Controversial opinion alert: If monthly S&OP feels like torture - you might want to consider doing it weekly.

What? Insanity! In fact, many Operations leaders we talk to say they want to reduce S&OP frequency because it's so painful:

1. It takes too long to gather and analyze data
2. Running complex models is time-consuming
3. Countless side conversations are needed to achieve consensus
4. Not wanting to freeze Ops teams with uncertainty vs. letting them execute (even if they are executing a not quite right plan)

But here's the thing: these pain points stem from the infrequency of the process itself, which in turn comes from how time consuming it is to compile the plan with all the required inputs and assumptions.

Now, we don’t necessarily think you need a weekly meeting (we hate meetings too). But what we are seeing is Atomic clients running their plans weekly or in some cases daily. Once the ‘plumbing’ is in place, you get a whole host of benefits from high frequency planning:
- Gathering data becomes a continuous, streamlined process rather than a monthly scramble.
- More frequent planning allows for quicker identification and correction of discrepancies, leading to more accurate forecasts.
- Faster responses to market changes, supply chain disruptions, or unexpected demand shifts.
- Better cross-functional collaboration when working off of the same plan - reducing the need for lengthy side conversations.
- Spreading the workload over more frequent, smaller chunks can alleviate the pressure associated with high-stakes monthly meetings.

Instead of several days at the end of the month, Atomic clients are spending 1-2 hours a week running and validating their plan.

If you're drowning in data, struggling with siloed decision making, and finding your monthly S&OP sessions unproductive and super high stress, it might be time to consider making a change.