Lead your demand planning process to excellence and deliver real value to your supply chain. In Demand Forecasting Best Practices you’ll learn how to: Lead your team to improve quality while reducing workload Properly define the objectives and granularity of your demand planning Use intelligent KPIs to track accuracy and bias Identify areas for process improvement Help planners and stakeholders add value Determine relevant data to collect and how best to collect it Utilize different statistical and machine learning models An expert demand forecaster can help an organization avoid overproduction, reduce waste, and optimize inventory levels for a real competitive advantage. Demand Forecasting Best Practices teaches you how to become that virtuoso demand forecaster. This one-of-a-kind guide reveals forecasting tools, metrics, models, and stakeholder management techniques for delivering more effective supply chains. Everything you learn has been proven and tested in a live business environment. Discover author Nicolas Vandeput’s original five step framework for demand planning excellence and learn how to tailor it to your own company’s needs. Illustrations and real-world examples make each concept easy to understand and easy to follow. You’ll soon be delivering accurate predictions that are driving major business value. About the Technology An expert demand forecaster can help an organization avoid overproduction, reduce waste, and optimize inventory levels for a real competitive advantage. This book teaches you how to become that virtuoso demand forecaster. About the Book Demand Forecasting Best Practices reveals forecasting tools, metrics, models, and stakeholder management techniques for managing your demand planning process efficiently and effectively. Everything you learn has been proven and tested in a live business environment. Discover author Nicolas Vandeput’s original five step framework for demand planning excellence and learn how to tailor it to your own company’s needs. Illustrations and real-world examples make each concept easy to understand and easy to follow. You’ll soon be delivering accurate predictions that are driving major business value. What's Inside Enhance forecasting quality while reducing team workload Utilize intelligent KPIs to track accuracy and bias Identify process areas for improvement Assist stakeholders in sales, marketing, and finance Optimize statistical and machine learning models About the Reader For demand planners, sales and operations managers, supply chain leaders, and data scientists. About the Author Nicolas Vandeput is a supply chain data scientist, the founder of consultancy company SupChains in 2016, and a teacher at CentraleSupélec, France. Quotes This new book continues to push the FVA mindset, illustrating practices that drive the efficiency and effectiveness of the business forecasting process. - Michael Gilliland, Editor-in-Chief, Foresight: Journal of Applied Forecasting A must-read for any SCM professional, data scientist, or business owner. It's practical, accessible, and packed with valuable insights. - Edouard Thieuleux, Founder of AbcSupplyChain An exceptional resource that covers everything from basic forecasting principles to advanced forecasting techniques using artificial intelligence and machine learning. The writing style is engaging, making complex concepts accessible to both beginners and experts. - Daniel Stanton, Mr. Supply Chain® Nicolas did it again! Demand Forecasting Best Practices provides practical and actionable advice for improving the demand planning process. - Professor Spyros Makridakis, The Makridakis Open Forecasting Center, Institute For the Future (IFF), University of Nicosia This book is now my companion on all of our planning and forecasting projects. A perfect foundation for implementation and also to recommend process improvements. - Werner Nindl, Chief Architect – CPM Practice Director, Pivotal Drive This author understands the nuances of forecasting, and is able to explain them well. - Burhan Ul Haq, Director of Products, Enablers Both broader and deeper than I expected. - Maxim Volgin, Quantitative Marketing Manager, KLM Great book with actionable insights. - Simon Tschöke, Head of Research, German Edge Cloud

Using data science in order to solve a problem requires a scientific mindset more than coding skills. Data Science for Supply Chain Forecasting, Second Edition contends that a true scientific method which includes experimentation, observation, and constant questioning must be applied to supply chains to achieve excellence in demand forecasting. This second edition adds more than 45 percent extra content with four new chapters including an introduction to neural networks and the forecast value added framework. Part I focuses on statistical "traditional" models, Part II, on machine learning, and the all-new Part III discusses demand forecasting process management. The various chapters focus on both forecast models and new concepts such as metrics, underfitting, overfitting, outliers, feature optimization, and external demand drivers. The book is replete with do-it-yourself sections with implementations provided in Python (and Excel for the statistical models) to show the readers how to apply these models themselves. This hands-on book, covering the entire range of forecasting—from the basics all the way to leading-edge models—will benefit supply chain practitioners, forecasters, and analysts looking to go the extra mile with demand forecasting. Events around the book Link to a De Gruyter Online Event in which the author Nicolas Vandeput together with Stefan de Kok, supply chain innovator and CEO of Wahupa; Spyros Makridakis, professor at the University of Nicosia and director of the Institute For the Future (IFF); and Edouard Thieuleux, founder of AbcSupplyChain, discuss the general issues and challenges of demand forecasting and provide insights into best practices (process, models) and discussing how data science and machine learning impact those forecasts. The event will be moderated by Michael Gilliland, marketing manager for SAS forecasting software: https://youtu.be/1rXjXcabW2s

In this book . . . Nicolas Vandeput hacks his way through the maze of quantitative supply chain optimizations. This book illustrates how the quantitative optimization of 21st century supply chains should be crafted and executed. . . . Vandeput is at the forefront of a new and better way of doing supply chains, and thanks to a richly illustrated book, where every single situation gets its own illustrating code snippet, so could you. --Joannes Vermorel, CEO, Lokad Inventory Optimization argues that mathematical inventory models can only take us so far with supply chain management. In order to optimize inventory policies, we have to use probabilistic simulations. The book explains how to implement these models and simulations step-by-step, starting from simple deterministic ones to complex multi-echelon optimization. The first two parts of the book discuss classical mathematical models, their limitations and assumptions, and a quick but effective introduction to Python is provided. Part 3 contains more advanced models that will allow you to optimize your profits, estimate your lost sales and use advanced demand distributions. It also provides an explanation of how you can optimize a multi-echelon supply chain based on a simple—yet powerful—framework. Part 4 discusses inventory optimization thanks to simulations under custom discrete demand probability functions. Inventory managers, demand planners and academics interested in gaining cost-effective solutions will benefit from the "do-it-yourself" examples and Python programs included in each chapter. Events around the book Link to a De Gruyter Online Event in which the author Nicolas Vandeput together with Stefan de Kok, supply chain innovator and CEO of Wahupa; Koen Cobbaert, Director in the S&O Industry practice of PwC Belgium; Bram Desmet, professor of operations & supply chain at the Vlerick Business School in Ghent; and Karl-Eric Devaux, Planning Consultant, Hatmill, discuss about models for inventory optimization. The event will be moderated by Eric Wilson, Director of Thought Leadership for Institute of Business Forecasting (IBF): https://youtu.be/565fDQMJEEg