Talking Supply Chain: Oliver Wight’s Tom Strohl on finding success among disruption

In a world filled with uncertainty—from tariffs to pandemics—many companies still rely on reaction instead of preparation. On the latest episode of Talking Supply Chain, Tom Strohl, president of Oliver Wight Americas, explains why integrated business planning (IBP) is the secret weapon for companies looking not just to survive disruptions, but to thrive through them.

“The difference between those that are successful today versus those that are not,” Strohl says, “is those that have good solid, robust planning processes that filter all the way up to the executive level of the organization.”

According to Strohl, companies that succeed during periods of volatility are the ones that have embraced transparency, cross-functional alignment, and what he calls “a single version of the truth.” Without that, he warns, organizations are flying blind and operating with competing plans between departments like supply, demand, and finance.

Drawing on decades of experience, including a 30-year career in pharma, Strohl details how IBP differs from traditional sales and operations planning (S&OP) and why executive-level ownership is critical.

“IBP above and beyond all else seeks to operationalize the business strategy,” he says. “Middle management doesn’t own the business strategy. Senior leaders do.”

Strohl also shares a compelling case study of a client that had just completed its IBP implementation before COVID hit.

“Did they feel the disruption? Absolutely,” he says. “But they were just better able to cope… and they actually gained market share.”

That kind of resilience, Strohl argues, is only possible when businesses move from fragmented forecasting to integrated, future-facing planning.

If you’re a business leader tired of reacting to change instead of managing through it, this is a must-listen episode. Hear the full conversation today.

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