Secrets to World Class Demand Management

Learn how industry leaders have achieved world-class demand management results, including the inside story from the former VP of supply chain for Dell, Stuart Smith. Bill McBeath will set the framework, showing results of ChainLink’s research into the next generation of demand practices, including lifecycle management and risk management, and how they are being implemented. Then hear directly from Stuart Smith what he learned as VP of Supply Chain at Dell during the 90’s when they were growing at over 50% per year. When Dell, recognized their balance sheet as the only affordable source of working capital and decided to lower inventories, some predicted service levels would plummet and expediting costs would skyrocket. Instead service levels improved by 60% and margins improved almost 5%! Dell went from 50 DSI (days sales of inventory) down to 10 DSI while running the company on spreadsheets and a 1970’s vintage batch MRP and inventory systems. So it wasn’t about the tools and systems. What was the secret to Dell’s success? In order to both generate cash from inventory and compete with the industry leaders they had to develop world class demand management techniques. Hear how they did it.