Boardwalktech has made available a collaborative sales and operations planning (S&OP) software application. The tool supports demand forecasting; Collaborative Planning, Forecasting & Replenishment (CPFR); promotion management and vendor-managed inventory (VMI), among other functions. It is built on the Boardwalk Collaboration Platform (BCP), which features flexible database technology and combines the use of Excel on the desktop with a tabular database platform on the back end. In the process, it supplies an automation environment drawing on the data model from a spreadsheet, including all applicable formulas and business logic, which can then be used to configure and deploy multiple S&OP applications. S&OP allows manufacturers to align the planning efforts of multiple departments, including sales, operations, marketing and finance. It also allows for the participation of external partners such as suppliers, distributors and customers.
