The importance of non-technological factors on CPFR implementation

According to the Voluntary Interindustry Commerce Standards [VICS], Collaborative Planning, Forecasting, and Replenishment [CPFR] is based on the standardization, registration and electronic synchronization of data, supported by collaborative management among companies (VICS, 2004). Based on this definition, it can be concluded that there are two dominant factors in the implementation of CPFR: one essentially technological and the other non-technological. In this context, the main purpose of this study is to identify the so-called non-technological factors involved in CPFR reported in the literature and to analyze them in real situations. The importance of these factors is then analyzed through the study of two real cases of CPFR implementation, the first in a large fast food network and the second at a wholesale food distributor operating in Brazil. The main findings indicate that the demand forecast conducted by the company that coordinates CPFR carries the most weight in the understanding of demand by the companies of the whole supply chain, that the collaborative culture is considered a very important factor in the relationships along the chain (albeit not essential to the implementation of processes), and that the monitoring of activities is fundamental in aligning the companies with CPFR management.