In providing a long-term order forecast to manufacturers, a retailer communicates all the details of its demand plan. Usually this communication is weekly, but it can be daily or even real time. When retailers are as transparent as this with their supply chain partners, things happen very quickly, and with immediate consequences. (My analogy is that when we hiccup, it’s on Facebook.) The information provided in a retailer’s order forecast or supplier schedule make everything about the retailer’s demand strategies completely apparent