Planning Manager Sheet Street at Mr Price Group

your purpose

• To control, monitor and co-ordinate the departmental merchandise plans thus ensuring sales, profit and stock targets are set so that company strategic objectives are met by guiding the merchandise planners and recommending action to the merchandise executives.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

your key responsibilities

Achievement of Financial Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s):

• Ensure that all review plans are met as agreed in respect of sales, price marked on (pmo), markdowns, stock levels and stock turn on a seasonal basis, as well as a financial year basis to achieve KPIs.
• Provide ongoing feedback around KPI’s and targets to merchandise managers, buying and planning teams to ensure targets are communicated.

 Strategic Planning:

• Strategize company objectives by department through the assortment mix in respect of sales, pmo, markdowns, stock levels (and relevant KPI’s) and stock turn based on post-seasonal analysis to provide these objectives to the merchant teams.
• Liaise with merchandise managers in identifying promotional and volume opportunities to maximize profit.
• Facilitate the strategic shifts of widths & depth, unit buys & grading using trend information for assortment plans to maximize product spend.
• Develop the season strategy pack with Planning Executive to be presented at Board meeting.
• Determine seasonal planning process. I.e.: Critical path to ensure correct flow of stock.
• Manage the strategy planning process and reconciling between Merchants and location to formulate a holistic strategy.
• Oversee system usage of Merchandise planners pre-season to ensure that all systems are being effectively updated.

Company Roll-Ups:

• Prepare pack for Sheet Street Management Meeting after consultation with merchandise managers to ensure accurate information is communicated to team.
• Prepare packs required for merchandise strategy sessions to ensure planning elements are consolidated.
• Manage internal systems (RPAS) through managers targets on a monthly basis to ensure strategic numbers are achieved by each room.
• Ensure that roll-up of department plans is in line with Merchant financial plan in season to ensure targets are met.
• Identify out-of-line situations to recommend action plan in response.
• Ensure in season plans reconcile to location planning numbers in the roll-up’s.

Department Planning:

• Ensure RPAS plans are completed timeously to ensure accurate information is updated OTIF (On Time In Full).
• Ensure planners provide accurate assortment plans to buyers timeously to effectively build assortments.
• Co-ordinate markdowns in respect of budget, timing and communication to stores to ensure execution.
• Ensure stock levels are in line with review & Budget to avoid loss.

Test & Trend:

• Ensure test product is strategized, along with Trend, in time for the Post mortem and strategy sessions.
• Ensure that assortment plans are completed for test to be presented at review.
• Weekly analysis of test products to report against strategic plan.
• Develop reports for Trend to report on performance against strategic calls in season.

Stores & Competitors:

• Perform regular store visits to identify acceptability of seasonal offer and to maintain link with operations & Location planning. Regular Store visits of key competitors to keep abreast of competitors by doing shop outs, perusing marketing material, marketing campaigns
• Maintain clear positioning of fashion / value matrix of all key competitors to maximize value positioning.

 Supply Chain:

• Attend key supplier appointments with Merchandise managers & resource manager to maintain good relationships while negotiating best conditions i.e. price, quality, deliveries where appropriate.
• Take action on DC efficient KPI’s that relate to assortment planning to ensure that product is delivered to the right store at the right time in the right quantities.

Order / Stock Administration and Control:

• Ensure orders are placed timeously and in line with Open To Buy through reports within assortment planning in order for stock to arrive on time.
• Ensure that merchandise department adheres to strategic plan for company in order to meet targets.
• Ensure closing stocks are managed for end of season & half/full year.

 Systems:

• Liaise with systems on enhancements to current applications and proposals for new applications.
• Liaison with systems when computers or applications are down to minimize downtime.
• Complete documentation of specifications for systems to manage the merchandise process.
• Liaise with systems and training around group systems, (RPAS, APS, etc) to ensure relevant processes are applied.
• Attend group sessions to understand and contribute to the RPAS systems, Retail Forum Bug Fixes and Enhancements, Assortment Planning & other group initiatives and use within the division.

 People:

• Assist in the recruitment of merchants to ensure the right people join the team.
• Help to identify development needs along with Merch managers to develop team.
• Help to manage performance of people along with Merch managers to effectively manage performance.
• Build relationships with other departments heads to facilitate dialog.
• Implement action points arising from culture survey to ensure positive results from team.

requirements

Education:

• A Finance-related University Degree

Experience:

• 2 Years’ experience in a Planning Manager role or a Senior Planner with People Management experience

Knowledge/ Skills:

• Retail planning/demand and supply and merchant processes.
• Business understanding of Mr Price Group systems will be advantageous (RPAS Planning, Oracle ERP, Demand and Fulfilment, Tableau, e-Focus, Redworld).