Forecasting Worst Practice #8: Ghost Demand from Discontinued Products That Never Leave the System

This worst practice is not just in SAP IBP.  This is common across many systems.

Forecast accuracy gets scrutiny. Master data accuracy deserves the same.

One missed field in the Product Master. Months of planning noise. Here’s how ghost demand haunts your supply chain.

One missed master data update can create months — or even years — of planning noise, especially where safety stock recalculations run on long historical windows.

Sometimes the biggest threat to forecast quality isn’t demand variability.

It’s a product that should have been retired but never officially left the system.

💡 Master data isn’t administrative housekeeping. It’s a critical planning asset.

👇 How does your organization govern End-of-Life products and prevent ghost demand from creeping into forecasts?

Master data isn’t housekeeping — it’s a planning asset, and ghost demand proves it. Explore our demand planning consulting services or contact us for a master data and forecast health audit

Read: SAP IBP Worst Practices WP7 — Planning with Average Lead Times That Never Get Updated.

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