These are a few suggestions for engaging field sales managers. They can help on jump-start the
process for building a partnership between the Forecasting group and the Sales organization. They can help to establish a framework for regular communication between the two parties. With time, this communication can lead to true “collaboration moments,” which both parties recognize as validation for their efforts. This will happen only if the forecast analyst and the sales manager work together to solve problems or address customers’ issues. Both parties will realize that this communication is a good thing and delivers results. These “collaboration moments” will become building blocks for maturing relationships and gradually help to build up trust for establishing a more open dialogue.
Furthermore, communication will improve in both quality and timeliness as a result. A true partnership between the Forecasting group and the Sales organization can lead to forecast accuracy improvements, benefiting the entire supply chain and establishing a stronger relationship with external customers. Forecasting is as much an art as science, and building the right relationship can be as important as using the right forecasting model to achieve better results.