IBP Rapid Diagnostic Engagement

A Structured Expert Review of Your S&OP / Integrated Business Planning Process

Before redesigning your planning process, you need clarity on where the structural weaknesses truly sit.

Many SMEs attempt to “improve S&OP” without first understanding:

  • Whether meetings are fit for purpose
  • Where accountability is unclear
  • How demand and supply assumptions are managed
  • Whether financial integration is real or superficial
  • Where behavioural failure is undermining performance

The IBP Rapid Diagnostic provides an independent, structured review of your current IBP framework — grounded in over three decades of operational delivery experience.

This is not a generic maturity model.
It is a focused expert assessment of how your process actually functions.

Who It Is For

This engagement is designed for:

  • SME leadership teams introducing or stabilising S&OP
  • PE-backed businesses requiring greater planning visibility
  • Operations or Supply Chain leaders experiencing recurring volatility
  • Organisations where meetings feel busy — but not decisive
  • Businesses unsure whether their planning structure is robust

If planning reliability affects service, inventory, cash or confidence — this diagnostic is appropriate.

How the Diagnostic Works

The engagement follows four structured stages.

1. Submission of Planning Materials

You provide:

  • A summary of your current S&OP / IBP process
  • Latest Demand Review slide deck
  • Latest Supply Review slide deck
  • Latest Management Business Review pack
  • Any supporting governance documentation

All information is treated as confidential.

2. Structured Expert Review

Your materials are assessed against a proven internal diagnostic framework developed through decades of operational leadership and transformation experience.

The review evaluates:

  • Clarity of meeting purpose
  • Role ownership and accountability
  • Demand realism and bias risk
  • Supply constraint visibility
  • Financial integration and volume-to-value conversion
  • Escalation structure and decision quality
  • Behavioural risks (gaming, short-termism, silo protection)
  • Governance discipline across the cycle

This stage is rigorous and independent.

3. 90-Minute Diagnostic Discussion

We meet for a structured working session to:

  • Clarify structural questions arising from the review
  • Explore behavioural realities behind the slides
  • Test assumptions
  • Identify root causes rather than symptoms
  • Pressure-test planning integrity

This is not a presentation session.

4. Written Findings & Prioritised Recommendations

You receive a structured report outlining:

  • Key structural weaknesses
  • Governance gaps
  • Behavioural failure risks
  • Priority improvement areas
  • Recommended sequencing of change
  • Immediate “quick win” stabilisation actions

Clear. Practical. Actionable.


What This Is Not

The IBP Rapid Diagnostic is not:

  • A generic benchmarking survey
  • A downloadable checklist
  • A lengthy transformation programme
  • A theoretical assessment model

It is a fixed-fee, expert-led review designed to provide clarity quickly and decisively.

Typical Outcomes

Organisations completing the diagnostic commonly discover:

  • Unclear ownership within Demand Review
  • Supply constraints not surfaced early enough
  • Financial integration that lacks real challenge
  • Management Reviews revisiting unresolved debates
  • Behavioural friction between commercial and operational teams
  • Inventory growth without structured control
  • Governance drift following rapid growth

Clarity is often the turning point.

Investment

£1,500 + VAT

Fixed fee.
No hidden costs.
Limited number of diagnostic engagements available each month to ensure depth of review.

Timeline

  • Materials reviewed within 5 working days of submission
  • Diagnostic discussion scheduled promptly thereafter
  • Written findings issued within 5 working days of discussion

End-to-end completion typically within 2–3 weeks.

Confidentiality

All information provided is treated in strict confidence.

Where required, a mutual NDA can be executed prior to material submission.

Relationship to The School of IBP

The IBP Rapid Diagnostic sits within The School of IBP as the structured evaluation layer.

Some organisations proceed to:

  • Company Membership to build internal capability
  • Targeted Coaching & Mentoring support
  • Advisory engagement where deeper intervention is required

The diagnostic stands independently — but can also act as the foundation for broader improvement.

Next Steps

  1. Purchase the engagement
  2. Receive confirmation and submission instructions
  3. Submit planning materials
  4. Schedule diagnostic discussion
  5. Receive structured findings and recommendations