You have heard about DDMRP but you’re not sure how a piece of software would be an invaluable tool to assist in changing your organisation to the supply chain “New Normal” characterized by increased complexity and the focus on customer driven success metrics. This introduction to iSimPlan for DDMRP is a perfect melding of an introduction to the basic principles of DDMRP and their application using the iSimPlan system. During this introduction you will:

• - Be taken through the steps to becoming Demand Driven as described by Ptak and Smith.
• - Given a walkthrough of the application of DDMRP using iSimPlan.
• - Have a discussion forum with the participants about the application of DDMRP within your organization.

This format will give you all the tools you need to make an informed decision about the next step your organization needs to take in its’ Demand Driven journey.

iSimPlan accesses your organizations’ ERP data through a bespoke connector to the system used within your organization. This connector is used to either retrieve data from your ERP in real time, or to retrieve the data exports from that system, depending on the method chosen by your organization and its’ data security specifications. This connector ensures that there is one source of data being used for all planning functions within your organization.

To assist your organization with the change management involved in implementing DDMRP, we have developed a seven-day course (over seven weeks), in which a business case for the implementation of DDMRP in your organization is built, using the iSimplan tool. During this seven-week period the following occurs:

• - The connector to your ERP is built.
• - The ERP data from your organization is pulled into, and verified, in iSimPlan.
• - You are guided through the selection of items within your supply chain to buffer.
• - You are given access to the iSimPlan system. This will allow you to work on, and apply DDMRP to your organizations’ data.
• - You build a business case based on the application of DDMRP to this data using iSimPlan.

This Proof of Concept is aimed at the individuals who will form your core planning team. They will become the change evangelists that will be integral to your organizations’ change management approach when the system is rolled out.

Armed with a business case, the next step is to select a licensing option for your organization. Our Coaching team will assist you during the full implementation and roll out of iSimPlan across your organisation. At a minimum we recommend that the coach be present on site for two days a week for the first eight weeks of the implementation. Assuming all system training is completed within the first two weeks of implementation, the roll out is predicted to take a total of twelve weeks. The coach will be available in a monitoring capacity until roll out is complete, typically 2 days per week. This estimate may vary depending on the needs of your organization.

System training is intended for those staff in your organization who will be using iSimPlan daily, but who do not need the in-depth DDMRP knowledge required to identify and decide on the suggested replenishment orders to sustain the strategic inventory buffers. Systems training of this sort requires three days and will include:

• - Introduction to DDMRP tenets.
• - Implementation of DDMRP in iSimPlan.
• - Collaborative Planning and Execution in iSimPlan .

Should staff within your organisation request and/or be required to become DDMRP certified, we can facilitate and arrange for these courses with accredited facilitators. For more information on the courses listed below, please contact us.

• - Adaptive Systemic Thinking Professional (ASTP)
• - Demand Driven Planner Professional (DDPP)
• - Demand Driven Leader Professional (DDLP)
• - Demand Driven Fundamentals Professional (DDFP)