Uncovering barriers in forecasting uncertain product demand in the supply chain

This paper aims to provide insights into the barriers of forecasting uncertain product demand in supply chain by
focusing on the relative importance of the barriers and the implications for businesses, particularly the forecast
practitioners and prospective forecast implementers.
An exploratory, qualitative approach was adopted within an Australian Electrical manufacture. Data was gathered
through semi-structured interviews with 20 participants from different departments, including forecasting practitioners, supplier and customer of the Australian electronics manufacturer. Thematic analysis was conducted to confirm some of the existing barriers reported in the literature and identify emerging barriers from practice in industry.
The study reveals the reason for poor forecast performance is that the forecast is intertwined between cultural, product, technological and communication barriers. The findings are used to develop a decision-making framework to assist forecasters make judgemental adjustments through a repeatable and transparent process. Finally, the results are synthesised in a fishbone diagram that depicts the major barriers and causes of inaccurate forecasting. The study outputs can inform supply chain practitioners of the barriers and their interdependencies when dealing with forecasting uncertain product demand.