Demand Driven – The Knowledge Balance: Part 3 – Clients

For providers of products and services, market focus revolves around clients. Software implementers and solution providers look at companies who will benefit from becoming demand driven, either at a planning level with DDMRP, or by transforming to a Demand Driven Operating Model (DDOM) supported by Demand Driven S&OP (DDS&OP).

In turn, those companies (local or global) strive to strengthen their market position and gain competitive advantage over their competitors, thereby maximising their own client services performance. Known and proven benefits of Demand Driven principles and methodology.

However, the starting point in becoming demand driven is knowing what it’s all about. Most corporate Operations professionals are aware of MRP, Lean, and TOC (Theory of Constraints) techniques. But are largely unaware of Demand Driven Planning, DDMRP, DDS&OP, and haven’t heard about the Demand Driven Institute (DDI).

This is clearly a knowledge gap. Of course, there are education programs to facilitate CDDP (Certified Demand Driven Planner) or CDDL (CDD Leader) certification. But it feels like an all or nothing scenario – either not knowing what it is to be demand driven, or going all in with certification.  

I see a need for operations professionals in local and global companies, to gain a greater awareness of Demand Driven Planning and what it means to adapt to a Demand Driven Operating Model.

This brings us to the question of who needs to be fully CDDP or CDDL certified. I believe it’s more a requirement for implementers and designers of software functionality. Whereas for clients, I think it’s enough to know what being demand driven is all about as a first step, and decide thereafter as professionals who additionally wish to achieve certification. The client company should be able to trust the software implementer to manage the configuration and application mapping details.

Overall, we need to find more effective ways to permeate demand driven awareness into the marketplace, to facilitate local and global entities with the information and opportunity they need, to start their journey towards becoming demand driven.

Stay tuned for my next article in the series !

Damien Dockery (CDDP)

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