Richard C. (Dick) Ling Dick is recognized as the creator of Sales and Operations Planning and well regarded as an educator, speaker and consultant. He coauthored the first book on Sales and Operations Planning. After graduating from the University of Rochester, Dick joined IBM where he gained valuable experience helping manufacturing companies utilize the computer. The most notable of these was Wilmot Castle Co., in the early sixties when Dick helped them implement time phased, level by level requirements planning before it was called MRP. Dick’s interest in manufacturing applications led him to Arista Information Systems in North Carolina where he implemented MRP systems for companies such as Ingersoll Rand and Warner & Swasey in the early seventies. He and his staff developed MRP software with the first Master Scheduling capability in the industry. This software also had the first planning bill capability. Ollie Wight recognized what Dick was accomplishing at Arista and he asked him to conduct “Hands on MRP” class for the Oliver Wight companies in 1974. Dick ran that class with Walt Goddard and in later years with Al Stevens and John Sari. Ollie decided to expand his education offering and asked several people to join him to conduct education classes and consult with clients. Dick became an Education Associate in 1979 and worked with the Oliver Wight organization until 1992. He conducted classes in the US, the UK and Australia, helping to grow the business and groom other instructors. Dick’s specialties were the Master Scheduling class and The Sales and Operation Planning class which he authored. Ollie Wight passed away in 1983 with cancer and Dick was tapped to be a teacher in the Top Management class. Dick was teaching a class in Chicago when he got some valuable feedback from a General Manager who was in attendance. He said “Dick, I don’t get it. You say that sales and marketing, finance, operations and engineering, need to be involved in aggregate planning which you call Production Planning. Why do you call It Production Planning”? The term Sales and Operations planning was born. Dick launched the first Sales and Operations class for the Oliver Wight Companies in 1985. In 1987, he co-authored the Book Orchestrating Success which was the first book about Sales and Operations Planning. Dick began collaborating with Andy Coldrick, who had joined Oliver Wight in 1986.That collaboration lasted 28 years until Andy’s death in 2014. They worked together at Oliver Wight, and as a duo in Ling-Coldrick from 1986 till 2014. In 2009 they self-published “Breakthrough S&OP, An Assessment Guide”. Dick would like to dedicate his efforts in this book to Andy who he worked with for so many years and had so much respect for. In addition to Education and consulting with numerous clients, Dick has been a prolific speaker at APICS events. He spoke at 27 straight international conferences and over 500 APICS events. In 2000, APICS presented Dick with a lifetime achievement award for his contributions to APICS. Dick and his Wife, Natalie, live in North Carolina. They have three children and 5 grandchildren and one great grandchild.
