Warning! A holy war is raging. It is a religious war ... one of holy factions.
It cannot be won, and it is not worth trying. When you peel everything back, you find that it is a battle of acronyms: Integrated Business Planning (IBP) versus Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP). It is fueled by analyst pundits, and driven largely by software vendors trying to hawk their wares into a mature market. At the center of the battle - as the fury rages over who is right and who is wrong- companies are losing perspective.
Remember Shakespeare's wisdom? "What's in a name? A rose by any other name would smell as sweet...."
I feel that when the focus is on the NAME - versus the OUTCOME - we all lose. No matter what we call it, cross-functional tactical planning matters; and this is at the center of the discussion. However, many are unable to take advantage of the benefits, because they are stuck in the holy war. As a result, I see companies losing perspective on what tactical planning is, what it needs to be, and why it matters.
