E2open Again Recognized as a Leader in IDC MarketScape Report for Worldwide Supply Chain Demand Planning

New IDC MarketScape vendor assessment highlights e2open’s responsive supply chain planning and sensing capabilities

E2open Parent Holdings, Inc., the connected supply chain SaaS platform with the largest multi-enterprise network, has been named a Leader for the second consecutive time in the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Supply Chain Demand Planning 2022 Vendor Assessment (doc #US47619722, September 2022). E2open was also named a Leader in the 2019 IDC MarketScape vendor assessment

Accurate demand predictions and the ability to sense changes in fast-moving markets are fundamental for resilient and agile manufacturing and distribution activities, from fulfillment, line scheduling, inventory planning and materials purchasing, to production planning, new introductions, promotion management, and financial projections.

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“Accuracy matters. Every decision a company makes – what to procure, what to build, what to ship, when and where, or how much to invest in inventory – starts with a demand prediction,” says Pawan Joshi, executive vice president, products and strategy at e2open. “The quality of each business decision is directly related to the forecast quality. E2open pioneered the use of AI and real-time data from internal and external sources in planning – including retailer point of sale, store inventory, warehouse stock withdrawals, weather, and social sentiment data – to achieve a new level of forecast accuracy that goes beyond what’s possible with traditional approaches. This shift helps companies predict what customers are most likely to buy instead of what they hope customers will buy, and provides a sustainable competitive advantage that is especially valuable in times of shifting consumer preferences, economic uncertainty, supply chain disruptions, or even demand shocks as we experienced during the pandemic.”

“Connected demand planning also requires a new level of collaboration across internal stakeholders and with channel ecosystem partners, such as retailers, distributors, resellers, and even end customers,” continues Joshi. “Traditional planning is inherently disconnected and siloed, with trading partners often hedging or second-guessing the other, amplifying the bullwhip effect and reducing the quality of demand plans. E2open’s connected platform provides a modern approach that facilitates seamless sharing of signals and plans between all parties, unlocking value for clients and partners alike. Reusable network connections reduce the cost of exchanging information, while purpose-built AI transforms disparate partner data into decision-grade information to get a full end-to-end picture of demand for confident decision-making, even in uncertain markets.”

After a comprehensive analysis of the vendor landscape, the IDC MarketScape identified 19 providers as meeting the criteria of broad functional demand planning expertise and significant customer bases. IDC defines supply chain demand planning as the process of sensing and forecasting the demand for a product or service so it can be accurately manufactured or produced, and then fulfilled to the customer or consumer efficiently and effectively. The study assesses the capability and business strategy of the 19 vendors based on a comprehensive framework and set of parameters expected to be conducive to success in providing organizations with insight into supply chain demand planning tools. Based on the resulting assessment, e2open was named a Leader.

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“Demand planning is a critical capability for a resilient supply chain. The ability to develop an accurate forecast is the first step in managing an efficient, effective, and sustainable supply chain organization and can be the difference between meeting or not meeting customer expectations for service and quality,” said Simon Ellis, program vice president, IDC.

The IDC MarketScape highlighted e2open’s “automation and machine learning algorithms to deliver a better demand forecast and a step-change in productivity and performance.” The report also noted that one of e2open’s strengths includes “advanced machine learning algorithms to generate accurate forecasts for all products and key components, including new and end-of-life products.” The IDC MarketScape notes that clients should consider e2open because, “E2open has extensive experience in consumer goods, high tech, food and beverage and automotive/heavy equipment, so manufacturing organizations in these segments particularly who are looking for a vendor of both broad and deep supply chain planning capability should consider e2open for their demand planning needs.” E2open demand planning and sensing is part of a holistic solution encompassing all planning needs on a single connected network platform.

“We’re proud to be recognized by the IDC MarketScape for our long and proven track record of helping many of the world’s leading companies achieve best-in-class demand planning and sensing, to continuously push boundaries and redefine what’s possible,” said John Lash, vice president product marketing at e2open. “The pursuit of forecast excellence – and in particular demand predictions that reflect current market realities – has become increasingly relevant since the onset of the pandemic and is foundational in building a more connected and resilient supply chain.”