The demand forecasting journey for Indian companies

By Jaison George, Senior VP, Product Management, o9

Every strong supply chain begins with one crucial skill and that is understanding what customers will want and when. That’s what demand forecasting is all about. Demand Forecasting is a critical foundation to most other operational decisions in supply chain planning. It will drive optimum inventory level, efficient production planning, better resource allocation and improved logistics.

How India’s Market Has Changed
Over the past two decades, the Indian market has completely transformed. First came the rise of e-commerce, which changed how people shopped. Then came quick commerce, which made consumers expect faster deliveries and instant availability.

Companies have had to deal with a significant shift in the proportion of business that is driven through these channels than the earlier brick and mortar stores. Add to this the growth of the middle class, rising disposable incomes that are ...