Definition
A monthly management process that brings sales, operations, finance and supply chain leaders together to agree one plan: what the business expects to sell, and how supply will meet it. It reconciles the sales forecast against production capacity, inventory and import pipelines, and surfaces gaps early — for example flagging that a Black Friday forecast needs orders placed with Asian suppliers by August. The output is a single agreed set of numbers everyone executes against.
Frequently asked questions
What is Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP)?
A monthly management process that brings sales, operations, finance and supply chain leaders together to agree one plan: what the business expects to sell, and how supply will meet it. It reconciles the sales forecast against production capacity, inventory and import pipelines, and surfaces gaps early — for example flagging that a Black Friday forecast needs orders placed with Asian suppliers by August. The output is a single agreed set of numbers everyone executes against.
Which glossary terms are related to Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP)?
Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) is a supply chain & warehousing term in the South African import/export industry. Related terms in the same area include 3PL (Third-Party Logistics), 4PL (Fourth-Party Logistics), ABC Analysis, Bonded Logistics, Bonded Warehouse (SOS/OS) — each has its own plain-English definition in the TradeCaravan glossary.