Senior Specialist Demand Planning at MultiChoice

Key Performance Objectives

Tasks

Demand planning

• Manage and execute demand planning for the business for devices and accessories working with key account manager to prepare run rate documents (how much stock to buy, sell, inventory levels on hand)
• Calculate and determine demand forecast at multiple levels which incorporates current and accurate market information that allows the company to correctly predict demand and provide its supply chain with the appropriate information to plan how to meet that customer demand
• Manage and execute demand planning for the business for devices and accessories working with key account manager to prepare run rate documents (how much stock to buy, sell, inventory levels on hand)
• Research and identify demand drivers, relevant market-related data and competitive intelligence that feed into demand planning and forecast
• Highlight gaps in the demand plan and implement necessary actions
• Facilitate and manage demand planning/customer meetings
• Provide input to volume planning
• Develop a more permanent digital cloud-based solution for supply chain planning and innovate the demand process
• Collaborate with Finance to ensure that demand planning is in line with business financial targets

Forecasting

• Review historical sales trends and prepare forecast data
• Develop statistical forecast models (excel models) and evaluate forecast results
• Validate sales forecasting against seasonal marketing calendars
• Provide input for sales budgeting in accordance with demand and forecasting
• Accumulate sales demand and sales forecast into supply chain management document
• Refine systems and methods to continually improve forecasts so that the company can better anticipate customer needs
• Coordinate cross-functional research activities to reconcile significant variances and refine the forecast model to reflect updated sales and marketing assumptions
• Monitor activities once started and highlight variances where they differ from the sales forecast and identify potential service issues or wastage issues

Inventory Management

• Provide input to the supply planning in developing inventory strategies on existing items, new products, and product phase-outs.
• Track and update purchase orders and deliveries
• Track and verify warehouse inventory levels
• Monitor activation rates
• Responsible for SAP inventory administration and integration elements with group entities

Reporting

• Help report and measure sales report performance
• Prepare and maintain relevant reports pertaining to demand planning process
• Provide timely and accurate reports in accordance with business and management requirements

Stakeholder Relations

• Improve relationships among internal stakeholders, which will lead to effective knowledge sharing and an optimal consensus forecast to better guide the company
• Work closely and build close relations with customer supply chain contacts to deliver optimum product availability
• Provide specialised and technical support to internal and external stakeholders to ensure achievement of functional and organisational objectives

Qualifications

• A Degree in Supply Chain Management, Planning or Analytical statistics

Experience

• A minimum of 5-8 years demand planning
• Retail or supply chain planning
• SAP inventory management experience preferably at a Super User level
• Proficiency in statistics, forecasting and forecasting methods with an understanding of their financial and operational impacts
• Strong experience in Demand and Supply Planning