Developing and implementing contextualised S&OP designs – an enterprise architecture management approach

Purpose: This paper provides a five-step Enterprise Architecture Management (EAM) approach to systematically guide the development and implementation of contextualised Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) designs. Design/methodology/approach: A case study is conducted at a European chemical manufacturer. The research applies the five-step approach, embracing the descriptive and prescriptive EAM functions combined with the lens of contingency theory. Findings: The research findings demonstrate the suitability of the proposed EAM approach for the contextualisation of S&OP designs from a contingency theory perspective. Its descriptive EAM function serves to assess context-specific S&OP challenges and enables to analyse the contextual fit of S&OP designs. Its prescriptive EAM function guides the development and implementation of context-specific S&OP designs towards increasing the S&OP effectiveness. EAM's integrated view onto people, process and information technology served to analyse current practices on the dynamics of S&OP contextualisation in innovation- and quality-driven contexts. Thereby, the paper contributes to a better S&OP contingency understanding. Practical implications: The EAM approach offered in this paper provides a concrete and practically applicable guidance to support managers to face their context-specific challenges and guide the contextualisation of their S&OP designs to increase the S&OP effectiveness. Moreover, practitioners can improve their understanding regarding the need for S&OP design adjustments to reflect changes in their companies' contingencies. Originality/value: The research introduces a novel EAM approach for S&OP contextualisation, particularly reflecting contingency theory's dynamic view of structural adjustments to regain fit (SARFIT).