Vanguard Predictive Planning™ for Supply Chains
Automate supply chain planning operations with Vanguard Predictive Planning. Spend less time finding the right information and more time generating better plans.
Client Results
“Billions [of dollars] in operating margin and trillions in market capitalization separate supply chain winners from losers,” according to AMR Research. With Vanguard Predictive Planning™, best-in-class planners see:
%
Reduction in inventory
%
Increase in perfect-order fulfillment (complete, accurate, and on time)
%
Shorter cash-to-cash cycle times
%
Fewer stock-outs than competitors
Featured resources
White paper
Portfolio review to full S&OP with cloud-based Advanced Analytics
Case study
Medical device distributor improved forecast accuracy by 27%
Case study
Spare parts distributor decreased inventory spend by 10%
Business Benefits
Automate supply chain planning
With Vanguard Predictive Planning, most of the supply chain planning process can be automated. A combination of artificial intelligence, predictive and prescriptive analytics, a robust rules engine, and advanced workflows makes this possible. This automation and accuracy layered onto a truly unified IBP platform allows organizations to understand and act on the end-to-end implications of potential decisions.
Industry analysts agree that automating as many decisions as possible helps improve efficiencies and the maturity of supply chain teams. Automation is an important step for supply chains to scale and support growth in a cost-effective manner.
Improve forecast accuracy
Forecast accuracy is one of the most underrated aspects of supply chain planning software, mostly because everyone agrees that a point forecast is always wrong. What they miss, however, is that the forecast range (confidence intervals) is what needs to be correct. How that range is calculated is the crucial differentiator. Monte Carlo simulation offers a superior confidence interval (range) when compared with typical point techniques. It analyzes hundreds or thousands of scenarios in seconds to generate the intervals. Vanguard clients make use of these exceptional forecasts through our platform to better optimize inventory and operations, and improve financial performance.
Reduce costs, minimize stockouts, and improve profits and customer satisfaction
Market-leading supply chains keep optimal inventory levels to avoid lost sales and stockouts while improving customer satisfaction. It all starts with the forecast. Supply and production plans cannot be optimized if their input (the forecast) is poor. Improved forecast accuracy boosts both plans (supply and production). In turn, your organization will see a reduction in stockouts, optimized safety-stock levels, and a reduction in inventory carrying costs, thereby increasing your working capital. A by-product of this improved accuracy is an increase in customer fulfillment and satisfaction while lowering inventory levels. This is the desired result for any supply chain; Vanguard Predictive Planning helps you achieve it.
Supply chain digitization
Whether your organization ison the verge of a digital transformation or in the midst of one, Vanguard Predictive Planning is a key software component for the journey. Vanguard is a native cloud supply chain planning platform that is inherently digital. Leveraging artificial intelligence, machine learning, advanced analytics, and omni-channel support, Vanguard will transform your supply chain planning processes overnight. Improvements to your service levels, costs, agility, inventory levels, and processes are continuously optimized, resulting in operational excellence. Vanguard helps your organization leverage more mature and transformative features of the platform. For example, Vanguard integrates disparate data sources such as inventory, shipments, and customer orders to yield a more accurate forecast, anticipating problems before they occur.
What our clients have to say
Technical features
Promotion planning
The ability to model and manage promotions (or integrate with third-party promotion tools) is a key differentiator of Vanguard Predictive Planning. With a robust set of techniques to model promotions, Vanguard Predictive Planning sets itself apart.
Advanced workflows
Workflows are the backbones of every supply chain plan. Vanguard Predictive Planning offers users advanced, easy-to-define and easy-to-support workflows to enable both planning and S&OP processes.
Collaboration Hub
Vanguard Predictive Planning comes with an industry-leading collaboration portal. Never again will organizations to never again have siloed planning or limitations to those who can collaborate.
End-to-end planning
Vanguard Predictive Planning is an integrated business planning platform that provides organizations with true end-to-end planning and visibility.
Master production scheduling
Vanguard Predictive Planning creates the optimal schedule for production based on rules and constraints.
Simulation
Move from single-threaded what-if scenario planning to true simulation. Monte Carlo simulation instantly allows you to run hundreds or thousands of scenarios with a range of variables.
Monte Carlo simulation
Plan based on probabilities and improve forecast confidence intervals using Monte Carlo simulation.
What-if scenarios
Complete support for unlimited what-if scenarios that you can save and share. Additionally, non-forecast owners can propose forecast changes for any scenario.
Real-time analytics
With a unified data model, Vanguard Predictive Planning delivers analytics in real-time as soon as any changes occur to the plan or data. Additionally, users can set alerts to be notified of such changes.
Demand profiles
Forecast automation and accuracy plus optimized inventory and operations increase profits and profitability by reducing stockouts, lost sales, emergency orders, and labor and customer acquisition costs.
Exception-based planning
Mature supply chains manage by exception; Vanguard Predictive Planning enables extensive exception-based processes.
Machine learning
Vanguard Predictive Planning leverages machine learning algorithms as part of its artificial intelligence capabilities.
Market-leading statistical forecasting
Supply chain planning software offers usersan array of forecasting methods. Vanguard Predictive Planning is the most robust on the market, providing users with the most accurate results.
Demand sensing
Vanguard Predictive Planning includes proprietary forecasting methods for near real-time forecasts.
Financial forecasts
While some solutions can “dollarize” plans, Vanguard Predictive Planning creates financial forecasts, including cashflow, net income, and various financial reports, out-of-the-box.
Causal forecasting
Organizations should try to determine the leading indicators that impact
AI engine
Vanguard Predictive Planning leverages artificial intelligence across multiple features of the platform including forecast method selection, demand prediction and pattern detection, and automation of tasks.
S&OP workflows
Workflows are the backbones of every supply chain plan. Vanguard Predictive Planning offers users advanced, easy-to-define and easy-to-support workflows to enable planning and S&OP processes.
Automatic detection
Vanguard Predictive Planning automatically detects and excludes outliers from the forecast.
BI and dashboards
There is no need for a third-party BI solution. Vanguard Predictive Planning includes robust reporting and dashboard capabilities.
Top-down, bottom-up, and middle-out forecasting
Regardless of how your organization generates forecasts, Vanguard Predictive Planning supports it all. Vanguard also supports any combination of variables including SKU-location, SKU-warehouse, customer, and more.
In-memory what-if analysis
With support for millions of SKUs, Vanguard users can instantly forecast for any number of products and scenarios. Vanguard’s in-memory database (UHIO) enables lightning-fast calculations so users have no downtime.
Collaborative forecasting
Collaborative planning and forecasting
Segmentation
Vanguard Predictive Planning supports a wide array of SKU segmentation methods including, but not limited to, ABC, speed, cost, and service levels.
Meet a few of our clients

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