In recent years, integrated business planning (IBP) has been gaining traction among companies looking to improve their supply chain strategy. This planning method promises greater flexibility and resilience in a world where disruptions are increasingly unpredictable. But the concept is far from new. Coined in the 1980s by supply chain management consultancy Oliver Wight Americas, Inc., integrated business planning has been helping companies deal with crises for decades. As companies across the board face the complexities of today’s global supply chain, many more are turning to this proven method to build resilience.

Andrea Montecchi, a business advisor at Oliver Wight, cites the COVID-19 pandemic as one reason for the uptick in acceptance of IBP. “The trends in today's environment often generate from the unpredictable nature of where we are,” he says. “As a result of COVID, the supply chain challenges from before manifest themselves now in things like cash and liquidity pressure that have a very short timeline on them. So the desire and need for fast implementation and solutions is alive and well.”

But what exactly is integrated business planning and how can companies adopt it quickly and successfully without causing undue disruption to the daily operations of the business? Montecchi and Ben Sellers, another business advisor at Oliver Wight, offer their insights.

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