---
id: what-does-the-crawl-stage-of-ibp-focus-on
title: "What does the Crawl stage of IBP focus on?"
category: faq
subtopic: crawl-sop-foundation
page_type: faq
source_url: "https://neosbyargonandco.com/the-crawl-walk-run-path-to-ibp-for-mid-sized-companies"
tags: ["S&OP", "crawl stage", "planning process", "foundation"]
questions:
  - "What is the crawl phase of IBP?"
  - "How do I build a strong S&OP process?"
  - "What should we focus on in the first stage of IBP?"
related: [ibp-framework, walk-finance-integration]
---

The Crawl stage builds a reliable, cross-functional monthly planning process that forms the foundation for IBP. The focus is on establishing rhythm and accountability-not technology.

Key activities include aligning demand and supply plans, creating a formal planning calendar with regular meetings, introducing cross-functional participation (supply chain, sales, operations), and establishing a single source of truth for data. Success means S&OP meetings happen regularly and result in decisions, forecasts are reviewed collaboratively, and teams trust the process enough to act on it.

As Oliver Wight notes in his best practices: "IBP maturity starts with a consistent, credible S&OP process. Without that, nothing else sticks." Companies that master this foundation progress fastest. Let neos by Argon & Co help you build the cultural and operational discipline that enables later integration.