Demand management is an emerging topic in supply chain management. It is focused on a fast and adequate integration of supplier needs in order to balance and strategically align demand with operational capability in the supply chain. The demand alignment in the supply chain may pose some problems leading to inefficient customer service, poor stock rotation, and high obsolescence rate aggravated by the wide diversity of products. The objective of this study was to develop a framework for demand management in the supply chain of grocery products considering the dyadic relationship between the supplier and wholesaler. Therefore, a case study was conducted in the wholesale company Martins and nine of its suppliers. The research revealed that the demand management implementation process can be divided into three phases: 1) joint alignment of strategic policies, 2) formulation of business plan, and 3) implementation and monitoring of the business plan. Moreover, this process consists of three elements: top management involvement, inter and intra-firm interactions, and benefits of demand management. The benefits include profitability increase by improving efficiency and effectiveness, as well as knowledge sharing and learning.
Demand management; Supply chain management; Wholesale; Grocery industry
