Finding complementary patterns of demand across your customer base can help smooth out costly spikes and slumps, especially today given the extreme supply chain bottlenecks and related cost spikes. Smoothing demand variations requires that companies think differently about their customers, assessing them by how they fit into the overall portfolio rather than measuring the value of each on a stand-alone basis. This article highlights some valid suggestions: seek out new customers that exhibit variable demand; identify and retain customers that provide hidden value through asynchronous demand; and adapt creative operational agreements with flexible fulfillment windows. For deeper insights regarding how to identify and monetize this approach for your business, please reach out to me or your P&C point of contact.
