Demand-Driven Realities

The consumer goods industry has focused a lot of attention on becoming demand driven over the past few years. Driven in part by industry leader Procter & Gamble's Consumer Driven Supply Network initiative, it is gaining traction in an industry where understanding one's customer is a prerequisite to success. But are these demand-driven initiatives just the new flavor of the year or is it a trend that makes long-term sense in this industry?

Consumer Goods Technology and Clarkston Consulting partnered to conduct research on the demand-driven imperative and find out if the industry is, indeed, starting down a demand-driven path, and if so, where the focus lies. The findings are not surprising overall ' demand is a key driver, but there are some nuances to how companies achieve the ultimate goal of integrating demand into their business model.