The Demand Foundations Problem: Why Forecasting and IBP Break and What to Do Next

Why do forecasting and IBP processes break down under volatility — and what foundational issues need to be addressed before any solution can work?

Mar 19, 2026 11:00

—

12:00

GMT

·

Online (MS Teams)

Register interest

For senior supply chain leaders only

How this meeting works

Practitioner-led working session
No pitches
Small-group, facilitated discussion
Works best when you can engage actively
Chatham House Rule
Limited places to preserve quality

Why this session exists

Many organisations invest heavily in forecasting and IBP frameworks, yet still struggle to make confident demand decisions. Volatility exposes weaknesses that are often structural rather than technical — unclear demand signals, misaligned incentives, fragile assumptions, and decision processes that cannot adapt fast enough.

This session creates space to step back from tooling and process debates and examine why demand foundations fail in practice, using peer experience rather than theoretical models.

What you'll leave with

A clearer understanding of why traditional forecasting and IBP approaches struggle in volatile conditions
Insight into the hidden assumptions and structural constraints that undermine demand decisions
Peer perspectives on what needs to change before investing in new planning approaches or tools

Suggested Discussion Points

Where forecasting and IBP most often break down in practice
Structural demand challenges that tools alone cannot fix
How peers are rethinking demand signals, assumptions, and decision ownership
What “doing next” actually means once classical IBP stops working

Discussion Host(s)

To be confirmed.

Discussion Co-Host(s)

Confirmed

Cameron

Roberts

Fmr Senior Director Demand Planning EMEA, LEGO

Independent / Unaffiliated

Practitioner

Moderator(s)

To be confirmed.

How the online session works

Each session is designed as an online equivalent of a small, in-room roundtable discussion — not a passive, webinar-style presentation.

The format adapts to the topic and the experience in the room:

Where participants already have strong knowledge, we typically start by inviting individuals to expand on specific points they have shared in advance. This helps surface real-world context quickly and anchors the discussion in practical experience.
Where the topic is less familiar or more specialised, we may begin with a short explainer to establish a shared baseline before opening up the discussion.

To support productive dialogue, we often invite a subject-matter expert to join the session. This may be someone from a vendor, consultancy, or independent background — sometimes from within the community, sometimes external.

Their role is not to pitch or present a solution. Instead, they listen carefully to the discussion and reflect back:

how similar challenges have been approached in comparable organisations
what has worked (and what hasn’t) in practice
concrete examples that help translate discussion into action

This balance is deliberate. Without it, sessions can drift into abstract debate or problem-sharing. With it, discussions stay grounded and participants leave with tangible ideas they can apply in their own context.

The emphasis throughout is on shared learning, practical insight, and forward progress, rather than polished presentations or predetermined answers.

Who this meeting is for

This meeting is designed for people working through real operational and innovation decisions, rather than those seeking presentations or general inspiration.

Who for

Senior supply chain and demand planning leaders
Commercial, sales and operations leaders involved in demand decisions
Transformation leaders questioning the limits of existing IBP models

Who not for

Teams mainly interested in:

Forecast accuracy improvement workshops
Tool-led demand planning demonstrations
IBP framework or maturity-model walkthrough

Anyone expecting a more passive, webinar-like experience.

What happens next

Participation is confirmed through a short, staged process designed to ensure a good fit and a productive discussion for everyone in the room.

Step 1: Register interest

You start by entering your details. This helps us understand your background and what you are hoping to get from the session.

Step 2: We sense-check fit and composition

We may follow up to clarify a few details. This isn’t gatekeeping — it’s about making sure the discussion works for everyone. We design sessions so participants are from broadly similar organisations and are working through comparable challenges.

Step 3: We manage sensitivities and conflicts

We take care to avoid competitive conflicts or situations where participants might feel constrained about what they can share. The goal is open, practical discussion without awkwardness.

Step 4: You receive a personal invitation

Once confirmed, you’ll receive a personal invitation with:

The session agenda
Who else will be joining
Clear joining instructions

You’ll know who is in the room well in advance — no surprises.

Step 5: The session itself

Sessions are interactive and roundtable-based, focused on real experiences and what actually works in practice.
To get discussion started, we may invite a participant, partner, or subject-matter expert to offer a short provocation or perspective.

Costs and commitments