Demand Planning Maturity Assessment Template

A demand planning maturity assessment shows where your planning process stands today, where you want it to be and which gaps matter most, using a simple scale applied across the same dimensions every time. This page lays out the structure of a maturity assessment template that you can build in Excel or Google Sheets: the levels, the dimensions, the scoring columns and the priority calculation, with a checked example. It is not a downloadable file. It sits within demand planning and inventory optimization and works well alongside the demand planning audit checklist and planning transformation. The next guides are team structure for growing companies and how to hire an S&OP consultant. The finance view is in cash flow management.

The five levels

Use the same scale for every dimension.

The dimensions

Eight dimensions cover most of what matters: governance and ownership, data, forecasting method, performance measurement, inventory policy, cross-functional process, tools and people. For each dimension, write one short description per level so that scorers choose from evidence and not from feel. For example, under data: level 1, item and lead time data are incomplete and not checked; level 3, ownership and quality checks exist for key fields; level 5, automated checks and reconciliation run on every load.

The scoring sheet

One row per dimension. Columns: Dimension, Current level (1 to 5), Target level (1 to 5), Gap (target minus current), Importance (1 to 3, how much this dimension limits results), Priority score (gap times importance), Evidence (what you saw), Owner and Next step. Add a summary row with the average current level and the average target.

A checked example

Suppose the scores are as follows (illustrative).

The current levels sum to 2 + 1 + 2 + 1 + 2 + 2 + 3 + 2 = 15, an average of 15 / 8 = 1.9. The targets sum to 4 + 4 + 3 + 3 + 4 + 4 + 3 + 3 = 28, an average of 3.5. Priority scores are gap times importance: 2 × 3 = 6, 3 × 3 = 9, 1 × 2 = 2, 2 × 3 = 6, 2 × 2 = 4, 2 × 3 = 6, 0 × 1 = 0 and 1 × 2 = 2. Data scores highest at 9, followed by three dimensions at 6. The priority list is therefore data first, then governance, measurement and cross-functional process, with tools last. This matches a common pattern: tools often score best because they are the most visible investment, while data and ownership lag. In Excel, the gap and priority are simple formulas, and a sort by priority gives the action order.

How to run it

Have several people score independently, then compare. Ask for evidence for any score above 3. Discuss differences, which often show where functions see the process differently. Set targets according to what the business needs, not to the top of the scale: a company with a modest catalog may not need level 5 in every dimension. Repeat the assessment every six to twelve months and keep the history. Pair the scores with the metrics: forecast bias, fill rate, aged stock and days of inventory, so that maturity is linked to results.

Want a working version?

If you would like a working version tailored to your company, with descriptors written for your products and channels and a facilitated scoring session, contact us and tell us what you want to learn.