1.0 Importance of Information Sharing The purpose of this paper is to explain what happens as information is passed throughout an organization. Specifically, this paper will offer insights into what happens to information as it is passed from the decision making body of the Bobby Lawrence Karate Training Center down the information pipeline to ultimately end up in hands of karate students, friends and family. To accomplish this task, I will discuss the following topics:Problems associated with forecasting/predicting the future and some suggestions for minimizing dependencies on forecastsA quantifiable example of what happens to information in a supply chain settingThe qualitative applications of the principles learned from the quantitative exampleIn writing this paper it is not my intention to criticize or condemn. I will draw on my experiences with the information pipeline found in the Bobby Lawrence organization and my knowledge of supply chain management to provide an objective look into information sharing. It is my hope that this document is used to bring attention to an important issue faced by many companies, and that it will be used as a starting point for continual improvement.1.2 FORECASTING THE FUTURE Forecasting the future is a major struggle for any company in any industry. There is no right or wrong way to do it, but all companies must make their best attempt to do so in order to be competitive. For example, a retailer must have goods on the shelf when a customer walks into the store to make a purchase. The time of purchase is the moment in which demand exists. In order that the goods be in the store at the time demand exists, the retailer must order the goods in advance based on some prediction of what demand will be in the future.There are several methods commonly used across industries to try and predict future demand. Historical averages are sometimes used to establish trends from which expectations for futu...
