MJ Insight

Seven end-to-end processes

One supply chain, seven processes, measured the same way in every industry.

The processes we measure in a control tower are the same in consumer goods, medical technology, industrial manufacturing, healthcare and the public sector. Open each one for its definition, its KPIs, how rebates and terms flow through it, what we build and a case example.

Process 01

Idea to launch

From an approved product idea to a SKU that can be ordered: specifications, artwork, master data, packaging, regulatory clearance and first production. The queue between steps, not the steps themselves, is usually where the weeks go.

Headline KPI and supporting measures

  • Time to market, in weeks
  • SKU set-up lead time, in days
  • First-time-right master data
  • Launches on time against the plan

Rebates, terms and settlements

Terms at launch: list price, trade terms and the first promotion plan are set here. A SKU launched without them leaks margin from the first order.

What we build

  • Launch request app with a live queue and ownership
  • Master data completeness checks before release
  • Stage-gate dashboard with the critical path

Data sources

  • PLM
  • ERP master data
  • Artwork systems
  • Retailer portals

In every industry

Consumer & retail

Artwork, retailer listings and master data in a dozen systems; the queue, not the work, is what takes 55 days.

Healthcare & life sciences

Regulatory submissions, device identification and labelling gate the launch; the plan has to show the critical path, not just the date.

Manufacturing & industrial

Engineering change, bill-of-material readiness and tooling decide whether the first order ships on time.

Public sector & defence

A new program or service is a launch too: eligibility rules, forms and reporting have to be ready on day one.

Case examples 4

All Idea to launch casesRelated solution: Sales and Field Apps on Dynamics 365

Process 02

Forecast to plan

From a statistical forecast to a consensus demand plan and a supply plan that respects capacity: the monthly sales and operations planning cycle, and the weekly corrections between cycles.

Headline KPI and supporting measures

  • Forecast accuracy by horizon
  • Forecast bias
  • Plan adherence
  • Projected inventory against target

Rebates, terms and settlements

Promotion and rebate calendars are inputs to the forecast: a model that cannot see the trade plan will be wrong exactly when it matters.

What we build

  • Machine learning forecasts by SKU, account and channel
  • S&OP and SIOP on a page
  • Scenario planning with capacity constraints

Data sources

  • ERP orders and shipments
  • CRM
  • Point of sale and sell-out
  • Promotion calendar

In every industry

Consumer & retail

Promotions and seasonality drive most of the error; the forecast has to see the promotion calendar.

Healthcare & life sciences

Patient demand can be forecast weeks ahead from first contact to completed treatment, and staffed to it; consignment stock and tenders make device demand lumpy.

Manufacturing & industrial

Long lead times and project demand mean the plan must look a year out, with capacity constraints built in.

Education

Enrolment projections by school and cohort are the demand plan; capacity and funding follow.

Case examples 6

All Forecast to plan casesRelated solution: Supply Chain Control Tower

Process 03

Source to pay

From supplier selection to purchase order, receipt, quality, invoice and payment, including the supplier rebates and payment terms that were negotiated along the way.

Headline KPI and supporting measures

  • Supplier on time in full
  • Incoming quality, defects per million
  • Spend under contract
  • Payment terms against what was negotiated
  • Rebates earned against contract tiers

Rebates, terms and settlements

Supplier rebates and payment terms: volume rebates tracked against contract tiers, early-payment discounts taken or deliberately declined, and actual terms compared with the negotiated ones.

What we build

  • Supplier scorecards and audit tracking
  • Spend cube with contract coverage
  • Invoice and rebate automation with document AI

Data sources

  • ERP purchasing
  • Supplier quality system
  • Invoices
  • Contracts

In every industry

Healthcare & life sciences

Supplier quality is a regulatory obligation: incoming inspection, audits and corrective actions on one scorecard.

Consumer & retail

Packaging and ingredient suppliers against commodity indices; volume rebates tracked to contract tiers.

Manufacturing & industrial

Dual sourcing and lead-time risk; spend under contract versus maverick buying.

Public sector & defence

Procurement rules, vendor performance and payment timeliness that oversight bodies can audit.

Case examples 4

All Source to pay casesRelated solution: Invoice and Document Automation

Process 04

Plan to produce

From the production schedule to execution, quality and cost: whether plants deliver the plan at standard cost, and why not when they do not.

Headline KPI and supporting measures

  • Schedule adherence
  • Overall equipment effectiveness
  • Yield and scrap
  • Changeover time
  • Unit cost against standard

Rebates, terms and settlements

Standard cost is the contract between operations and finance: variances by plant and line, explained to the driver, before they reach the income statement.

What we build

  • Plant performance and OEE by line
  • Statistical process control and quality calendars
  • Predictive maintenance

Data sources

  • MES and SCADA
  • ERP production orders
  • Quality system
  • Maintenance system

In every industry

Consumer & retail

Line OEE, changeovers and yield by SKU; the losses hide in the small ones.

Healthcare & life sciences

Batch records and quality holds; statistical process control on critical characteristics. Procedure rooms and clinics are production too: utilization, turnover and cancellations by site.

Manufacturing & industrial

Standard cost and variances by plant, with maintenance that predicts rather than reacts.

Energy & utilities

Production, downtime and maintenance across fields and facilities on one page.

Case examples 4

All Plan to produce casesRelated solution: Supply Chain Control Tower

Process 05

Order to cash

From order to allocation, delivery, invoice, deductions and collection, including the customer rebates and trade promotions that are settled after the sale.

Headline KPI and supporting measures

  • On time in full
  • Perfect order rate
  • Deductions as a share of sales
  • Days sales outstanding
  • Rebate accruals against settlements

Rebates, terms and settlements

Customer rebates, trade promotions and deductions: accrued as sales happen, settled against the agreement rather than the invoice, and reconciled so leakage is visible by customer.

What we build

  • Order-to-cash analytics and cost to serve
  • Deductions and rebate management
  • Revenue cycle dashboards for healthcare

Data sources

  • ERP orders and invoices
  • Deductions and claims
  • CRM
  • Payer remittances

In every industry

Consumer & retail

Retailer deductions, trade promotions and customer rebates decide the real margin; settle them against the agreement, not the invoice.

Healthcare & life sciences

The revenue cycle is order to cash: claims, denials, collections and payer mix on one page; tender pricing and group-purchasing rebates for devices.

Manufacturing & industrial

Project billing milestones and retention; disputes resolved before they age.

Financial services

Fees, commissions and rebates to intermediaries, accrued and reconciled on the same schedule as revenue.

Case examples 6

All Order to cash casesRelated solution: Supply Chain Control Tower

Process 06

Deliver to serve

From warehouse to delivery, returns and service: what it costs to serve each customer and channel, and whether the service level matches what they pay for.

Headline KPI and supporting measures

  • Cost to serve per customer
  • Load utilization
  • Freight cost per unit
  • Returns as a share of sales
  • Service level by account

Rebates, terms and settlements

Distributor and channel incentives: paid on sell-out where the data allows, with distributor stock and returns in the same view, so the incentive rewards what consumers buy.

What we build

  • Load, route and carrier analytics
  • Cost-to-serve and returns management
  • Field service apps on Dynamics 365

Data sources

  • WMS and TMS
  • Distributor data
  • Field service
  • Returns

In every industry

Consumer & retail

Load utilization, distributor stock and market returns; incentives paid on sell-out, not sell-in.

Healthcare & life sciences

Field service and consignment inventory at hospitals; service levels per account.

Manufacturing & industrial

Spare parts availability and field technicians; cost to serve by customer and region.

Public sector & defence

Service standards, backlog and processing time by program, published to oversight bodies.

Case examples 7

All Deliver to serve casesRelated solution: Sales and Field Apps on Dynamics 365

Process 07

Record to report

From sub-ledgers to a closed month and a management report nobody disputes: inventory valuation, accruals, reconciliations and the variance bridges that explain the result.

Headline KPI and supporting measures

  • Close duration, in days
  • Inventory days
  • Accrual accuracy
  • Reconciliation exceptions
  • Reports delivered on time

Rebates, terms and settlements

Accruals and settlements: trade spend, rebates and claims accrued at month end and trued up against payments, with the difference explained and owned.

What we build

  • Close pack with locked, auditable snapshots
  • Variance bridges and the rolling forecast
  • Accrual and settlement reconciliation

Data sources

  • General ledger
  • Sub-ledgers
  • Planning system
  • Settlements

In every industry

Consumer & retail

Trade spend and rebate accruals reconciled to settlements; one margin for sales and finance.

Manufacturing & industrial

Standard cost variances explained to the driver; inventory valued once.

Healthcare & life sciences

Month-end physician compensation and performance scorecards from the same locked data.

Financial services

Management reporting on one governed platform, with lineage auditors can follow.

Public sector & defence

Locked monthly snapshots so a number quoted to a committee is the same a year later.

Case examples 6

All Record to report casesRelated solution: Executive P&L and Rolling Forecast

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