Wolf&Grayson EditorialEarlier in her career, Lisa Brown viewed Sales and Operations Planning as a fixed framework. Operating across complex global networks reshaped that perspective. Domestic businesses tend to be scale-driven, where efficiency and volume optimization dominate decision-making. International markets, by contrast, are agility-driven. They require responsiveness to local demand shifts, regulatory requirements, and distinct consumer preferences.
“There’s flexibility that has to be woven into the international piece to a higher degree than on the domestic side,” says Brown, SVP Supply Chain, Global Operations and Business Transformation for the Wine and Spirits Division at Constellation Brands.
“It’s not necessarily a one-size-fits-all,” she says. “The domestic market and the international market are very different.” S&OP must reinforce strategy, not compete with it, and inventory discipline must reflect how each market truly operates. Applying a single model across both environments creates friction. Portfolio mix varies by geography as consumer tastes differ and regulatory and compliance constraints shift from country to country.
The cost of that misalignment is measurable. Blanket inventory policies, such as mandating uniform days on hand across all regions, can inflate working capital and obscure risk. “You want to make sure that you’re not building inventory and increasing your working capital when you don’t have to,” she says.
Standardize the Guardrails, Localize the Execution
For multinational organizations struggling with regional inventory imbalances, Brown advises restraint before action. “Stop trying to improve the S&OP process everywhere all at once,” she says. The first step is to reset and identify where the true issues lie. That includes clarifying ownership of trade-offs between service levels, margins, and cash, and locking those choices regionally before attempting local optimization.
From there, she recommends standardizing a limited set of global inventory guardrails. These may include target ranges, decoupling points, and escalation rules. Within those boundaries, local teams should have the autonomy to fine-tune execution. “Standardize big picture, fine-tune locally,” Brown says. “Local fine-tuning is what’s going to actually get you your local advantage.” That advantage often shows up in customer responsiveness and improved service reliability.
Equally important is cadence. Inventory outcomes must be visible, tied to leadership goals, and reviewed consistently at the enterprise level. When teams understand how their decisions affect margins, cash flow, and service, alignment strengthens. “If we’re not winning, what are we doing to win?”
Embedding Supply Chain in Commercial Strategy
Optimized S&OP can’t exist in isolation from the broader business. Supply chain must be embedded in commercial and portfolio conversations from the outset of any new initiative. “Your S&OP process has to reinforce your strategy,” she says. “It can’t be opposing your strategy.”
Too often, supply chain is consulted after product launches or market expansions are already defined. “Let’s do it at the beginning,” Brown says. “Once we decide what we want to do, we actually know what we’re truly capable of.” Early integration clarifies network capacity, sourcing risk, carbon implications, and cost structure before commitments are made.
This philosophy extends to ESG and M&A activity as well. Inventory positioning, network design, and supplier choices influence not only financial performance but also resilience and sustainability. Treating supply chain as a strategic partner elevates its role from operational executor to enterprise architect.
From Better Forecasts to Better Decisions
Looking ahead, Brown expects AI to transform S&OP, but not in the way many anticipate. “Optimized S&OP won’t be about better forecasts,” she says. “It’ll actually be about faster scenario-based decisions.” Rather than relying on static monthly cycles, AI will continuously sense demand, simulate trade-offs across cost, service, risk, and carbon, and surface a concise set of actionable options.
Inventory will become dynamically positioned based on risk and value, not static targets. The focus shifts from forecasted demand to actual out-the-door consumption patterns. However, technology alone won’t guarantee better outcomes. Brown highlights three human capabilities that will only grow in importance: judgment, systems thinking, and change leadership. Leaders must determine which scenarios to accept, align teams around necessary trade-offs, and ensure the organization trusts the data.
“AI will spit out a tremendous amount of information,” she says. “You just have to understand how to work your way through what’s real and what’s not.” The differentiator will be the ability to separate signal from noise and act decisively.
For multinational businesses, optimizing S&OP and inventory isn’t about enforcing uniformity. It’s about designing a system that reflects strategic priorities, regional realities, and enterprise-wide discipline. When supply chain is embedded early, guardrails are clear, and decisions are scenario-driven, the function becomes a catalyst for growth rather than a constraint.
Follow Lisa W. Brown on LinkedIn at or visit her website for more insights.
