Sales and Operations Planning in the Context of Servitization

Tschirch, Fabian; Kalla, Christian; Pöppelbuß, Jens; Hellingrath, Bernd

Abstract

Literature on Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) is focused on the manufacturing industry. Our study builds on contingency theory and the context-dependency of S&OP and uses a systematic literature review and expert interviews to show that S&OP is suitable for the service sector as well. Furthermore, we describe how the characteristics of services affect S&OP. We also examine how tactical planning changes when manufacturing companies decide to transition into a higher service-centricity. We contribute by describing how different types of services need to be considered in integrated planning concepts like S&OP and provide an agenda for future research.