ILLUSTRATIVE / WEEKLY FORECAST REVIEW
The traditional week.
Most of the effort goes into moving data. The thinking gets squeezed into the last hour before the meeting.
MOST TIME: MOVING DATA
For corporate professionals · 5–8 years in
Your experience is real. Make it AI‑ready.
Live sessions that turn years of operations, sales, procurement, finance or ERP work into planning fluency, verified AI workflows and interview answers you can defend — taught with the tools I use as a demand planner in Dubai.
- FormatLive, small group
- For5–8 years’ experience
- RuleAI drafts, you verify
8 modulesplanning → ERP → interview
7 video lessons46 minutes, 67 chapters
2 playbooks29 visual slides
22 interview drills3 role tracks
Live toolsROP, accuracy, PSI
Start with an honest baseline
How AI-ready is your planning work today?
Tick what you could do tomorrow, without notes. Your starting modules update as you go. Nothing is sent anywhere.
What changes
Same Monday. Different workflow.
AI-ready doesn’t mean replacing judgement. It means the copying and formatting shrink, and your time moves to checking, deciding and explaining.
The curriculum
Eight modules. Each ends with something you built.
Every module pairs a concept with a resource from this page, an AI exercise you verify yourself and a practical output you keep.
Lesson cinema
Watch the concept. Jump to the chapter you need.
Seven video lessons used in live sessions, from fundamentals to AI architecture. Pick a lesson, then jump straight to the chapter you need.
LESSON 01
Supply Chain Fundamentals: Metrics, Alignment and Mastery — inventory risk, ABC, S&OP, OTIF, turns, accuracy vs bias, a live reorder-point simulation and STAR interview answers.
CHAPTERS
Playbook library
The slides we work through, live.
Use the arrows, thumbnails or your keyboard. Every number on these slides is recalculated by hand in the session.
01 / 15
Live simulators
Change the numbers. Defend the decision.
The same cases from the playbooks. Interviewers rarely want the formula — they want to hear you reason when an input changes.
SIM 01 / REORDER POINT
Do we order today?
Headphone SKU from the playbook. Try the supplier-delay curveball.
- Lead-time demand (demand × lead time)
- Reorder point (+ safety stock)
- Inventory position (on hand + on order − backorders)
- Days of cover at current demand
SIM 02 / ACCURACY VS BIAS
Which metric is lying?
Three models, forecast vs actual. Watch a tiny SKU wreck MAPE while WAPE barely moves.
| Model | Forecast | Actual | Error % |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | |||
| B | |||
| C |
MAPEevery item weighs the same
WAPEΣ|F−A| ÷ ΣA
BIASΣ(F−A) ÷ ΣA
The AI-ready layer
Excel to SQL to AI — with the human still in charge.
You already know the logic from Excel. We map it to SQL so you can talk to data teams, then to AI with explicit verification rules.
| You already do this in Excel | SQL equivalent | How AI helps — and the rule |
|---|---|---|
| PivotTable by account and week | GROUP BY account, week | Draft week-over-week commentary from the pivot. You re-check the top three numbers. |
| SUMIFS for one model | SUM(qty) WHERE model = 'X' | Troubleshoot nested formulas. Ask for a hand-checkable test case. |
| XLOOKUP to join inventory | LEFT JOIN on a unique key | Explain why rows go missing. Never paste confidential data into a public tool. |
| Conditional formatting flags | CASE WHEN wos > 12 THEN 'ageing' | Suggest thresholds from history. You document the threshold you choose. |
PROMPT 01 / Draft, then verify
Weekly commentary
You are a demand planning analyst. From the anonymised PSI table below, write four bullets: 1. Top week-over-week changes and the likely reason 2. Risks (ageing, shortage, late arrivals) 3. Gap to plan in units and value 4. Decisions needed this week If a number cannot be calculated from the table, say so instead of estimating. [paste anonymised table]
Verify: Re-calculate the three largest numbers it quotes in Excel before sending.
PROMPT 02 / Explain, don’t just fix
Formula debugger
This Excel formula returns the wrong weeks-of-supply value for some rows. Explain step by step what it does, list likely causes (blank cells, text numbers, wrong range), and give a corrected version with a test case I can check by hand. =[paste formula] Sample rows: [paste 5 anonymised rows]
Verify: Run its test case by hand. If you can’t explain the fix, don’t ship it.
PROMPT 03 / Decompose the error
Variance drivers
Here is forecast vs actual by account and product for 8 weeks (anonymised). Decompose the total error by account, product and direction (over vs under). Identify the few combinations driving most of the error and whether the bias is persistent. Show your calculation table.
Verify: Check the top driver’s numbers against the source extract.
PROMPT 04 / One question at a time
Mock interviewer
Interview me for a [Demand Planner] role in [market]. Ask one question at a time, mixing behavioural, technical (PSI, WAPE, bias, ROP) and case questions. After each answer, critique it: what was vague, what number is missing, and what follow-up an interviewer would ask. Do not praise generic answers.
Verify: Bring the transcript to the live session for human feedback.
AI is a copilot, not an analyst.
- Anonymise before you paste — no customer, price or employee data
- Ask it to show the calculation, not just the answer
- Re-calculate the numbers that drive a decision
- Keep the source extract next to the output
- If you can’t explain it, don’t send it
- Your name goes on the result, not the model’s
Template · S&OP operating rhythm
From data cut-off to a plan people execute.
A generic monthly calendar we adapt to your organisation in the session. Dates are working days before or after the decision meeting (M). Click a step.
“A meeting held, email sent or verbal update does not complete a step.”
Each step needs its stated output, a named owner, a due date and verification. Silence is not concurrence. Unresolved exceptions stay visible until someone with authority accepts them.
| Activity | Responsible | Accountable | Consulted | Informed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cycle calendar | Planner | Sponsor | All managers | Leadership |
| Baseline forecast | Planner + analyst | Planner | Commercial, marketing | Supply |
| Channel demand input | Channel team | Commercial manager | Planner, marketing | Supply |
| Materials & capacity | Supply teams | Supply manager | Quality, warehouse | Commercial |
| Financial validation | Finance | Finance | Commercial, supply | Sponsor |
| Plan approval | Planner prepares | Sponsor | Affected owners | Executing teams |
Interview lab
Skeletons, not scripts.
Real questions from demand planning and ERP interviews, anonymised. Each one shows what’s being tested, the order to answer in, and the follow-up to expect. You fill in your own true story.
22 QUESTIONS
Demand planningTell me about a time you organised and ran a recurring process.+
What they’re testing
Whether you can run a deadline-driven cycle with structure, owners and checkpoints.
Answer skeleton
- Agree the definition first (e.g. what counts as ageing)
- Build one shared view, refreshed on a fixed day
- Fixed rhythm: refresh → analysis → review → actions
- Each action gets an owner and due date
- Result with one real number
If they push
“How did you prioritise?” — value at risk: units × cost × closeness to the threshold.
Demand planningWhat experience do you have with customer segmentation?+
What they’re testing
Whether you treat accounts differently by value and behaviour.
Answer skeleton
- Segment by value (ABC) to decide review depth
- Segment by behaviour (steady vs volatile)
- Read channel ordering patterns — batch orders aren’t growth
- Say what changed in how you forecast each group
If they push
If you never ran formal ABC/XYZ, say “a simple value and volatility split”. Still a strong answer — and true.
Demand planningHow have you managed a demand planning system?+
What they’re testing
Clean data, on-time loads and reconciled numbers.
Answer skeleton
- Extract sales, inventory and orders
- Reconcile before every update
- Update and load before cut-off
- Publish one view for the business
If they push
“What do you reconcile?” — system on-hand vs reported, sell-in vs shipments, sell-through vs POS, week-over-week totals.
Demand planningTell me about a time you struggled to build consensus on a forecast.+
What they’re testing
Holding a data-based position without being rigid.
Answer skeleton
- Show sell-in vs sell-through and weeks of supply
- Ask what Sales knows that the data doesn’t
- Add a dated, specific uplift — not a blanket increase
- Agree a weekly review trigger
If they push
“Leadership overrules you?” — load the agreed number, document the risk in quantity and value, track it weekly. The target is what we want; the forecast is what we expect.
Demand planningGive an example of a mistake you made with data.+
What they’re testing
Honesty, fast ownership and the control you added afterwards.
Answer skeleton
- What broke (e.g. a lookup missed a changed product code)
- How you caught it — totals didn’t reconcile
- Correct, re-send, tell the people affected
- The permanent control you added
If they push
Other real mistake shapes: units vs cases, a pivot filter left on, duplicates after a join. Pick one that actually happened.
Demand planningWalk me through your end-to-end forecasting process.+
What they’re testing
A clear, ordered process you’ve clearly done many times.
Answer skeleton
- Collect → Clean → Baseline
- Add known events as separate uplifts
- Consensus with Sales
- PSI check: supply, weeks of supply, buffer
- Load, publish, measure accuracy and bias, adjust
If they push
“Which step matters most?” — cleaning. A good model on dirty history still gives a bad forecast.
Demand planningHow do you build, maintain and adjust a forecast?+
What they’re testing
The three verbs, separately.
Answer skeleton
- Build: clean history, baseline, dated events
- Maintain: weekly roll, refresh actuals, PSI
- Adjust: evidence-based triggers only — never one bad week
- Every adjustment has a written reason
If they push
“Sales wants a big increase on Friday before cut-off?” — ask for the driver, load what’s supported, log the rest as upside risk with a review date.
Demand planningWhich tools do you use — and how do you use AI?+
What they’re testing
Excel depth first, then systems, BI, automation and AI with controls.
Answer skeleton
- Excel: PivotTables, XLOOKUP, conditional flags
- Automation: macros for the weekly refresh
- BI dashboards for forecast vs actual
- AI: drafts commentary and debugs formulas — you validate
If they push
“Weeks of supply formula?” — ending inventory ÷ average forward weekly sell-through.
ERP & master dataWhat is an item master, and why does one wrong field hurt every team?+
What they’re testing
Whether you see master data as shared infrastructure.
Answer skeleton
- Define it: the ERP’s ID card for a part
- Who uses it: buy, store, plan, build, cost
- Your control: a validation template before entry
If they push
“Released product?” — created at shared level, then released to a legal entity where company-specific defaults live.
ERP & master dataWalk me through setting up a new part.+
What they’re testing
An ordered checklist from approved source to tested evidence.
Answer skeleton
- Start from the approved drawing / request
- Check for duplicates
- Basics: UoM, groups, tracking
- Purchasing, inventory and planning defaults
- Link BOM and routing if made
- Test transaction, save evidence
If they push
“Required field missing?” — don’t guess. Hold it inactive, return to the owner, log it.
ERP & master dataWhat goes wrong with units of measure?+
What they’re testing
Whether you know the most common silent ERP error.
Answer skeleton
- Bought in boxes, used in eaches
- Missing conversion = MRP orders 100× too much or too little
- Standardise and define conversions
If they push
Ask: “Where do most data issues come from today?”
ERP & master dataEngineering BOM vs manufacturing BOM?+
What they’re testing
Design intent vs how it is actually built.
Answer skeleton
- EBOM: the product as designed (PLM)
- MBOM: adds packaging, consumables, scrap, operation grouping
- Classify every difference: intentional vs error
If they push
“Phantom?” — a sub-assembly not stocked separately; its components go straight into the parent order.
ERP & master dataAn ECO changes a component on an assembly with open production orders. What do you do?+
What they’re testing
Controlled change, not editing live data.
Answer skeleton
- Read ECO: change, revision, effectivity, disposition
- New BOM version from the effectivity date; end-date the old
- Agree treatment of released orders with planning
- Old stock: use up, rework or scrap; stop buying it
- Test with an estimate; record evidence
If they push
No approved ECO, no change.
ERP & master dataHow do you validate PLM-to-ERP data?+
What they’re testing
Reconciliation discipline across systems.
Answer skeleton
- Export both sides
- Compare key fields: part, revision, component, qty, UoM
- Classify differences; errors go back with evidence
If they push
“Which is right?” — released PLM for design, but some MBOM differences are intentional. Confirm before copying.
ERP & master dataA production order won’t estimate or release. How do you troubleshoot?+
What they’re testing
Systematic root-cause thinking.
Answer skeleton
- Item released to that site and not blocked?
- Active, approved BOM and routing versions for that date?
- Components released and active?
- UoM conversions and default warehouse?
- Work centre capacity?
If they push
Fix the master data, not just the one order.
ERP & master dataMRP suggests a huge purchase order nobody expected. What do you check?+
What they’re testing
Whether you can trace a planned order to its cause.
Answer skeleton
- Trace planned order to its demand
- Unit conversion, BOM qty or scrap %
- Safety stock, coverage rule, MOQ
- Stale lead time or double-counted demand
If they push
Fix the data, rerun, confirm with the planner.
ERP & master dataEngineering needs a part released today, but the drawing isn’t approved.+
What they’re testing
Whether you protect the control under pressure.
Answer skeleton
- Prepare the record, keep it inactive
- Flag timing risk to engineering and planning
- Escalate if it threatens the build
If they push
Releasing unapproved data saves an hour and can cost much more later.
FundamentalsInventory is a two-sided risk. Explain.+
What they’re testing
Whether you balance service and cash.
Answer skeleton
- Stock-out: lost sales, churn
- Excess: tied-up cash, obsolescence, space
- Name a cause and response for each
If they push
Pair turns with fill rate — never optimise one alone.
FundamentalsHow would you assign ABC classes?+
What they’re testing
Value thinking, not unit counting.
Answer skeleton
- Annual value = volume × unit cost
- Rank and cumulate
- Set explicit thresholds and document them
If they push
The lowest-volume SKU can drive the most value.
FundamentalsDaily demand 40, lead time 5 days, safety stock 60, on hand 180, on order 30, backorders 10. Order today?+
What they’re testing
Reorder-point arithmetic, said out loud.
Answer skeleton
- ROP = 40 × 5 + 60 = 260
- Position = 180 + 30 − 10 = 200
- 200 < 260 → reorder
If they push
Curveball: supplier adds 2 days → 80 units of extra lead-time demand. Expedite, allocate to top customers or find alternate supply.
FundamentalsIs 95% forecast accuracy good?+
What they’re testing
Whether you define a metric before praising it.
Answer skeleton
- Which formula — MAPE or WAPE?
- At what level — SKU, family, total?
- What is the bias?
If they push
A strong company-wide average can hide a recurring shortage on a flagship SKU.
FundamentalsWho attends S&OP and what do they bring?+
What they’re testing
The cross-functional picture.
Answer skeleton
- Sales & Marketing: intelligence, promotions
- Operations & Procurement: capacity, constraints
- Finance: targets, margin, cash
- Supply chain leadership: scenarios, escalation
If they push
Output: one approved plan with recorded decisions and owners.
THE HONEST BRIDGE
Rule: never claim a supply chain job or metric you don’t have.
The pivot: “I haven’t managed channel inventory, but in my current role I traced data mismatches across systems to their root cause — the same investigative skill.”
YOUR 60-SECOND PITCH · STARTER
“A supply chain coordinates demand, sourcing, inventory, operations and delivery. Good planning matches customer needs with feasible supply while balancing service, cost and working capital. I use forecasts, lead times, reorder points, S&OP and KPIs to manage those trade-offs.”
Who this is for
You’ve done the work for years. The language changed.
Built for professionals with 5–8 years in a corporate role who want to move into planning, or stay relevant as AI changes how planning teams work.
FROM OPERATIONSLogistics & warehouse
You know stock physically. Learn to plan it on paper and defend it in S&OP.
FROM SALESKey account & commercial
You know the customer. Learn sell-through, PSI and why a forecast isn’t a target.
FROM PROCUREMENTBuyers & sourcing
You know suppliers. Learn reorder points, MRP and the cost of a two-day delay.
FROM FINANCEAnalysts & controllers
You know cash. Learn turns, days on hand and the inventory side of working capital.
FROM ERP / ITSystems & master data
You know the data. Learn what planners need from it and how to talk to them.
00–10 MINConcept
One video chapter, paused and discussed.
10–30 MINWorked example
A playbook slide recalculated by hand.
30–50 MINBuild
Excel, SQL or an AI prompt — then verify it.
50–60 MINInterview drill
One question, answered out loud, critiqued.
The trust contract
What I will—and will not—do.
The academy is new. Until there are consented learner outcomes to publish, judge it by the material on this page.
- 01 / Real experience only
- No invented employers, titles, dates, tools or numbers in your answers or resume.
- 02 / You perform
- I teach and review. I do not take assessments, sit interviews or do your job.
- 03 / Privacy by default
- Learner material is never published. Public samples are fictional or anonymised.
- 04 / No confidential data
- We practise on public or synthetic data — never your employer’s.
Free 15-minute fit check
Tell me your role, your years and your goal.
I’ll reply by email to arrange a short call and suggest which modules to start with. If the academy isn’t the right fit, I’ll say so.
- No payment on this form
- Small groups, scheduled together
- Written scope before you decide