(S&OP)
Sales & Operations Planning
Online Program
24
Certification Included
Drive Business Performance Through Sales & Operations Planning
A practical, simulation-based training program designed to help teams improve forecasting, planning alignment, and cross-functional decision-making.
The Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) course is a practical, simulation-based program designed to help teams align demand, supply, sales, marketing, finance, and operations into one integrated planning process. Participants learn how to improve forecast accuracy, manage trade-offs, build stronger cross-functional collaboration, and use S&OP tools to support better business decisions, inventory planning, and medium-term performance improvement.
Suggested Targeted Audience:
This course is ideal for professionals involved in the S&OP process, including supply chain, demand planning, sales, trade marketing, commercial, finance, procurement, logistics, and operations teams. It is especially valuable for organizations looking to improve planning discipline, reduce silos, strengthen collaboration between commercial and supply chain functions, and build a more structured S&OP process.
Key Information
Category
Supply Chain Management
Track
Non-certification Track
Level
Advance
Total hours
24
Class
Face to Face
S&OP Course in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Middle East & MENA Region
Build the planning discipline required to align sales, trade marketing, demand planning, supply chain, operations, and finance around one integrated business plan. MUHAKAT’s Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) programme helps professionals understand how to turn commercial inputs, forecasts, inventory plans, and supply constraints into a practical monthly decision-making process.
The course is designed for organizations seeking stronger demand-supply alignment, improved forecast accuracy, better visibility of trade activities, and more disciplined medium-term planning. It is suitable for public training nominations, in-house corporate delivery, and team-based capability building.
What is Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP)?
Sales & Operations Planning is a cross-functional business planning process that integrates demand, supply, inventory, commercial plans, operational capacity, and financial objectives. A successful S&OP process creates a shared view of the business, supports better decisions, and reduces the disconnects that often occur when sales, operations, supply chain, and finance work in silos.
In this programme, participants explore the principles and functions of S&OP through discussion, exercises, planning grids, and practical simulation. They examine the inputs and outputs of the process, the role of meetings and decision gates, and how S&OP outputs can drive marketing, sales, operations, inventory, and distribution planning until the next cycle.
Who Should Attend
- Supply chain, demand planning, commercial, sales, trade marketing, finance, operations, and logistics professionals.
- Cross-functional teams involved in promotions, trade activities, stock management, supply planning, and medium-term planning.
- Leadership teams seeking to improve forecast accuracy, reduce excess inventory, and strengthen supply chain efficiency.
- Companies implementing or optimizing S&OP and looking for stronger alignment between supply chain and business strategy.
Why Choose This Programme?
- Explains the complete five-step S&OP process in a practical and applied format.
- Strengthens collaboration between Sales, Trade Marketing, Demand Planning, Supply Chain, Operations, and Finance.
- Connects commercial inputs such as promotions, events, liquidations, and trade stock to forecast and supply decisions.
- Uses hands-on exercises and simulation-based learning to make the S&OP process tangible and memorable.
- Helps participants improve medium-term planning accuracy, reduce operational firefighting, and support better business outcomes.
MUHAKAT’s S&OP course combines classroom instruction, practical exercises, planning tools, cross-functional discussions, and simulation-based learning. Participants learn how to prepare for S&OP meetings, evaluate inputs, develop demand and supply plans, use S&OP grids, and turn planning decisions into actionable inventory and distribution plans.
- Identify the necessary inputs and expected outputs of the S&OP process.
- Calculate and interpret data elements required for S&OP planning.
- Use the S&OP planning grid to evaluate demand, supply, inventory, finance, and commercial scenarios.
- Translate S&OP outcomes into inventory, distribution, and operational plans.
- Integrate sales and trade marketing plans into demand planning and S&OP decision-making.
- Build consensus and contribute effectively to pre-S&OP and executive S&OP meetings.
- Session 1: S&OP and Planning Foundations: Planning concepts; S&OP role in business alignment; demand, supply, and financial integration; critical success factors; maturity levels; implementation challenges; roles and responsibilities across Sales, Trade Marketing, Demand Planning, and Supply Chain.
- Session 2: Forecasting and Demand Planning Overview: Forecasting relevance for Sales and Marketing; strategic, tactical, and operational forecasting; forecast horizons; top-down and bottom-up forecasting; promotions and events; forecast accuracy, bias, and tracking signals.
- Session 3: Sales & Trade Marketing in the S&OP Process: Role of Sales and Trade Marketing in S&OP cycles; translating trade plans into forecast inputs; evaluating promotion depth, timing, seasonality, liquidation, cannibalization, sell-out data, trade stock, and customer activities.
- Session 4: Sales & Operations Planning Deep Dive: Monthly S&OP cycle; inputs and outputs; S&OP grid and data requirements; scenario planning; trade-offs between Sales, Marketing, and Supply; executive S&OP meetings; exception management for promotions, liquidations, and trade stock surplus.
- Session 5: Aggregate Operations & Strategic Integration: End-to-end S&OP flow; marketing calendars; product launches; lifecycle management; resource requirements; capacity balancing; distribution and inventory planning; KPIs for Sales and Trade Marketing; continuous improvement.
The programme brings S&OP to life through The Fresh Connection simulation. Participants work in teams of four and experience a realistic business environment where supply, demand, operations, purchasing, sales, inventory, and financial trade-offs must be aligned. The simulation helps participants understand each other’s views, build empathy, and practice a different way of working through interactive team-based decisions.
Simulation Experience Includes
- Three multiple rounds of the S&OP simulation game The Fresh Connection.
- Team-based decision-making across purchasing, operations, supply chain, and sales roles.
- Debrief sessions to review what worked, what did not, and how decisions affected performance.
- Practical exposure to trade-offs between service level, inventory, supply reliability, cost, and operational goals.
- Laptop or tablet required for participants during the simulation sessions.
Programme Key Takeaways
- Understand your role in shaping accurate, integrated forecasts.
- Learn how trade activities impact demand and supply balance.
- Develop capability to plan beyond short-term sales into mid-term horizons.
- Strengthen collaboration with Demand Planning and Supply Chain functions.
- Gain practical tools for evaluating promotions, tracking trade stock, and improving forecast inputs.
Upcoming events for this course
No upcoming events are currently open for this course — stay tuned for new dates and registration updates soon.
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