One of the important components of SCM is forecasting and planning. As mentioned earlier, the inventory planning will depend on forecasting. The other aspect is demand planning. The demand planning exercise helps SCM to look at sourcing the right quantity at the right time and from the right supplier.

This aspect also affects the working capital and cash flow of a company. An effective BI system will help SCM to forecast and do demand planning in a better way. They can also plan for short duration demand peaks or plateaus.

A consultant must work towards the objectives of the SCM function and design the right set of dashboards. Value add can be done via automation. Reports on delivery and payment schedules can be automated for the suppliers. The consultant can also look at integrating predictive analysis to help forecast and plan demand in an effective way.

External data, such as economic and financial data (such as currency rates), can help SCM to better analyze and plan for contingencies.