Unity, not Unanimity: Driving True Collaboration in S&OP

Consensus is a foundational element of the S&OP process, aligning stakeholders on core assumptions that underline decision making. But how we arrive at consensus can vary from organization to organization. It is all too easy to fall into the trap of believing there is a single source of truth and excluding the variety of perspectives from different functions that enrich the decision-making process. In this article I advocate for not shying away from constructive conflict and aiming for unity, not unanimity. I also provide practical tips for getting functions with disparate aims to agree and how to combine quantitative data with qualitative ...