Lisa Anderson frames SIOP as a business control tower

Lisa Anderson says manufacturers need to treat SIOP as an enterprise-wide operating system, not just demand planning. The approach, she says, can improve visibility, coordination and profitability as supply chains get more complex.

Why it matters: - SIOP can shape how manufacturers make decisions across demand, supply, inventory, finance and operations. - Anderson says the process helps companies improve visibility, predictability, scalability, customer service and profitability. - A broader SIOP discipline can reduce siloed decisions that pull different parts of the business in different directions.

What happened: - Lisa Anderson, president of LMA Consulting Group, said manufacturers are often misunderstanding Sales, Inventory & Operations Planning, also known as Sales & Operations Planning. - Anderson described SIOP as the operational control tower for a business, not just a monthly demand review or capacity-planning exercise. - The comments were released from Claremont, California, on July 9, 2026.

The details: - Anderson said SIOP pulls together demand planning, supply planning, capacity planning, engineering, procurement, manufacturing, logistics, inventory management, finance, sales, customer service, R&D and executive leadership. - She said the process creates one version of the truth so departments evaluate customer demand, supply constraints, capacity, inventory and financial objectives together. - Anderson compared SIOP to an airport control tower that coordinates pilots, air traffic controllers, baggage handlers, maintenance crews, ground transportation and security. - She said successful SIOP is built, not installed. - Anderson said implementation requires more than software or monthly meetings. - She said consultants should work with leadership and cross-functional teams to design a process that fits the company’s products, customers, manufacturing environment, growth goals and systems capabilities. - Anderson said consultants help establish planning disciplines, guide decision-making, upgrade supporting processes and ERP capabilities, educate teams, build accountability and create a steady operating cadence. - She said the consultant’s job is to coach, teach and mentor the organization so the company can sustain and improve the process over time. - LMA Consulting Group said companies that implement SIOP can gain improved operational performance, stronger supply chain visibility, better predictability, stronger customer service and sustainable growth.

Between the lines: - Anderson is pushing SIOP beyond a planning meeting and toward a management system that ties operating decisions to financial outcomes. - The framing reflects a common manufacturing challenge: many companies have data and planning tools, but not a shared decision-making rhythm. - The control-tower analogy signals that SIOP only works when functions act from the same plan, not from local priorities.

What's next: - Anderson said organizations need a planning framework that can keep up as supply chains become more dynamic and customer expectations change. - The next step for manufacturers is to build internal discipline so SIOP can continue after outside support ends. - More information is available in Best of SIOP/Supply Chain Planning and at LMAConsultingGroup.com.