S&OP Processes in Small and Medium-Sized Businesses: Workshop with W. Neudorff
Take the existing planning process to the next level
Mid-sized companies have well-established planning processes. Sales, scheduling, production, and logistics make daily decisions that keep the business running. But once a certain level of maturity is reached, the question arises: How can we create greater cross-functional transparency so that these decisions work together even more effectively?
This is exactly where a structured S&OP process comes into play. W. Neudorff GmbH KG, one of Europe’s leading providers of natural gardening products, has decided to further develop its existing planning process. During a full-day workshop in Emmertal, we worked together to determine how Sales and Operations Planning can strengthen collaboration between departments.
The starting point: Effective individual processes, potential in integration
Neudorff has a solid foundation: experienced teams in sales, scheduling, supply chain management, production, and logistics who know their business inside out. The planning processes within each department are well-established. The potential lies in integration: when all departments draw on the same data and align their planning cycles, a shared vision of the future emerges.
This shared view is at the heart of S&OP in small and medium-sized businesses: it’s not about more planning, but about better coordination.
Workshop Content: Working Together to Get the Big Picture
The 8-hour workshop was deliberately designed as a working session, not a presentation. Using Metaplan boards, Post-its, and structured breakout sessions, we worked in eight blocks:
Linking planning levels: Strategic, tactical, and operational planning are all interconnected. In the workshop, we illustrated how information flows between these levels and where the handoffs could be further strengthened.
Visualizing the entire process: Using swimlane mapping, five departments collaborated to visualize their planning process across six phases. The result: for the first time, a complete picture of how the individual planning steps interact.
Further developing demand planning: Where can data be leveraged more effectively? At Neudorff, the weather-dependence of the products plays a particularly important role: temperature, precipitation, and humidity directly influence demand. Systematically incorporating these factors into the planning process is a concrete lever for improvement.
Jointly assessing the level of maturity: On a scale ranging from functional planning to integrated business planning, participants evaluated where Neudorff stands today and which next steps would deliver the greatest value.
Prioritizing next steps: Using the MoSCoW method (Must, Should, Could, Won’t), the identified areas for development were sorted based on impact and feasibility.
Structure Before Tools: The Right Approach to Process Optimization
A principle that is repeatedly confirmed in process optimization at small and medium-sized enterprises: First clarify the structure, then choose the right tool. The SIOP process must be understood and supported by all stakeholders before process automation or AI-powered forecasting models can be used to support the process.
For Neudorff, this means that integrating weather data into demand planning offers significant potential. This potential is best realized through a clearly defined S&OP cycle, with coordinated responsibilities, scheduled meetings, and a shared data source.
Key Findings: Cross-Functional Transparency as a Lever
Shared visibility transforms collaboration. The most valuable moment in the workshop came when all departments saw the entire process laid out on a wall for the first time. When Sales sees how its forecast affects production planning, and Logistics understands the lead times required by scheduling, a new mutual understanding emerges.
Data connects departments. A shared database is more than just a technical issue. It creates a common language. When everyone is looking at the same numbers, planning meetings become more productive and decisions more transparent.
Further development requires guidance. Taking an existing process to the next level changes the way we work and how we coordinate. This is most successful when the team shapes the path together—not just technically, but also organizationally.
Step by step, not all at once. The most effective improvements are often those that fit seamlessly into existing processes. A well-facilitated monthly S&OP cycle with the right participants delivers immediate value.
The Way Forward: Intelligent Work Management
The workshop has laid a solid foundation. For Neudorff, the next steps are: defining the pilot for the first S&OP cycle, refining the forecasting model to include weather data, and establishing a coordinated meeting schedule that brings together the departments involved.
This is intelligent work management in practice: refining existing processes in a targeted manner, creating cross-functional transparency, and making better decisions based on data.
Looking to further develop your S&OP process?
Many medium-sized companies have effective planning processes but see room for improvement in cross-departmental coordination. If you’d like to take your S&OP process to the next level, we’d be happy to help.
We empower teams and organizations to improve their planning processes through structured workshops, proven frameworks, and the right technology.
Learn more about our approach: S&OP / SIOP Process | Process Automation | Contact
About Lighthouse Consultings: We are specialized consultants in intelligent work management for German-speaking small and medium-sized businesses. As a Smartsheet Gold Partner, we combine process expertise with modern technology to help companies effectively implement their strategies: Structure. Clarity. Impact.
