Solving the newsvendor problem conclusively demonstrates that When customers are indecisive, it forces the rest of the supply chain to be indecisive as well there is an optimal inventory quantity that will maximize profit when demand is uncertain selling items earlier is more profitable than selling items later. ceteris paribus only those employees who work directly with customers are truly attuned to customer demand patterns The first task to be completed in a best-practice S\&OP process is to use the unbiased forecast to generate sales plans report out metrics on the prior S\&OP process estimate demand variability conduct an S8OP interlock meeting