Press Release August 2013

Take a leaf out of Oliver Wights two new books

Business improvement specialists, Oliver Wight have published two new books, providing insightful advice for executives looking to bring about dramatic business improvement: An Executives Guide to Achieving Class A Business Excellence and The Transition from Sales and Operations Planning to Integrated Business Planning. Executives face growing challenges from increased regulation, aggressive competition and economic pressures. These books share the knowledge of some of Oliver Wights most experienced consultants on how to meet these challenges head on, says Les Brookes, CEO of the consultancys European arm, Oliver Wight EAME. The Transition from Sales and Operations Planning to Integrated Business Planning is a novel centred around a fictional character and company, Jack Baxter, President of Global Products and Services Inc., as he evaluates the business benefits of transforming his Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) process into Integrated Business Planning. The authors, industry experts, George Palmatier and Colleen Crum, explore the potential issues as well as the advantages, allowing executives to see how best to adopt practices in their own organisations to bring about powerful results, including increased revenue growth, improved inventory levels and greater customer satisfaction. The second new title, An Executives Guide to Achieving Class A Business Excellence takes an altogether different approach. It uses a punchy question-and-answer format to provide a succinct, readable guide to achieving the Oliver Wight Class A standard of business excellence - and the rewards that go with it. Authored by seasoned change management executives: Dennis Groves, Jim Correll and Kevin Herbert, it explains the sustainable business results that can be brought about by properly integrating people, processes and tools - not least, enhanced predictability, greater cross-functional teamwork and the ability to successfully execute the companys strategic plan. And it is the people part of the equation that the authors emphasise, including some key tips on gaining the senior level commitment required to successfully drive change. By providing step-by-step guides to making real bottom line improvements, these two new books provide invaluable advice on the journey to sustainable business excellence, concludes Brookes. Both books are available to purchase or download online: http://www.oliverwighteame.com/en-GB/library-events/books

Notes to editors About the authors George Palmatier is a principal with Oliver Wight Americas. He spent 11 years as vice president of sales and marketing at Bently Nevada Corp. (now part of General Electric). George has co-authored three books: The Marketing Edge, Enterprise Sales and Operations Planning, and Demand Management Best Practices. Palmatier belongs to The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals. Colleen Crum is also a principal at Oliver Wight Americas. She has assisted companies that manufacture everything from chemicals and biotechnology to consumer goods, electronics, food and beverages, and aerospace. She has co-authored three books: Enterprise Sales and Operations Planning, Demand Management Best Practices, and Supply Chain Collaboration. Dennis Groves is chairman of Oliver Wight Americas and president of Oliver Wight International. He has more than 35 years of experience as a consultant and practitioner. Among his successes are personally leading two Procter & Gamble North American businesses as well as companies in the pharmaceutical, consumer products, and chemical industries to Class A. Jim Correll served eight years as chairman of Oliver Wight Americas and co-chairman of Oliver Wight International. He helped more than 20 companies achieve Class A excellence. Kevin Herbert, a former executive for a global manufacturing company, joined Oliver Wight in 1998. His expertise spans both manufacturing and service industries. About Oliver Wight Oliver Wight has a 40 year track record of delivering business improvement to some of the worlds best-known organisations. With a team of professionals offering a wealth of experience, Oliver Wight is the largest consultancy of its type, with offices throughout Europe, South Africa, North and South America, and the Asia Pacific region. We believe that sustainable business improvement cant be delivered by external consultants but only by our clients own people, so unlike other consultancy firms, we transfer our knowledge to them, helping deliver performance levels and financial results that last. Integrated Business Planning At the leading edge of management thinking and practice, our Integrated Business Planning (IBP) model lies at the heart of our clients journey to outstanding business performance. Oliver Wight are the originators of sales and operations planning (S&OP) and IBP can most simply be described as advanced S&OP. However, unlike S&OP, IBP brings a truly strategic perspective, integrating diverse processes - in the extended supply chain, product and customer portfolios, customer demand and strategic planning - into one seamless management process. Supply Chain Design and Optimization Oliver Wight supply chain design and optimization allows organisations to understand their position within the extended supply chain; identify where value is being created and destroyed; develop profitable relationships with suppliers customers and consumers; and optimize their supply chain (however complex) for the ultimate in customer service and business performance. Meeting the Class A Standard The Oliver Wight Class A Checklist is the longest standing and most successful business assessment tool. The latest, Sixth Edition, raises the bar, and sets ever more demanding standards for companies on their journey to business excellence and the Oliver Wight Class A standard. More information Zoe Davis Oliver Wight EAME zoe.davis@oliverwight-eame.com www.oliverwight-eame.com Steve Lipscombe RONIN Marketing Limited +44 (0) 20 3326 5040 stevel@roninmarketing.co.uk www.roninmarketing.co.uk