There are many areas where businesspeople wish they had the proverbial crystal ball to foretell the future. Forecasting consumption demand is one of the trickiest of these areas.

Given the size of the portfolios and the dollars at stake, it is imperative to produce the right product, size, and quantity to meet consumption demand. Then you also have to ship it in the right mix to the right location at the right time. It’s easy enough to say. Why is it so difficult to actually accomplish?