New Features in Oracle Supply Planning in 2024

Oracle has introduced several enhancements and new features in its Supply and Demand Planning modules, designed to improve efficiency, increase visibility, and enhance collaboration in supply chain processes. These updates focus on key areas like project-specific planning, constraint-based planning, safety stock management, and supplier collaboration. Below is a summary of the significant new features:

New Features in Oracle Supply and Demand Planning Modules

1. Project-Specific Supply Planning:

• Plan project-specific supplies based on project forecasts, demands, on-hand supply, and incoming supply.

• Create project-specific manual demands or planned orders, and use simulations to analyze what-if scenarios.

• Review exceptions related to shortages of supply in a project-specific context.

• Use Oracle REST APIs to manage supply and demand with project references​​.

2. Constraint-Based Supply Planning:

• Introduced more refined control over planning constraints, including resource and material constraints.

• Simulate alternative supply sources and resource configurations to meet demand on time​​.

• Plan for safety stock considering constraints like lead times and resource capacities​.

3. Supplier Collaboration Enhancements:

• New capabilities to collaborate directly with suppliers on supply plans via Oracle Supplier Portal.

• Enhanced functionality to publish supply plans and allow suppliers to review and commit to order forecasts, improving the reliability of supply​.

• Manage supplier commit mismatches and exceptions more effectively through the Supply Chain Collaboration work area​.

4. Advanced Lead-Time Insights:

• New insights into lead-time variances for purchased items, allowing better planning adjustments based on historical lead times.

• Added tools to simulate plan adjustments based on expected or historical lead-time deviations​.

5. Inventory Planning Enhancements:

• Calculate statistical safety stock requirements more accurately, considering demand volatility and stocking targets.

• Support for multiple algorithms to optimize inventory for different demand patterns​.

• Improved handling of safety stock targets for items without formal demand to ensure product availability for new product launches​.

6. Supply and Demand Planning Integration:

• Enhanced integration across demand, inventory, and supply planning within Oracle Planning Central.

• Automatically release planned orders and reschedule existing supplies, streamlining execution processes​.

These updates make Oracle’s Supply and Demand Planning modules more flexible, collaborative, and responsive to dynamic business environments. They help organizations optimize their inventory, collaborate with suppliers more effectively, and plan projects with greater accuracy, ultimately reducing costs and improving service levels.