Coca Cola And Inventory Forecasting

Forecasts are extensively used to support business decisions and direct the work of operations managers. The two major types of forecasts are qualitative and quantitative. Within each of these types are multiple methods and models. Qualitative forecasts are based upon subjective data. Quantitative forecasts are derived from objective data. Both methods are not suitable for all situations and circumstances. Each has inherent strengths and weaknesses. The forecaster must understand the strengths and shortcomings of each method and choose appropriately. One example of forecasting is the United States Marine Corps use of forecasting techniques, both qualitative and quantitative, to predict ammunition requirements.

Data, the data that is currently being used in the forecasting is outdated. Using data from 2006 does not translate the current needs of customer demand. Using updated data should help with making correct estimates how much inventory should be kept on hand without causing lose in revenue.

Essentially, all risk in price fluctuations in the raw materials market is transferred and paid for by the bottling business. Supplier power of the concentrate business is also exerted over the bottling business by the threat of acquisition and vertical integration – the concentrate business supports its bottling business through providing suggestions for operational improvement. While this support can be viewed positively, both Coca-Cola and Pepsi have acquired its bottling franchises due to their dissatisfaction over the operational effectiveness of its bottling business. Through the last few decades, Coca-Cola and Pepsi have oscillated between acquiring and re-franchising its partner bottling businesses.

The current demand forecasting method is based on qualitative techniques more than quantitative ones. If the forecast is not accurate, the company would carry both inventory and stock out costs. It might lose customers due to shortage of supply or carry additional holding costs due to excess production. If the actual demand doesn’t match the forecast ones, and the forecast was too high, this will result in high inventories, obsolescence, asset disposals, and increased carrying costs. When a forecast is too low, the customer resorts to a competitive product or retailer. A supplier could lose both sales and shelf space at that retail location forever if their predictions continue to be inaccurate. The tolerance level of the average consumer

* Forecasting is an impartial strategic ingredient that will ensure apt base for reputable planning. Our forecast is always the first step in developing plans in running the business along with our future plans of growth strategies. With this tool, we are able to anticipate our sales within reason that then can allow for us to control our costs in conjunction with inventory which will then help us to enhance our customer service. Sales forecasting is a vital strategic tactic in our company’s methodology.

Forecast Management will also be implemented from Q13 onwards. This would comprise a special unit within the Strategic Planning Division which will closely monitor and analyze the forecasts and trends as it pertains to unit production and price elasticity of demand. While there are many ratios used to analyze and gauge a firm’s performance, The Box Inc. chose five ratios/data points which shall be used as a baseline to the organization’s overall performance. These ratios/data points were chosen as they were seen to give a good indication to how the firm is maintaining its goals of a balance between profits, debt management and shareholder value. The ratios in the table below will be used as a guideline to assist in the organization’s future operations. In order for an organization to progress, it is important to look back at its past performance, see what was done right, what was done wrong and what could be improved. The matrix below, patented by the firm as “The Box Inc.

Objective of this paper is to use the unemployment rate data in the following excel files to estimate the total inventory that the company will keep at the store. The Excel files are:

The company Coca Cola produces concentrate, which is then sold to licensed Coca-Cola bottlers (a company that bottles beverages as part of a manufacturing process).throughout the world. The bottlers, who hold territorially exclusive contracts with the company, produce finished product in cans and bottles from the concentrate in combination with

However, from the case study, it is difficult to do so due to two main reasons which are insufficient information and long production’s lead time. Information would slowly become more obvious when it approaches the peak season while the long production’s lead time is a constraint which prevents the company from producing at the point where adequate data are available. Therefore, to improve company’s performance, the first thing is to forecast demand more accurately from the first beginning. Wally now only based his first phase production decision on individual forecasts. However, from the exhibit 5, it shows how demand forecasts improve with increasing information. With the lack of information, Wally might take into account and use past statistical deviation between initial and final forecast, which is the closest to the real demand, when he makes a decision. In textile and fashion industry where things change rapidly, people who have more experience and close to customers are those who are most likely to accurately foresee the future trends. So inviting retailers, especially salesmen or shop managers, to help with the demand forecasting is a good idea (Giordano also used this effective strategy to forecast demand).

Any and all corporations operating within the US market must deal with their regulations of the monetary policy set forth by the United States Federal Reserve Bank, and the Coca-Cola Bottling Company is no exception. The Coca-Cola corporation is affected by all aspects of the Federal Reserve and therefore as a corporation conducting business in the US, we must pay particular attention to the discount rate, the reserve ratio requirement, and the open market operations. Therefor Coca-Cola marketing and operation leadership focuses particularly on the production volatility by maintaining low prices, controlling logistics cost and maintaining inventory levels (2014-2015 Sustainability Report. 2015).

I attended my second APICS Central Indiana Professional Development Meeting at Carmel on the 13th of March 2014. The keynote speaker was Bill Whiteside, who is a founder of Demand Solution Northeast, which markets and supports the Demand Solution suite of forecasting and supply chain management software in the Northeast US. He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and a professional member of APICS. At that dinner event, he presented twelve supply chain forecasting lesson from “The Signal and The Noise.”

But even this is not possible in case of a new product or innovation. A forecast of sales, demand, cash, requirements and several such business valuables are extremely essential for a business in order to be able to appropriately plan and conduct its operations in an effective and efficient manner. Yet, forecasts cannot be made accurately as there are several factors and changes in the current environment that leads to variations in forecasts and impacts or causes a manager to make changes in the forecasts.

The Coca Cola Company currently operates a franchise system, and its syrup concentrates is sold all around the world manufactured by the company itself and sold through different bottles. The Coca Cola Company is also currently listed in the New York Stock Exchange; Coca Cola Company has a long history of acquiring different

The pricing technique of Coca-Cola has supported the firm to compete and grow in the soft drink effectively. The volume discount and pricing penetration are the vital aspects to provide the firm generates its sales in the market. For instance, Coca-Cola partners with large supply chains such as Costco, Sam’s Club, and Walmart to provide great discount pricing in order to generate its sales substantially in the U.S and the global market. Equally, the firm also distributes its

Strategic planning is associate structure management activity that is used to set priorities, focus energy and resources, establish agreement around intended outcomes or results, strengthen operations, guarantee that employees and other stakeholders are operating toward common goals, regulate the organization's direction in response to a changing atmosphere. It is a disciplined effort that produces basic actions and decisions that form and guide what a corporation is, who it serves, what it does, and why it does it, with a spotlight on the longer term.