Press Release

October 2013
AkzoNobel paints a better picture of the future with Oliver Wight
Integrated Business Planning
Multi-billion dollar paints and coatings company, AkzoNobel, has selected Oliver Wights Class
A Integrated Business Planning (IBP) process as the framework for performance improvement.
AkzoNobel Packaging Coatings (ANPG Inks), the first division to roll it out, has already seen
dramatic improvements in forecast accuracy, planning and control, and been awarded its
second Class A award - all in less than 18 months.
Two years ago, following the acquisition of Swedish metal decorating coatings and ink business,
Lindgens, ANPG Inks plant in Hull, was struggling to keep up as demand almost doubled overnight.
Service levels dropped from 95% OTIF to sub-80% and inventory levels rose significantly.
Today the plant paints a very different picture. From having no forecasting information, the company is
now in a situation where it can analyse KPIs, due dates and master schedule performance on a daily
basis - with a meaningful demand plan to match. And as a result ANPG Inks has been awarded Oliver
Wight Class A for both Integrated Business Planning and Planning and Control.
For ANPG Inks, the IBP model really fits the bill: A process which aligns company plans each month
and enables the allocation of critical resources people, equipment, inventory, materials, time and
money, to satisfy customer demand in the most cost effective way, IBP complements the AkzoNobel
business model perfectly, says Michael Snape, ANPG Inks Supply Chain Manager.
Globally, AkzoNobel launched a broader performance improvement programme in 2011, making
savings of 381m within two years, and in early 2013 it launched a new company strategy aimed at
delivering leading performance by building on its leading market positions in paints, coatings and
specialty chemicals.
As part of this drive for performance excellence, the Oliver Wight Class A programme is not just
improving internal processes, it has given ANPG future visibility too. Now the Hull site has secured the
double Class A award, other AkzoNobel divisions are following suit. Class A is the companys preferred
operational model and other parts of the organisation are becoming active with it too. Integrated
Business Planning gives us a business level view over the ANPG Inks business and provides us the
framework we need to deliver our ambitions over the next five years, which is to grow the business
through winning market share, says ANPG Inks Business Director, Graham White.

Notes to editors
About Oliver Wight
Oliver Wight has a 40 year track record of delivering business improvement to some of the worlds best-known
organisations. With a team of professionals offering a wealth of experience, Oliver Wight is the largest consultancy
of its type, with offices throughout Europe, South Africa, North and South America, and the Asia Pacific region. We
believe that sustainable business improvement cant be delivered by external consultants but only by our clients
own people, so unlike other consultancy firms, we transfer our knowledge to them, helping deliver performance
levels and financial results that last.
Integrated Business Planning
At the leading edge of management thinking and practice, our Integrated Business Planning (IBP) model lies at
the heart of our clients journey to outstanding business performance. Oliver Wight are the originators of sales and
operations planning (S&OP) and IBP can most simply be described as advanced S&OP. However, unlike S&OP,
IBP brings a truly strategic perspective, integrating diverse processes - in the extended supply chain, product and
customer portfolios, customer demand and strategic planning - into one seamless management process.
Supply Chain Design and Optimization
Oliver Wight supply chain design and optimization allows organisations to understand their position within the
extended supply chain; identify where value is being created and destroyed; develop profitable relationships with
suppliers customers and consumers; and optimize their supply chain (however complex) for the ultimate in
customer service and business performance.
Performance Benchmarking for Supply Chain
Oliver Wight Performance Benchmarking provides a qualitative and quantitative assessment of supply chain
performance, allowing organisations to identify opportunities for improving customer service at the same time as
dramatically reducing supply chain costs.
Meeting the Class A Standard
The Oliver Wight Class A Checklist is the longest standing and most successful business assessment tool. The
latest, Sixth Edition, raises the bar, and sets ever more demanding standards for companies on their journey to
business excellence and the Oliver Wight Class A standard.