What is the primary topic of forecasting and demand planning?

The primary focus of forecasting and demand planning is fundamentally about predicting future customer demand for a product or service. This encompasses gathering and analyzing historical data, market trends, and consumer behavior to make informed predictions. By accurately forecasting demand, businesses can optimize their production schedules, inventory management, and resource allocation, ensuring they meet customer needs while minimizing costs and waste.

While predicting market trends, analyzing customer feedback, and creating sales strategies are all important aspects of a business's operations, they are not the central focus of the forecasting and demand planning process. The core of this practice lies explicitly in aligning supply with anticipated demand, which allows companies to better manage their operational efficiency and service levels.