Aaron Peterson

Demand can change in an instant. A flash promotion takes off faster than expected. An influencer post sends a niche SKU into the stratosphere. A heat wave flips seasonal demand on its head. And suddenly, your forecast—carefully crafted weeks ago—feels like yesterday’s weather report. This is where demand signal management earns its keep. Instead of reacting too late or overreacting too early, it helps supply chain teams interpret what’s really happening and respond with confidence. For retailers and consumer brands navigating constant demand volatility, it’s the difference between chasing noise and acting on insight.   The problem: demand forecasts lag reality Traditional forecasting has a fundamental challenge: timing. Forecasts are built on historical patterns and planning cadences that move at a measured pace, but demand levels today won’t wait for the next planning cycle. Modern demand shocks often arrive without warning: a promotional discount goes viral, a competitor runs out of stock, weather drives sudden regional swings, or a trend outpaces merchandising plans. In these moments, planners face a familiar tension. React too slowly, and shelves go empty. React too aggressively, and you’re stuck with excess inventory once the spike fades.   What demand signals are (and what they aren’t)…

Stay up to date on all the latest conversations, interviews, and episodes we released this week here at Supply Chain Now! We started this week off with an episode of Supply Chain Now as Scott Luton chats with Lora Cecere and Dr. Madhav Durbha, Vice President of Supply Chain Strategy for Coupa Software. In Monday’s episode of This Week In Business History, Scott Luton talks about the history and development of video games- from the origins of Atari to the companies that are currently dominating the market. On Tuesday, we republished a classic TEKTOK episode with host Karin Bursa. In this episode, Karin shares six strategies for greater supply chain resilience. On Wednesday’s Supply Chain Now episode, Scott had a great conversation with culture expert, author, and speaker Ray Attiyah with Run Improve Grow. Scott and Ray talk about the key points in his new book, Fearless Front Line: The Key to Liberating Leaders to Improve & Grow Their Business. On Thursday, we released another episode of Supply Chain Now with host Scott Luton and special co-host Allison Giddens. Scott and Allison welcome Chad Molen with NIMBL, and Dan Reeve with Esker to the show. On Friday, we released the…