4 Dangerous Habits That

Can Lead to Abandonment

of Forecasting &
Planning Software
By Misty Doan-Eldrige

E X E C U T I V E S U M M A R Y | New planning software can bring about greater forecast accuracy, lower inventory and
better service levels. But implementing a new planning solution is a major undertaking, and maximizing the new tools requires
an approach that goes beyond the implementation itself. In this article I document 4 common behaviors that can limit the
ROI of any software investment, or even lead to abandonment of the software. I provide suggestions on how planners can
avoid these behaviors and get the most out of newly available tools, both now and for the long term. Key considerations
include post-launch training and managing stakeholders’ expectations.

M I S T Y D O A N - E L D R I D G E | Misty has 20 years’ experience in demand and supply planning, having

worked for a variety of companies in the packaging, sporting goods, beauty products, party supplies and
food industries. She has led demand review meetings, product review and inventory meetings, and executive
S&OP meetings as part of the S&OP process. She currently works as Supply Manager for Escalade Sports. Misty
holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

K
eeping up with available technol-
ogy and being able to respond to
the rapid changes in the market
make it necessary for organizations
to adopt “new” planning software
including enterprise resource plan-
ning (ERP) tools. Hours of work are
put into getting approvals, securing
financing, building excitement and
getting support of the organization,
especially leadership. Serious invest-
ments in time and money are made
with plenty of man hours going into
successfully launching the new soft-
ware. Once launched, it’s easy to think
we’ve succeeded since we’ve passed
the hurdles of approval, selection and
launch. Much emotional energy has
been spent discussing the frustration
and failures of the old software while
customizing and launching the new.
Users are excited for the new software
and the promise that it will fix all our
issues, or at least certain issues. Prac-
tically speaking though, users are ex-
cited until they get through the initial
honeymoon phase and now realize
they must use the new tools and make
changes to their daily workflow, hab-
its and schedules. When processes and
tools have been in place for years or
even decades, change can be espe-
cially challenging. As a result, the new
software we’ve just launched could
be in danger of being abandoned
with unintentional self-sabotaging

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