QuestionPro : S&OP Questionnaire

Thank you for accepting to participate in this research.

This research is being carried out by Cranfield University amongst leading companies in France, Germany and the UK. If you are part of a multinational organisation, please complete the questionnaire with respect to your local business unit, NOT the organisation as a whole.

All data collected will be treated with the strictest of confidence. This questionnaire has been designed to take approximately 30 minutes to be completed. Please take time to consider your answers, the more accurate the answers, the better the output will be.

After completing the questionnaire, a summary of the findings will be provided by October 2006. This document will offer practical observations and activities which can be engaged to improve the Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) process.

Sincerely,

Bryn W. Sharp

Sandra U. Ngueveu

Cranfield University

* Please enter or paste here one of the codes assigned to your company.

Section 1: Company Background

Note: If your company is part of a multinational organisation please answer the following questions with respect to your local business unit and NOT the organisation as a whole.

* Job Title

* Department

* How many years have you been working in your current department?

* How many years have you been working for your current employer?

* 2. How many people does your local business unit employ? If you are part of a multinational organisation please consider only your business unit.

* 3. What is your local business unit's current turnover in GBP (millions)?

* 4. How many finished products does your business unit produce per week?
(Where a product is classed as a single unit or item of production ready to leave the factory e.g. a fruit juice manufacturer would answer the number of cans that come off the end of the production line per week.)

* 5. Approximately, how many stock keeping units (SKUs) does your business unit operate with?

* 6. What is the average customer order lead time of your business unit's major products?

(Where lead time is classed as the time between when a customer places an order to when the customer receives the order. And where Customer is classed as the next recipient in the supply chain e.g. a dealer network.)

Less than a day

Less than a week

1 week to 1 month

1 month to 3 months

3 months to 6 months

6 months to 1 year

Other (please specify)

* 7. With regard to S&OP, how many product families or groups (the highest level of aggregation) does your local business unit operate with?

* 8. In general, the variation from normal customer order patterns is:

Unpredictable: forecasts are not accurate at all or inexistent; the local business unit reacts with the means possessed.

Roughly anticipated: the local business unit usually posesses enough capacity, that can be matched with the different products the customer demands.

Predicted and anticipated: the local business unit has the ordering pattern under control and easily adjusts capacity according to forecasts.

9. How much change in the normal customer demand pattern would you estimate easy for your business unit to cope with within the different periods of time?

10. How often would you estimate the following amount of change happens in the normal customer demand pattern?

* 11. Please select which statement best describes, IN GENERAL, the level of supply chain integration your business unit has with its largest proportion of Suppliers.

None: the business unit presents its requirements to suppliers which provide the requested product, without any further collaboration.

Low: the business unit owns/controls a few suppliers and tries to develop a partnership to anticipate change.

High: the business unit controls the entire supply process, from the early raw materials.

* 12. Please select which statement best describes, IN GENERAL, the level of supply chain integration your business unit has with Final Customers.

None: the business unit delivers to intermediate parties and mainly focuses on partner requests.

Low: the business unit delivers to retailers / distributors, cooperates closely, and has an indirect link to the final customer.

High: the business unit is directly linked to the final consumer and has clear visabiliy on the evolution of demand.

* Sales / Marketing

* Production / Manufacturing / Operations

* Distribution

* Finance

* Purchasing

* Planning / Logistics

* Engineering / Design

* Human Resources

* Senior Management

* 14. How often does the S&OP team formally hold its formal meetings?

* 15. What is the planning horizon used at S&OP meetings?

Up to 1 week

1 month to 2 months

2 months to 4 months

4 months to 6 months

6 months to 12 months

1 year to 2 years

Until the next significant change

Other (please specify)

* 16. How often does your local business unit provide financial reports to its stakeholders?

17. For each of the four sections below, please select which statement best describes the culture of your company

* a. Ways of working

Individualist: you are are your own boss. Individuals decide most things themselves and know how to get along with their own business, without expecting others to look out for them.

Collectivist: everybody works together. Everybody has something to say in the decisions that are made, and everybody can count on one another.

* b. Criticism

Is aimed at the task and not the person

Is only given when asked for.

Is mostly negative and usually takes the form of blame

Is avoided so as not to hurt the feelings of others.

* c. Conflict

Is controlled by the intervention of higher authority.

Is suppressed by reference to rules, procedures and definitions of responsibility

Is resolved through full discussion of the merits of the work issues involved.

Is resolved by open and deep discussion of personal needs and values

* d. Hierarchy

Is redundant because each person is working for thier own professional development

Is necessary because people have to know who has authority over whom.

Is determined by the power and authority of the people involved.

is relevant only if useful to get the task done.

Section 2: Analysis & Design

This stage starts when the need for S&OP is realised by a company and finishes when the general manager understands what should be communicated and to whom about S&OP to enable its successful implementation.

The objective of this stage is to construct a framework upon which all of the characteristics of the S&OP process can be built around.

* Were you involved in the Analysis & Design phase of the S&OP evolution?

Yes (i.e. answer Analysis & Design phase questions)

No (i.e. skip Analysis & Design phase questions)

Section 2: Analysis & Design

Note: Please answer the following questions keeping in mind your opinions / perceptions at that point in time.

1. Where did the S&OP idea come from?

Driven by company strategy

From external consultants

From internal managers

2. How much do you agree that the following activities were executed during the Analysis and Design phase of the S&OP process?

3. What, if any, supporting IT systems were adopted during the Analysis and Design phase?

4. How many representatives of the following departments were involved in the Analysis and Design phase?

	Senior Management	Middle Management	Operational
Sales / Marketing

Production / Manufacturing / Operations

Distribution

Finance

Purchasing

Planning / Logistics

Engineering / Design

Human Resources

5. How much do you agree that there were sufficient numbers of representatives present from each of the following departments during the Analysis and Design phase?

6. Was a formal procedure used to sign off the Analysis & Design phase of the S&OP process?

Yes

7. What percentage of the roles responsible for the Analysis and Design of S&OP are, as of today, still involved in its Operation and Running?

8. Please provide some detail with respect to the following aspects of the Analysis and Design phase of the process:

The most successful aspect

The least successful aspect

What would you do differently, and why, given hindsight?

9. Please select any support you received for the Analysis and Design phase of the S&OP evolution.

Section 3: Implementation

This phase starts when the participants responsible for the design stage agree that the framework is appropriate. It finishes when all those participants involved in the S&OP evolution understand what has to be done, why it has to be done, how it will be realised within the business unit and do not need any support to carry out their responsibilities.

The process becomes a routine, is fully integrated into the business operations and is considered business as usual.

Were you involved in the Implementation phase of the S&OP evolution?

Yes (i.e. answer Implementation phase questions)

No (i.e. skip Implementation phase questions)

Section 3: Implementation

Note: Please answer the following questions keeping in mind your opinions / perceptions at THAT point in time.

1. How much do you agree that the following activities were executed during the Implementation phase of the S&OP evolution?

2. Considering any training that you received during the Implementation phase, which of the following statements describes best your ability after its completion?

Did not receive any training.

Understood the main concepts.

Was able to work well but needed a little supervision and support.

Was able to work well alone and without supervision.

3. How would you rate the provision of tools that enabled the facilitation of the following?

4. How would you rate the level of commitment and support that was available during the Implementation phase from the following departments?

5. How much do you agree with the following statements describing how you felt at the end of the implementation phase?

6. Please provide some detail with respect to the following aspects of the Implementation phase of the process:

The most successful aspect

The least successful aspect

What would you do differently, and why, given hindsight?

7. Please select any support you received for the Implementation phase of the S&OP evolution.

Section 4: Running and Maintenance

The scope of this stage considers the perpetual cycle (typically monthly) of the S&OP process. This cycle begins with updating and distribution of data relating to actual sales, production, inventories etc. that enables departmental plans to be generated. The outcome of the cycle is an executive S&OP meeting where decisions have been made and consensus reached.

The objectives of this cycle are:

- To support and measure the business plan by flexing up and down resources to meet the business plan in a cost effective fashion.

- To ensure plans submitted are realistic and mutually supported.

- To move the company away from a reactive response towards a more proactive focus.

- To setup a feedback system that ensures the Running the S&OP process continues successfully and is adequately supported by top management.

Are you involved in the Running & Maintenance phase of the S&OP evolution?

Yes (i.e. answer Running & Maintenance phase questions)

No (i.e. skip Running & Maintenance phase questions)

Section 4: Running and Maintenance

Note: Please answer the following questions with respect to how the S&OP process is currently being run ant maintained in your business unit.

1. How would you rate the importance of the following activities when carrying out the S&OP cycle?

2. How would you rate the attendance of the following departments at S&OP meetings?

3. Considering the S&OP meeting itself, which of the following characteristics would you want to improve? Please rank a minimum of 3 in order of preference.

Agenda / structure
Reporting format
Schedule
Minutes
Handling conflict
Listening skills
Ability to reach consensus
Honesty
Atmosphere
Meeting attendance
Pre-S&OP meeting preperation
Senior management involvement

4. Please briefly list any useful tools you don't currently have that you feel would be of beneficial use in the running of the S&OP process.

5. How would you rate the quality of the data generally available when compiling reports before the S&OP meeting?

6. Approximately, how much time do you spend preparing for the formal S&OP meeting including any time spent in pre-S&OP meetings?

Briefly describe the main tasks and activities that you carry out in this time.

10. Please provide some detail with respect to the following aspects of the Operation and Running phase of the process:

The most successful aspect

The least successful aspect

What would you do differently, and why, given hindsight?

11. Please select any support you are receiving for the Operation and Running of your S&OP process.

12. What level of recognition have you received / did you receive for your contribution to the evolution of S&OP?

13. Approximately how often do you reconsider (feedback, review and change if necessary) the following elements to ensure the S&OP process remains valid?

Section 5: Further Research

* 1. Would you be prepared to be involved in an on-site interview (at your premises) to help strengthen the research findings, thus enabling you to benefit from more detailed findings?

Yes

2. If you have been filling this questionnaire on the behalf of someone else, please enter your personal information

My own job

My own department

How long I have been working at the current position (in years)

How long I have been working for the current employer (in years)