Oracle goes for S&OP improvement on Demantra

Jon Chorley, vice president of supply chain management at Oracle, says: “It’s an evolution, but we will play in a heterogeneous ERP environment. The framework for Oracle planning is a common data model that each module plugs into. We just need to remove the existing demand planning and plug into the advanced supply chain planning environment.” He believes potential users across industries, but particularly high tech and consumer products, will adopt the system because it is “best in class, great technology for shaping demand management and modelling and optimising trade promotions.” Oracle already had some capabilities in its own E-Business suite and that from acquired Siebel, but Demantra’s functionality is more advanced and includes facilities for workflow-based collaboration as well as advanced analytics and optimisation algorithms. “We didn’t have workflow-based framework that could come up with a ‘one number’ forecast,” says Chorley. “We think more companies will want to get that as they move into more active management of demand.” And as for S&OP, he alludes to Oracle’s existing supply chain planning solution and Demantra’s collaboration framework. “With those together, we have a great S&OP solution for any businesses. And we can provide flexible integrations to third party systems for hybrid ERP environments.” As for existing Demantra users, Chorley says: “We will continue to support the Demantra solution – it will be sold as part of Oracle but as a stand alone solution as well. And users will have the advantages of Oracle support services, technology, scaleability and scope.”