Supply Planner (Fourways) at Leroy Merlin

Purpose of the role 

• The Supply Planner is responsible for managing and optimizing the supply chain to ensure that products are delivered in the right quantities, at the right time, and at the best possible cost to meet customer demand.
• The role focuses on balancing inventory levels, minimizing stockouts and overstocking, and ensuring smooth and efficient product flow from suppliers to distribution points.
• The Supply Planner will work closely with suppliers, distributors, and internal teams to forecast demand, manage stock replenishment, and continuously improve the overall supply chain process while maintaining data accuracy and quality in all operations.

Main responsibilities:

Placing Orders (Replenishment):

• Responsible for placing purchase orders that ensure products are ordered in the right quantities and delivered at the optimal time to avoid stock shortages or overstocking.

Category Performance Analysis:

• Conduct in-depth analysis of sales trends, customer demand, and category performance to assess the effectiveness of product selections. Use data-driven insights to make recommendations for product assortment, promotions, and future purchasing decisions to optimise category growth.

Inventory Control:

• Manage inventory levels across various locations, ensuring stock is adequate without leading to excess. Implement inventory management techniques such as forecasting, just-in-time inventory, and safety stock to reduce overstocks and improve efficiency.
• Building Relationships with Suppliers, Distributors, and Store Teams:
• Establish and nurture strong relationships with suppliers, distributors, and internal teams (such as store management) to streamline communication and resolve issues quickly. Foster collaboration to support mutual growth and operational efficiency.

Identifying Supply and Inventory Problems:

• Proactively monitor the supply chain to identify potential or actual supply chain issues such as stock shortages, delivery delays, or inventory overages. Conduct root cause analysis to determine underlying problems and develop actionable solutions to prevent recurrence.

Ensuring Availability of Products:

• Ensure the availability of all necessary products at every stage in the supply chain. Work closely with the demand planning team to forecast needs and communicate with suppliers to avoid stockouts, especially for high-demand or seasonal items.

Stock Rotation Management:

• Implement effective stock rotation practices working closely with warehouse and store teams to ensure compliance with stock rotation policies.

Improving Supply Chain Costs:

• Continuously seek opportunities to optimise the supply chain and reduce operational costs without compromising quality or service levels. Identify opportunities for improvement and collaborate with stakeholders to implement.

Managing On-Time, In-Full Deliveries (OTIF):

• Oversee the fulfilment of supplier orders, ensuring that all deliveries meet the "On-Time, In-Full" (OTIF) standard, with products arriving at the right time, in the right condition, and in the correct quantity. Address any issues related to delays or incomplete deliveries swiftly.

Ensuring Supply Chain Data Quality:

• Ensure that all supply chain data (e.g., order quantities, lead times, delivery schedules) is accurate, up-to-date, and readily available for analysis and decision-making. Maintain data integrity across systems, collaborating with IT and data management teams where necessary.

Requirements:

The successful candidate should have the following skills, experience and attributes:

• Relevant Supply Chain qualification
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in Retail Merchandise Planning & Replenishment
• Excellent communication skills
• Ability to plan, multi-task and manage time effectively
• Ability to lead and influence
• Self-confident, hardworking and lives by example
• Team player who is also comfortable with working as an individual
• Strong analytical skills