io/blog/freight-procurementhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/freight-procurement Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000ExecutionFreight procurement judged after the tender rather than at award: what an unenforceable rate is worth, the split award case, and routing guide compliance. https://demandlabs.io/blog/fleet-sizinghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/fleet-sizing Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000ExecutionFleet sizing against a peak that lasts four weeks a year: asymmetric error costs, variability over volume, own against contract or spot, and the mix decision. https://demandlabs.io/blog/flaring-reduction-economicshttps://demandlabs.io/blog/flaring-reduction-economics Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000EnergyFlaring reduction economics at a site with no tie-in: routine versus safety volume, the options ranked by build cost, and valuing what you actually recover. https://demandlabs.io/blog/delivery-time-windowshttps://demandlabs.io/blog/delivery-time-windows Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000ExecutionPricing the delivery time windows you already give away: what window width costs, promise against plan, letting customers choose, and measuring arrival times. https://demandlabs.io/blog/cold-chain-managementhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/cold-chain-management Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000ExecutionCold chain management as an inventory problem: writing an excursion to the batch status planners read, mean kinetic temperature, and FEFO with a tolerance. https://demandlabs.io/blog/asset-integrity-predictive-maintenancehttps://demandlabs.io/blog/asset-integrity-predictive-maintenance Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000EnergyAsset integrity predictive maintenance past a code interval: what each step costs, rotating against static equipment, and the turnaround scope it feeds. https://demandlabs.io/blog/workforce-localization-planninghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/workforce-localization-planning Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000EnergyWorkforce localization planning as a stock and flow problem: why quota hiring buys attrition, which roles are constrained, and retention at eighteen months. https://demandlabs.io/blog/supplier-onboarding-at-scalehttps://demandlabs.io/blog/supplier-onboarding-at-scale Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000EnergySupplier onboarding at scale as a throughput problem: where the queue forms, what Little's Law says about pipeline, risk tiering, and measuring the funnel. https://demandlabs.io/blog/seed-and-planting-planninghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/seed-and-planting-planning Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000AgricultureSeed and planting planning across a three year multiplication cycle: contracted area, germination thresholds, carryover risk and variety life cycles. https://demandlabs.io/blog/sap-ibp-implementationhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/sap-ibp-implementation Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000SystemsAn SAP IBP implementation turns on decisions made early: planning area structure, the time profile, key figure disaggregation and how order data arrives. https://demandlabs.io/blog/planning-system-integration-patternshttps://demandlabs.io/blog/planning-system-integration-patterns Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000SystemsChoose planning system integration patterns by what a source restatement does to each, then check idempotency, replay and the outbound direction. https://demandlabs.io/blog/planning-data-warehousehttps://demandlabs.io/blog/planning-data-warehouse Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000SystemsA planning data warehouse earns its keep in the semantic layer: conformance decisions, versioned hierarchies and measure definitions written in sentences. https://demandlabs.io/blog/perishable-supply-chainhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/perishable-supply-chain Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000AgriculturePerishable supply chain planning treats shelf life as a budget spent from harvest, with thermal history, ripening control and lot allocation as levers. https://demandlabs.io/blog/oracle-supply-chain-planning-cloudhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/oracle-supply-chain-planning-cloud Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000SystemsOracle supply chain planning cloud deployments turn on collections design: what gets collected, how often, and what a back dated correction does to it. https://demandlabs.io/blog/excel-planning-migrationhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/excel-planning-migration Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000SystemsAn Excel planning migration succeeds when it is sequenced by value: what to keep, what to drop, the reconciliation contract and the workbook owner. https://demandlabs.io/blog/erp-vs-planning-systemhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/erp-vs-planning-system Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000SystemsERP vs planning system boundaries come down to who owns each field. The four contested ones, and how to specify the write back and the override policy. https://demandlabs.io/blog/demand-planning-software-selectionhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/demand-planning-software-selection Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000SystemsDemand planning software selection fails on long requirement lists. The twenty areas where products differ, plus demo scripts and reference questions. https://demandlabs.io/blog/crude-differentials-pricinghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/crude-differentials-pricing Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000EnergyCrude differentials pricing beyond last month plus an adjustment: what the differential compensates for, regional netbacks, and the slow feedback loop. https://demandlabs.io/blog/crop-yield-forecastinghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/crop-yield-forecasting Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000AgricultureCrop yield forecasting improves in steps through a season. How area estimation, method combination and asymmetric decisions change the number you use. https://demandlabs.io/blog/contract-intelligence-energyhttps://demandlabs.io/blog/contract-intelligence-energy Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000EnergyContract intelligence energy operators can act on: the obligation register, why extraction is hard here, provenance as a requirement, and human review. https://demandlabs.io/blog/commodity-procurement-timinghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/commodity-procurement-timing Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000AgricultureCommodity procurement timing set by how long your selling price is fixed: separating the price decision from the physical buy, and scoring the buyer. https://demandlabs.io/blog/agricultural-supply-planninghttps://demandlabs.io/blog/agricultural-supply-planning Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000AgricultureAgricultural supply planning after harvest: intake capacity, bin segregation, drying limits and the carry decision that fixes what the year can sell.