Towards Integrated Planning: A Case Study of Coordination Challenges and S&OP Implementation in the Marine Sector Enhancing Cross-Functional Understanding Through a Demand Breakdown Tool
Publicerad
Författare
Typ
Examensarbete för masterexamen
Master's Thesis
Master's Thesis
Modellbyggare
Tidskriftstitel
ISSN
Volymtitel
Utgivare
Sammanfattning
In today’s dynamic business environment, effective coordination across organiza-
tional functions is critical for operational efficiency and strategic alignment. This
thesis investigates coordination challenges from an S&OP perspective within the
order-to-delivery process of a system-providing company in the marine sector. Through
a qualitative single-case study approach, the research identifies key coordination bar-
riers, including unclear responsibilities, misaligned forecasts, siloed communication,
and conflicting performance goals. To address these challenges, an Excel-based
tool was developed to translate high-level sales forecasts into actionable insights for
operational functions, particularly Procurement. The study evaluates the tool’s po-
tential to enhance cross-functional understanding and support the implementation
of a formal S&OP process. Findings suggest an S&OP process holds strong poten-
tial to improve cross-functional alignment and support proactive decision-making.
Moreover, having a basic excel tool as a first step in an S&OP implementation can
significantly improve planning maturity, transparency, and responsiveness. The re-
search contributes to both theory and practice by highlighting the importance of
contextual adaptation, trust in data, and behavioral alignment in successful S&OP
implementation.
Beskrivning
Ämne/nyckelord
Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP), Coordination Mechanisms, Order-to-delivery Process, Cross-Functional Collaboration, Forecast Alignment, Marine Sector, Integrated Planning, Operational Efficiency