Preface Who This Book Is For How This Book Is Organized Acknowledgements Conclusion Introduction to Inventory Planning and Optimization What Is Inventory? Where Is Inventory Held? Building an Inventory Management Approach Objectives of Inventory Planning and Optimization Role of Technology in Inventory Planning and Optimization Introducing SAP Integrated Business Planning Summary Understanding Inventory Variables Primary Factors that Drive Inventory Breakdown of Variability Drivers Additional Factors that Influence Inventory Summary Configuring SAP IBP for Inventory Architecture Building Blocks Planning Area Setup Using Predelivered Content Versions Scenarios Planning Operators Reason Codes Data Integration Planning Views Dashboard and Analytics Summary Modeling a Supply Network Introduction to Supply Networks Supply Network Complexity Elements of a Supply Network Visualizing Supply Networks in SAP IBP Summary Optimizing Inventory in SAP IBP What Is Network Inventory Optimization in SAP IBP? Building Blocks for Inventory Calculation Network Multiechelon Inventory Calculation Summary Structuring Inventory Types of Inventory Further Decomposition of Safety Stock Calculating Inventory Components Summary Designing Your Inventory Planning Process Centralized and Decentralized Inventory Planning Teams Frequency of the Inventory Planning Cycle From Reactive to Proactive Planner Tasks Inventory Planning in Sales and Operations Planning Sequence of Planning Tasks Segmentation Role of the Inventory Planner Summary Measuring Inventory Performance Example Supply Chain for Inventory Planning Key Performance Indicators for Inventory Optimization Validate Input Quality Review Inventory Plan Assess Inventory Drivers Finalize Inventory Plan Create Custom Inventory Alerts Summary Building Intuition and Conducting What-If Analysis What-If Analysis with Versions and Scenarios Perform What-If Analysis Simulating Situations Intuition Building Strategic What-If Analysis Tactical What-If Analysis Summary Integrating SAP IBP for Inventory Data Integration Technologies Manual Data Integration Using the Web UI Integration using SAP Cloud Platform Integration for Data Services With SAP IBP Applications in the Unified Planning Area With SAP ERP and SAP S/4HANA With SAP APO With Non-SAP Systems Exporting Data Using OData Services Summary Planning Your Implementation Cloud Software Considerations Manual versus Automated Workflow Agile versus Waterfall Implementation Methodology Roles and Responsibilities Summary Case Studies Case Study 1: Manufacturing Industry Case Study 2: Consumer Goods Case Study 3: High-Tech Company Case Study 4: Consumer Products Summary The Authors Index.