[00:00 – 01:00] | Opening & Welcome 

Greg: 

Hello everyone, and welcome to today’s session. We can see a few more participants joining—great to have you all here. This session is part of the FP&A on the Go series, presented by UVID Consulting in collaboration with Jedox. The focus is on helping organizations, especially in manufacturing, future-proof their business. 

 Today’s topic is Sales Performance Management, and I’m pleased to introduce Ramya, Founder of UVID Consulting. She brings over 20 years of experience in finance and technology, working with Fortune 500 companies on FP&A transformation and digital strategy. 

 Ramya, over to you. 

 [01:00 – 03:00] | Context: Budget Season & Shift in Sales Planning 

Ramya: 

Thank you, Greg. Welcome, everyone. 

 As most of you would relate, this is budget season. Across organizations, leadership teams are aligning on strategy, and planning for the upcoming year is in full swing. What I consistently see is that sales planning becomes the starting point of all these discussions. 

Now, what has changed significantly—especially in recent years—is the expectation from sales planning. Earlier, it was more about arriving at numbers. Today, organizations expect much more depth, much more insight, and much more flexibility. 

 And this shift is driven by real business challenges—customer expectations, supply chain instability, technological changes, and workforce gaps. 

 [03:00 – 06:00] | The Core Problem: No Story Behind the Numbers 

Ramya: 

One common statement I hear from clients is this: “We have the numbers, but we don’t have the story behind them.” 

 Without that story, organizations struggle with accountability, performance gaps, and missed opportunities. 

 Operational inefficiencies follow—excess inventory, stockouts, lost customers, and increased costs. All of this points back to one issue: sales planning that is not informative enough. 

 [06:00 – 09:00] | Reframing Sales Planning as a Strategic Driver 

Ramya: 

Sales planning is not just about numbers. It should explain how your strategy will be executed. 

 Whether your goal is revenue growth, market expansion, or brand positioning, your sales plan must clearly support it. 

 When done right, it aligns all functions—sales, marketing, operations, and finance. 

 [09:00 – 13:00] | Example: Distributor Expansion 

Ramya: 

Consider expanding distributor presence by 15%. 

 You start by understanding your distributors, their reach, and where your products are currently present. 

 Marketing generates demand, sales converts it, operations ensures supply, and finance validates feasibility. 

 Sales planning becomes the glue across functions. 

 [13:00 – 17:00] | Segmentation Approach 

Ramya: 

One size does not fit all. 

 Stable demand areas use run-rate planning. 

Variable demand areas require order-level planning. 

Growth areas require strategic, research-driven planning. 

 Segmentation is key. 

 [17:00 – 21:00] | Planning Framework 

Ramya: 

Start with foundational insights—segmentation, demand trends, and performance metrics. 

Execute planning aligned with operations and finance. 

 Continuously review through forecasts and adapt to market changes. 

 [21:00 – 24:00] | Key Takeaways 

Ramya: 

Ensure strong foundations, actionable insights, and cross-functional alignment. 

 These determine planning effectiveness. 

 [24:00 – 26:00] | Q&A 

Greg: 

Should planning be at SKU or item level? 

 Ramya: 

It depends on demand variability. High variability requires SKU-level planning; otherwise, item-level may suffice. 

 [26:00 – 27:00] | Closing 

Greg: 

Thank you, Ramya. More sessions will follow. Thank you all for joining.