Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) - the process | Supply Chain Talks | certification tutorial

Sales & Operations Planning – The Process is a short, free online course designed to introduce professionals to the role of S&OP as a structured, cross-functional business planning process. In this course, participants will learn how S&OP connects sales, marketing, supply chain, manufacturing, distribution, and finance into one integrated planning cycle. The course explains how organizations use S&OP to balance demand and supply, align tactical plans with business strategy, improve decision-making, and create accountability across functions. The session also highlights the key success factors of an effective S&OP process, including structured meetings, pre-alignment, cross-functional participation, consensus-building, demand and supply planning integration, performance measurement, technology enablement, and the use of external market inputs. This course is ideal for supply chain, sales, operations, planning, procurement, logistics, and business professionals who want a practical understanding of how S&OP supports better coordination, improved execution, and stronger business performance.