Demand Planning is a complex, yet often de-emphasized function in the supply chain planning function. The demand planning function is often characterized by an over-reliance on off the shelf software as well as a great deal of manual intervention.

This presentation will outline the current developments and perspective in big data analytics and how they can be leveraged with the demand planning function to improve forecasting agility and efficiency. A simulation study will be presented in order to illustrate these principles in practice.