The Client:
The largest wholesale distributor of consumer products in their industry. At about $5B in annual revenue, they manage a network of over 140 distribution centers servicing over 90,000 customers.
The Challenge:
Our client was entering their annual planning process with over 100 project requests from their business units. Their enterprise project management tools required dozens of users to keep project data clean to conduct even the most basic analysis. Forecasting demand was out of the question as it would require the creation of over 100 unique project plans loaded with mock resources. They needed a best practice framework and a practical tool to:
- Estimate project resource requirements
- Compare the supply and demand of several resource pools
- Conduct portfolio scenario analysis
- Determine scheduling of each project and a staffing plan for the following year
The Strategy:
Working with our client sponsor and leaders from each business unit, the Jabian team:
- Facilitated the high-level / “T-Shirt” estimation of all potential projects
- Developed a Capacity Model by defining analysis assumptions and parameters, gathering available resource data, and defining Demand Management process flows to ensure the model met client requirements
- Entered project resource requirement estimates and conducted portfolio scenario analysis (e.g., adjustment of project start dates, portfolio budgets, resource supply
- Documented training materials and transitioned capability to client resources
Demand Management Methodology
Capacity Planning Model
The Outcome:
As a result of our efforts, the client leveled their project roadmap, slotted projects into release trains for the upcoming year, validated staffing plans to feed operating budgets and human capital strategies, and established a repeatable process for ongoing Demand Management.
