Background: Over the past years, companies have competed in a globalized and dynamic environment which has forced them to implement various incentives in order to gain cost advantages. Companies have tried to implement Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) but many have not managed to get the expected results. Coordinating sales and operations remains a crucial challenge because of the multiple differences and conflicts in objectives and responsibilities, referred to as having a silo culture. As many companies have encountered this barrier in conjunction with an S&OP implementation, investigating the S&OP process in a company with functional silos and a complex planning process remains.  Objectives: The objective with this study is to provide a deeper understanding of how to manage the silo culture challenge, in order to achieve a higher S&OP maturity level in a manufacturing with a complex planning process.  Methods: The objective with this study was fulfilled through an in-depth empirical case study research in an Engineering-to-order (ETO) company. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with employees working in the departments involved in the S&OP process, along with a survey that was used to identify the organizational culture. Moreover, a framework synthesis was carried out in order to identify the most suitable S&OP maturity model for assessing the maturity level.  Results: The results revealed that no written rules or policies govern the organizational activities, but an organization chart and some job descriptions exists. The total work is divided, resulting in a functional organizational design. The results showed that the departments facing supply and demand, have different objectives due to their functional specialization and that no common goals exist between the departments. The results also showed that the prevailing organizational culture appeared as different among the departments. The S&OP diagnosis reveled that the S&OP maturity level was low on most of the dimensions except from the IT dimension. Moreover, it revealed the lack of a shared understanding of the S&OP process among the different departments.  Conclusions: The main findings for managing the silo culture in order to reach a higher S&OP maturity level was to: (1) possess a organizational design that facilitates cross-functional alignments, (2) focus on people by ensuring that the S&OP process is fully understood, (3) define clear job roles and job descriptions, (4) state goals for each department and incorporate common goals along with metrics for all departments, (5) incorporate a strong organizational culture with shared values and beliefs and (6) have a clear decision making process along with moving towards a decentralization in some areas. / Bakgrund: Under de senaste åren har företag konkurrerat i en globaliserad och dynamisk miljö, vilket skapat incitament för att erhålla kostnadsfördelar. Flertalet företag har försökt implementera Sälj- och Verksamhetsplanering (SVP) men få har lyckats erhålla de förväntade resultaten. Koordineringen av försäljning och verksamhet återstår vara en avgörande utmaning på grund av flertalet skillnader och konflikter i mål och ansvarsområden, även kallat för silo kultur. Eftersom många företag stött på detta hinder i samband med en SVP implementering, återstår det att undersöka SVP-processen i ett företag med funktionella områden (avdelningar) och en komplex planeringsprocess.  Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att ge en djupare förståelse för hur man hanterar silo kultur utmaningen, för att uppnå en högre SVP-mognadsnivå i en tillverkande industri med en komplex planeringsprocess.  Metod: För att uppnå syftet med studien genomförde författarna en djup empirisk fallstudie i ett kundorderstyrt företag. Data samlades in genom semi-strukturerade intervjuer med anställda som tillhör de avdelningar som är involverade i SVP-processen, och genom en enkät som användes för att identifiera organisationskulturen. Dessutom genomfördes en syntes av befintliga SVP-ramverk för att identifiera den mest lämpliga SVP-mognadsmodellen för att bedöma mognadsnivån.  Resultat: Resultaten visade på att inga skriftliga regler eller riktlinjer reglerar organisationsaktiviteterna, men att ett organisationsschema och ett fåtal arbetsbeskrivningar existerar. Det totala arbetet är uppdelat mellan olika avdelningar, vilket resulterar i en funktionell organisationsdesign. Resultaten avslöjade även att de avdelningar som står inför utbud och efterfrågan har olika mål på grund av sin funktionella specialisering och att det inte finns några gemensamma mål mellan avdelningarna. Dessutom visade resultaten att den nuvarande organisationskulturen uppfattas som annorlunda mellan avdelningarna. SVP-diagnosen avslöjade att SVP-mognadsnivån var låg på de flesta dimensioner förutom IT-dimensionen. Vidare avslöjar resultatet bristen på en gemensam förståelse för SVP-processen mellan de olika avdelningarna.  Slutsatser: Huvudresultaten för att hantera silo kulturen för att uppnå en högre SVP-mognadsnivå var att: (1) ha en organisationsdesign som främjar tvärfunktionella anpassningar, (2) fokusera på människorna genom att säkerställa att SVP-processen är fullt förstådd, (3) definiera tydliga arbetsroller och arbetsbeskrivningar, (4) ange mål för varje avdelning och inför gemensamma mål tillsammans med gemensamma mätvärden för alla avdelningar, (5) inför en stark organisationskultur som präglas av gemensamma värderingar och övertygelser och (6) erhåll en tydlig beslutsprocess tillsammans med att gå mot en decentralisering inom vissa områden.

En la actualidad, las micro y pequeñas empresas (mypes) tienen un nivel de representatividad muy alto en el mercado peruano. Dentro de todos los sectores de manufactura que existen para este tipo de organizaciones, el sector textil es uno de los que mayor impacto económico posee. En el Perú, las mypes textiles se constituyen bajo niveles muy altos de informalidad que ocasionan niveles de demanda que no siguen una tendencia histórica y además niveles producción e inventarios muy altos. Esto se debe principalmente a que no están correlacionados y tienen como resultado desbalances económicos muy perjudiciales. Ante ello, la herramienta Sales and Operations Planning cumple un rol fundamental para la optimización de estos niveles, donde los Pronósticos de Demanda serán alimentados por niveles históricos de ventas para determinar los niveles futuros con un porcentaje de error muy bajo. Una vez culminado ello, se determinarán los niveles óptimos de producción con el Plan Agregado y Plan Maestro de Producción que será la base para el Plan de Requerimiento de Materiales que determinará los niveles óptimos de existencias de materiales que serán adquiridos. Finalmente, una vez que los niveles de producción regulen los niveles de inventarios, se evaluarán los resultados mediante los indicadores de Rotación de Inventarios, Días de Inventarios y Retorno de Activos (ROA). / At present, small and medium enterprises (SMES) have a very high level of representation in the Peruvian economy. Within all the manufacturing sectors that exist for this type of organization, the textile sector is the one that have the greatest economic impact. In Peru, textile SMES are made under very high levels of informality that cause demand levels that do not follow a historical trend and also very high levels of production and inventory. This is mainly due to the fact that they are not correlated and for that reason the result are many economic imbalances. For that reason, the Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) tool plays a fundamental role in optimizing these levels, where the Demand Forecasts will be fed by historical sales levels to determine future levels with a very low error rate. Once this is completed, the optimal levels of production will be determined with the Aggregate Plan and Master Production Planning that will be the basis for the Material Requirement Plan, which will determine the optimal levels of stock of materials required. Finally, once the production levels regulate the inventory levels, the results will be evaluated using the Inventory Turnover, Inventory Days and Return on Assets (ROA) indicators. / Trabajo de Suficiencia Profesional

[pt] Sales and Operations Planning (SeOP), também chamado de Integrated Business Planning (IBP), é um processo de negócios que integra os planejamentos dos setores de uma empresa de forma a balancear a oferta e a demanda por produtos em um horizonte de planejamento de médio prazo, apoiando assim a integração horizontal da empresa. O S(e)OP/IBP serve também de ponte entre os planejamentos estratégico e operacional, apoiando assim a integração vertical da empresa. Apesar de esse processo ter adquirido um papel de destaque na área de gestão da cadeia de suprimentos, os benefícios esperados ainda não foram totalmente obtidos, na prática, pela indústria. Além disso, a literatura indica a necessidade de uma caracterização completa do processo e que um modelo de referência beneficiaria os usuários do processo. Visando endereçar tais carências, esta dissertação elabora uma estrutura de modelo de referência preliminar para o processo de S(e)OP/IBP, com base em trabalhos acadêmicos, white papers escritos por praticantes, um estudo de caso em uma indústria química do Brasil e a aplicação de grupos focais e painel de especialistas em S(e)OP/IBP. Este trabalho contribui com um estudo empírico no tema, além de oferecer uma estrutura de modelo de referência preliminar, avaliada por praticantes de S(e)OP/IBP, que pode ser usada como inspiração para empresas que desejam desenhar ou melhorar seu processo e por acadêmicos em pesquisas futuras com o intuito de aprimorá-lo. Ademais, são apresentados 13 pontos de atenção a serem avaliados pelos praticantes, a fim de amenizar os impactos das diferenças entre contextos. / [en] Sales and Operations Planning (SandOP), also called Integrated Business Planning (IBP), is a business process that integrates business plans from different functional areas of a firm to balance supply and demand of products in a mid-term planning horizon, thus supporting the horizontal integration of the firm. S(and)OP/IBP also serves as a bridge between strategic and operational plans, thus supporting the vertical integration of the firm. Although this process has gained prominence in the area of supply chain management, the expected benefits at the time of implementation have not yet been fully realized in practice by the industry. Moreover, the literature indicates the need for a complete characterization of the process and that a reference model would benefit process users. To address these research-practice gaps, this dissertation elaborates a preliminary reference model structure for the S(and)OP/IBP process, based on academic papers, white papers written by practitioners, a case study in a Brazilian chemical industry and the application of focus group with S(and)OP/IBP experts. This work contributes with an empirical study on the theme, as well as it offers a preliminary reference model structure, evaluated by practitioners of S(and)OP/IBP, which can be used as a guidance for firms willing to design or improve their own process and for academics in future researches with the aim of refining it. In addition, 13 points of attention to be assessed by practitioners are presented in order to mitigate the impacts of differences between contexts.

Face à un environnement incertain et une internationalisation croissante de la chaîne logistique, la planification industrielle et commerciale (PIC) permet d’adapter efficacement les capacités industrielles à la demande du marché. Dans cette étude, nous présentons un modèle original de PIC utilisant des contraintes de flexibilité, pour améliorer la coordination entre les fonctions commerciales et logistiques. Un premier modèle de simulation permet d’étudier la dynamique du système ainsi que l’impact des différents paramètres sur les performances en termes de coûts et de satisfaction client. Afin d’étudier les politiques optimales, nous proposons un nouveau modèle de simulation-optimisation multi objectif. Différentes méthodes d’optimisation sont comparées, et plusieurs recommandations sont émises pour l’implémentation pratique de notre solution. Enfin, nous comparons les performances de plusieurs politiques de gestion des stocks lorsqu’elles sont couplées avec notre méthode de PIC flexible. À partir de données réelles du constructeur automobile Renault, nous présentons une étude comparative détaillée. Nous proposons plusieurs préconisations pratiques sur le type de politiques à privilégier selon les caractéristiques du système. Ces travaux de recherche sont particulièrement pertinents et applicables à d’autres industries confrontées à de fortes exigences commerciales,une faible visibilité sur la demande future et des approvisionnements longs. / Face to uncertain environment and growing globalization of the supply chains, the salesand operations planning (S&OP) aims to adapt efficiently the industrial capacities to themarket demand. In this research, we present an original S&OP model that uses flexibilityconstraints to improve the coordination between sales and logistics functions. A first simulationmodel is developed to study the system dynamics and the impact of different parameters onsystem’s performance in terms of costs and customer satisfaction. We introduce a multiobjectivesimulation-optimization model to investigate the optimal policies. Several optimization methodsare compared and recommendations are given for the practical implementation of our solution.Then, we compare the performances of several policies for managing parts inventories whenthey are coupled with our flexible S&OP. Based on real data of the automobile manufacturerRenault, we present a detailed comparative study. We present several managerial insights on thetype of policies to favor depending on the system characteristics. This research is particularlyrelevant for other industries that face strict customer requirements, uncertain demand and longprocurement lead time.

[pt] A tese investiga as etapas do ciclo de planejamento de vendas e operações (S&OP), ampliando o entendimento sobre as etapas pouco pesquisadas do Global Roll-up e Global Executive Meeting. Apresenta um estudo de caso múltiplo, envolvendo cinco importantes subsidiárias latino-americanas de quatro corporações multinacionais. Dois modelos de S&OP são usados para orientar as observações e análises de campo, auxiliando na caracterização do fenômeno S&OP. Acadêmicos e profissionais podem obter conhecimento em primeira mão sobre como as etapas de Global Roll-up e Global Executive Meeting são conduzidas em corporações multinacionais para melhorar seus processos de planejamento. O papel do setor de finanças nos ciclos de S&OP/ Planejamento Integrado de Negócios (IBP) também é examinado e discutido em detalhe, fornecendo informações e ideias úteis para melhorar esses processos em outras organizações, abordando outra lacuna de pesquisa. Os resultados indicam que há desafios para consolidar e usar informações coletadas de várias subsidiárias em diferentes contextos em todo o mundo, mas benchmarking interno e compartilhamento de melhores práticas são explorados, bem como oportunidades de negócios entre países em relação a excessos de estoque, possibilidades de expansão do portfólio e utilização de capacidade ociosa. Adicionalmente, as observações permitiram concluir que o envolvimento precoce do setor de finanças no ciclo de S&OP é benéfico para o negócio, agregando valor ao processo decisório nas etapas iniciais e assumindo um papel central nas etapas de Premeeting e Executive Meeting do ciclo de S&OP. / [en] The thesis investigates the sales and operations planning (S&OP) cycle steps, expanding the understanding about the under-researched Global Roll-up and Global Executive Meeting steps. It presents a multiple case study embracing five important Latin American subsidiaries of four multinational corporations. Two S&OP frameworks are used to guide the field observations and analysis, aiding to improve the S&OP phenomenon s characterization. Scholars and practitioners can gain first-hand knowledge about how Global Roll-up and Global Executive Meeting steps are conducted in multinational corporations to improve their planning processes. The role of finance in S&OP / Integrated Business Planning (IBP) cycles is also examined and discussed in detail providing useful insights to improve these processes in other organizations, addressing another research gap. Findings indicate that there are challenges to consolidate and use information gathered from multiple subsidiaries in different contexts worldwide but internal benchmarking and sharing of best practices are explored as well as business opportunities among countries regarding inventory excess, portfolio expansion possibilities, and spare capacity utilization. Additionally, observations led to the conclusion that early involvement of finance in the S&OP cycle is beneficial for the business, adding value to the decision making process in the initial steps and taking a central role in the Pre-meeting and Executive Meeting steps.

[pt] Uma quantidade crescente de pesquisas tem investigado o desenvolvimento de modelos de maturidade para a gestão das cadeias de suprimentos com referência especial ao processo de planejamento de vendas e operações (S&OP). Os modelos de maturidade representam etapas através das quais processos são definidos, implementados e melhorados. Metas e benefícios podem ser alcançados nos estágios de maturidade mais avançados do processo. Este estudo avalia o nível de maturidade do processo de S&OP no ambiente complexo de uma empresa da indústria de óleo e gás utilizando uma abordagem multimétodos. Procede a uma revisão sistemática da literatura e um estudo de caso único. Seleciona e aplica o modelo de maturidade de Grimson e Pike (2007) após a descrição do processo de S&OP da empresa através do framework de Thomé et al. (2012b), usando a triangulação entre a análise de documentos, elaboração e aplicação de um questionário e observação direta. Das cinco dimensões de maturidade, quatro (reuniões e colaboração, métricas, tecnologia da informação e integração dos planos de S&OP) encontram-se no Estágio 3 (S&OP padrão) do modelo de Grimson e Pike (2007) e uma dimensão (organização) encontra-se no Estágio 4 (S&OP avançado). Recomenda-se para avançar do Estágio 3 para o 4, ou eventualmente para o 5, a disseminação do processo para todos na empresa como ferramenta de maximização de lucros e avaliar os seguintes pontos: o envolvimento dos principais clientes no processo de previsão; a criação de um manual de S&OP; o estabelecimento de métrica de rentabilidade associada à métrica de eficácia do S&OP; a utilização de sistema integrado e otimizado vinculado ao Sistema de Negócios Integrados - SAP; e a implementação de um processo de planejamento integrado, contínuo e otimizado para demanda e fornecimento, de forma simultânea. Como contribuições práticas espera-se que a empresa possa passar de um estágio para o outro através dos aspectos críticos e pontos fortes identificados, principalmente das ações de melhorias sugeridas. Da mesma forma, espera-se a diminuição de lacunas entre a teoria e a prática atual em campo com estudos de processos de S&OP em ambientes complexos de multiprodutos na indústria de óleo e gás. Recomenda-se para trabalhos futuros a realização de pesquisas que avaliem a maturidade do S&OP em outros ambientes complexos de parceiros deste setor para reforçar a validade externa do estudo. / [en] An increasing number of research has been investigating the development of maturity models for supply chain management with special reference to the Sales and Operations Planning process (S&OP). Maturity models represent stages applied to define, implement and improve processes. Goals and benefits can be achieved at more advanced stages of process maturity. This study assesses the maturity level of the S&OP process in the complex environment of a company in the oil and gas industry through a multi-method approach. It carries out a systematic review of the literature and a single case study. After describing the company s S&OP process through Thomé et al. s (2012b) framework, the authors select and apply the Grimson and Pike s (2007) maturity model using a triangulation between document analysis, the development and application of a questionnaire, and direct observation. Among the five maturity dimensions, four (meetings and collaboration, measurements, information technology and S&OP plan integration) are in Stage three (standard S&OP) of Grimson and Pike s model and one dimension (organization) is in Stage four (Advanced S&OP). In order to advance from Stage three to four, or eventually to five, it is recommended the dissemination of the process to all the workers of the company as a tool for maximizing profits. Additionally, it is recommended to evaluate the following points: the involvement of the main customers in the forecasting process; the development of a S&OP guide; the establishment of profitability measurements associated with the S&OP effectiveness measurement; the use of an integrated and optimized system linked to SAP; and the simultaneous implementation of an integrated, continuous and optimized planning process for demand and supply. As practical contributions, it is expected that, by analysing the critical aspects and strengths identified and implementing the improvement actions suggested by this research, the company will be prepared to move to the next stage. Furthermore, the current research aims to narrow the gap between theory and current practice in the field with studies on S&OP processes in the multi-products complex environment of an oil and gas industry. For future work it is recommended to apply this methodology to assesses the maturity of S&OP in other complex environments in the oil and gas companies to strengthen the study s external validity.

All companies deal with tactical planning questions and decisions, for example balance demand and supply, to be able to create an acceptable delivery ability without too much inventory or resources/capacities. For that, some companies use Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) as their tactical planning process. The ongoing customization wave applies to more and more products and there is a general displacement from standard products, manufactured to stock, towards more customized ones where the product is either assembled-, manufactured-, or engineered-to-order (ETO). This displacement brings an increased complexity into tactical planning questions and decisions, which might be new to a company and must be handled efficiently. The use of S&OP in an ETO context is, however, rarely documented. The possibility for companies to store large amounts of data and the availability of technologies such as Machine Learning (ML) to make predictions, opens up for an improved decision support for S&OP. ML models are normally trained with large datasets, and this is a challenge in an ETO context since there are normally small datasets to work with. Moreover, the use of ML in S&OP and ETO contexts are rarely documented. The purpose of this thesis is, thus, to explore where and how ML can be a useful tool for tactical planning, such as in S&OP in an ETO context. This thesis takes the first steps toward using ML as a decision support for S&OP in an ETO context. Three studies have been performed to map the current state of ML in S&OP in ETO contexts, to understand the challenges and tasks connected to S&OP in an ETO context, and to explore some of the considerations required when implementing ML in S&OP in an ETO context. The main findings indicate that implementing ML in an ETO context with the purpose of improving S&OP requires an understanding of challenges and related tasks before starting any ML implementation projects. Further, considerations are required before starting to understand available data and to build data models. Tasks for ML must also be understood and agreed. Mechanisms behind occurring challenges need to be understood as well. What is driving trust for a technology and the business process is also important to understand and prepare for, ahead of an ML implementation. The results of the studies are (i) a model presenting the different parts of S&OP in an ETO context, (ii) specific challenges and related tasks, (iii) a model of critical aspects of trust connected to the process, the technology, and the combination of the two, and finally, (iv) a model for assisting in understanding the mechanisms behind capacity and load in engineering. / Alla företag hanterar taktiska planeringsfrågor och beslut för att till exempel balansera tillgång och efterfrågan för att kunna skapa en tillräckligt bra leveransförmåga utan för mycket lager eller resurser/kapacitet. Vissa företag använder sälj och verksamhetsplanering (SVP) som sin taktiska planeringsprocess. Den pågående vågen mot ökad kundanpassning gäller för allt fler produkter vilket ger en förskjutning från standardprodukter, tillverkade mot lager, till mer kundanpassade produkter där produkten antingen är monterad, tillverkad eller konstruerad mot order (engineer-to-order, ETO). Denna förskjutning medför en ny ökad komplexitet i frågor och beslut kopplade till taktisk planering för företag och måste hanteras på ett effektivt sätt. Litteraturen är fåtalig avseende användningen av SVP i en ETO-kontext. Möjligheter för företag att lagra stora mängder data och tillgänglighet av teknologier som maskininlärning (ML) ger möjligheter att använda ML-prediktioner som beslutsstöd i affärsprocesser som SVP. ML-modeller tränas normalt med stora datamängder, och det är en utmaning i en ETO-kontext eftersom det normalt är förknippat med små datamängder. Litteratur avseende användningen av ML i SVP och i ETO-kontext är också den fåtalig. Syftet med denna forskning är att utforska var och hur ML kan vara ett användbart verktyg för taktisk planering såsom SVP i en ETO-kontext. Här tas de första stegen mot användningen av ML som beslutsstöd för SVP i ett ETO-sammanhang. Tre studier har genomförts för att kartlägga litteratur kring ML för SVP i ETO-kontext, för att förstå utmaningarna och uppgifterna kopplade till SVP i en ETO-kontext och för att utforska några av de överväganden som krävs vid implementering av ML i SVP i en ETO-kontext. De viktigaste resultaten indikerar att implementering av ML i ett ETO-sammanhang med syftet att förbättra SVP kräver en förståelse för utmaningar och relaterade uppgifter innan man startar ML-implementeringsprojekt. Vidare krävs överväganden innan tillgängliga data analyseras och datamodeller byggs. De som ska utföra implementeringen behöver förstå och komma överens om vad uppgiften är. Förståelse för mekanismer bakom utmaningar som uppkommer krävs också. Vad som driver förtroende (trust) för en teknik och affärsprocess är också viktigt att förstå och vara förberedd på inför en ML-implementering. Resultaten av studierna är (i) en modell för att presentera de olika delarna av SVP i en ETO-kontext, (ii) specificerade utmaningar och relaterade uppgifter, (iii) en modell med kritiska aspekter av trust kopplat till processen, teknologin, och kombinationen av de två och slutligen (iv) en modell för att förstå mekanismerna bakom kapacitet och beläggning inom orderkonstruktion.

Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) is used as a tactical business process to balanceorganisations’ demand and supply. This is done through long-term planning of manufacturing and sales in comparison to the forecasted demand and resource capacity planning. S&OP link the corporate strategic plan to the day-to-day operation plans. Based on S&OP, a more advanced and mature model named Integrated Business Planning (IBP) has been developed. IBP have a stronger consideration of the financial perspectives of the outcomes in the processand increases the collaboration of the end-to-end supply chain. The case company; Nouryon, transitioned from S&OP processes to IBP in 2019. However, the organisation’s implemented model was unsatisfactorily received, therefore an initiative to redeploy and improve the Integrated Business Planning processes started. The purpose of this research is to analyse how the organisation’s IBP processes can be improved, by structuring and developing standardized processes. The Master Thesis project was conducted in collaboration with Business Planning managers and executives globally throughout the organisation. To achieve the purpose of the project, a literature review, interviews, observations, document collection and a questionnaire were executed at Nouryon’s Nordic Business Center. Nouryon’s Integrated Business Planning processes were mapped by collecting and analysing internal data.The current state was evaluated against the literature to identify any gaps from a theoretical perspective to fulfil the processes. The organisation’s current maturity level was evaluated by applying thematic content analysison the interviews, internal company document collection and outputs from the questionnaire. These were based on several research frameworks in S&OP maturity levels and Oliver Wight’s Class A Checklist for Business Excellence. Consequently, deriving improvements of how Nouryon could reach a higher maturity level. The results of the thesis project were presented and used in internal workshops together with global cross-functional teams. New and improved Integrated Business Planning processes were drafted in the workshop for the PMR meetings. The workshop for SMR is planned for a later date and will be conducted using a similar format. In conclusion, no theoretical standard framework for using IBP is available. Various literaturesources present theories on how organisations should form their processes, including a guideline on what topics should be covered in the IBP meetings. Nouryon can achieve a higher maturity level in its IBP processes, by addressing improvement suggestions related to the analysis of this project. Furthermore, the recommendations were collected, summarised, and categorised using an impact and effort matrix for efficient implementation.

The purpose of this dissertation is to propose a framework for sales and operations planning (S&OP), which is based on a modularized view of supply chains. The framework should support both process industries and discrete manufacturing industries in their quest for performance. S&OP has been highlighted in this framework due to its essential role in integrating different functions within a company and integrating a company with its supply chain partners (referred to as horizontal integration), and linking different planning levels in a company (referred to as vertical integration). As an integrator, S&ÖP influences companies’ performance. Originally, S&OP was developed as a generic process but still in line with the requirements of discrete manufacturing industries. The specific requirements of process industries have not been emphasized in this process to the same extent. In order to suggest a modularized S&OP framework for both process industries and  discrete manufacturing  industries, a systematic literature review is performed to understand the specific characteristics of S&OP in process industries. As a result, the importance of continuity/discontinuity of materials and its influence on the required production processes are highlighted. This indicates that the production process in process industries is actually a hybrid of continuous production and discrete production, whereas the discrete manufacturing industries often only deploy discrete production. Continuous production has specific characteristics that would be beneficial to include in the S&OP process; nonetheless, this is in contrast to the view in the literature that considers S&OP a generic process. Generic here means that S&OP is independent of the context in terms of, for example, the industry in which it is implemented. This issue is investigated in this dissertation by identifying the requirements, which can be considered in the S&OP of process industries as add-ons to the generic S&OP. In addition to this, two other concepts addressing the properties of the production process are identified as important in planning and control, including S&OP. One addresses the level of repetitivity of the production process in response to the market demand, and the other concerns the trigger of the production flow. The three concepts are related to three different types of decoupling points and are the basis for a typology developed herein that provides a modularized view of supply chains. The application of the typology to S&OP leads to a modularized S&OP framework applicable to both process industries and discrete manufacturing industries. The modularized view of supply chains has been long emphasized as an effective and efficient way to support companies’ performance and their competitive position. The typology and the S&OP framework are developed through conceptual research methods. To study how the modularized S&ÖP framework is related to companies’ performance measures, different performance measures (including sustainable performance measures) at the S&OP level are extracted from the literature. The performance measures are then classified according to the typology, and linked to strategic performance attributes. Aligning performance measures at S&OP levels and strategic performance attributes would help in enhancing companies’ performance. Sustainable performance measures are included in this classification to provide additional support for companies’ performance. Finally, this approach in classification of  performance measures is studied in four case companies, and the empirical performance measures are linked to the companies’ strategic performance attributes and competitive strategies. The results of this empirical study have, to some extent, verified the results from the classification of performance measures based on the literature. This dissertation contributes to the development of knowledge in S&OP. First, it identifies three key concepts in planning and control of manufacturing companies. Second, it investigates how S&OP should be tailored to the specific characteristics of companies and their supply chains. The modularized S&OP framework developed in this dissertation is based on the three identified concepts. This framework provides a foundation for fulfilling the supply chains needs by suggesting decision-making processes, planning techniques, and performance measures for different modules. More specifically, this work investigates how S&OP should be designed and implemented in process industries, which has not been extensively studied before. Third, this dissertation shows how S&OP level performance measures can be selected in line with the specific characteristics of supply chains. Finally, by integrating the sustainable performance measures in the S&OP process, this dissertation expands the scope of S&OP and its potential in supporting companies’ performance.