Forecast Accuracy From 55% to 86%

The client's forecasts were accurate about 55% of the time. A forecast that misses nearly half the time makes it hard to plan purchasing and production with confidence.

The planning process was a tactical SIOP. Forecast reviews compared one month against the last, with only about three months of history in view, so patterns were easy to miss.

Our Approach

Izba worked with the client's demand planning team to move the process from a tactical SIOP toward S&OP and, in time, IBP. We set up the accuracy and bias metrics, extended the history under review from three months to six, consolidated monthly sales data from several sources, and built the reporting in phases, starting with product family so existing workflows kept working.

A defined meeting cadence and a RACI chart gave each role clear accountability, and the team presented accuracy and bias in the monthly demand consensus meeting. In July 2026 Izba ran a 90-minute S&OP refresher workshop covering the move from SIOP to S&OP to IBP, forecast bias, and how to challenge assumptions in a consensus meeting. A demand planning tool extends the forecast horizon to 24 months across all the client's brands, with rollout planned for mid-September 2026 and a steady-state S&OP process targeted for 2027. Results were reviewed with the leadership team twice a month.

The Outcome

• Forecast accuracy rose from 55% to 86%, a gain of 31 points, and held near 80% at handover.
• Accuracy and bias tracked every month in the demand consensus meeting, with a longer view of history behind each forecast.
• A repeatable review process owned by the client's team, with defined roles.
• Regular visibility for leadership, with results reviewed twice a month.
• A longer planning horizon. A demand planning tool extends the forecast to 24 months and supports one process across all the client's brands.

The gain came from the client's team running a better process, with Izba guiding the structure.