Demand Planner

Role Purpose

The Demand Planner role is to provide forecasting and proactive inventory planning improvement recommendations, with a key focus on accurate demand forecasting and a strong S&OP process; promote the Supply Chain department in a positive, professional, and proficient

manner; strive to achieve and exceed personal, departmental and Company targets. The position would cover the territory of the Benelux and the Dach regions.

Key Responsibilities

• The role of the DP covers consumer and professional sales in Benelux and the DACH area
• Forecast generation, analysing significant deviations, highlighting missing information and proposing solutions
• Hold monthly S&OP reviews with key stakeholders, prepare the agenda and gather data for S&OP’s
• Management of CRM project requirements and identification of forecast changes due to project wins, losses, or changes
• Work closely with Business Development managers to collaborate with customers and enhance/improve our forecast accuracy & stock availability
• Ensure timely communication of the forecast throughout the business, particularly before the S&OP cycle begins
• Proactively seek the information to improve the forecast, and chase through the information required to complete the process
• Forecast maintenance in the MAPICS system and any other Sylvania system – e.g. item, seasonality, forecast warehouse, data, etc
• Undertake Root Cause analysis to understand and improve forecast accuracy
• Work with the Master Planner to configure the planning tool to suit the warehouse's stocking requirements
• Management of logical warehouse and stock policy for consumer-dedicated logical warehouses
• Creation and control of the local Projects warehouse
• Work with EMEA Consumer teams to ensure Forecasts, Catalogue launches, are EPOS data are actioned
• Management of phase-out programmes with retailers managed by EMEA consumer channels.
• Maintain stock availability in line with forecasted sales, checking future stock
• Identify through analysis, opportunities to increase our OTIF KPI’s with customers
• Manage all data and service levels to ensure customers & customer ordering processes are aligned with where forecasts place our finished product
• Proactively seek the information to improve the forecast and chase through the information required to complete the process
• Undertake Root Cause analysis or PDCA to understand and improve forecast accuracy.
• Through regular review of projected stock levels, identify and communicate any potential out-of-stock issues, highlighting these and potential solutions to the Production or the Supply Planners
• Identify causes and manage the reduction of any excess stock created
• Support other demand planning and central supply chain colleagues to streamline activities further
• Manage all aspects of building & developing the supply chain model & plan for success within e-commerce
• Manage enquiries from the Sales Support team and help find alternative solutions to the enquiries
• The job holder may be required to undertake such other reasonable duties as may be required
• of their post, and company from time to time
• The job holder will be asked to travel throughout Europe and the UK and must hold the required travel documents
• It is the duty of every employee while at work to take reasonable care for the Health, Safety and Environment of himself and of other persons, who may be affected by his/her acts or omissions at work, and as regards any duty or requirement imposed on his/her employer or any other person by or under any of the relevant statutory provisions

Person Specification and Background

• Creative, resourceful, and able to think independently
• Strong Interpersonal & Stakeholder management skills
• Comfortable in using BI and Microsoft Office Tools e.g., Birst, Excel,
• ERP/MRP systems to manage data are highly desirable
• Proven problem-solving, planning, forecasting and analytical skills, high standard of numeracy
• Educated to degree or equivalent level. Professional qualification, e.g. CIPS also desirable but not mandatory
• Minimum of 3 years’ experience in a forecasting/ commercial analysis role
• Supply Chain background is highly desirable
• Far East/long lead time Supply Chain experience is highly desirable