RG Barry Brands | Demand Planner | columbus, oh

Basic Function:The Demand Planner / Planning Analyst is responsible for maximizing inventory and service levels via accurate and timeline sku forecasting along with being the systems / reporting expert to support other demand planners. Person needs to apply exceptional quantitative analytical skills, data modeling, data reporting, statistical modeling, and leverage knowledge of retail and forecasting to deliver actionable insights to Management and key cross-functional stakeholders including Supply Planning, Logistics, Account Support, Finance, Sales, and Merchandising. This role is a great opportunity for the right individual to come in and immediately advance the quantitative function of demand planning along with learn the business by demand planning some of the smaller accounts. Demand Planner / Planning Analyst will have the option to grow into a Demand Planner / Sr. Demand Planner, Supply Planner, Business Intelligence Analyst, Sales Reporting & Analyst, etc. in the future.Specific Responsibilities:Efficient and effective rollup of individuals demand plans for aggregate reporting, comparison, etc. Provide leadership and business partners knowledge and insights.Subject Matter Expert in maintaining and distributing specific departmental tools used by all demand planners such as Sigma BI Reporting, Excel Forecasting tools, Data warehouses, etc.Conducts monthly forecast accuracy analysis and provides recap to manager and other demand planners for reflection and learning.Must be efficient and/or contain the right skill sets and interests to be an expert in Power Query, Sequel, & BI Tools (Sigma used here - similar to Tableau)Provides standardized and ad-hoc analysis including but not limited to the following: Customer Point Of Sale Data; Shipments; At-once Orders; Cancelation Rates; Order Expectation Curves; Size Analysis and Curves; Customer Adoption Patterns; Price Sensitivity; New Product Launches; Life Cycle Analysis; Pareto Curves; Lost Demand Due to Out-of-Stocks (at retail and wholesale); Customer Fill Rates; Service Levels; Return Rates; etc.Collaborates with supply planning and determine secondary channels options for inventory canceled by customers.Collaborates with Sales, Merchandising and customers to develop pre-season assortment plans and demand forecasts for customer accounts, sku, by month. This includes year-over-year, side-by-side comparisons as well as progress against strategic objectives.Creates and maintains demand forecasts submitted monthly to Supply Planning and Finance which extends out months into the future with a cascading level of product granularity, ultimately down to SKU for purchasing. These demand forecasts will be used for long-range supply chain network capacity planning; materials planning; volume and cost negotiations; product range rationalization and life-cycle management; inventory management and liquidation cadence; and purchasing finished goods. These demand forecasts should be aligned to the given top-down guardrails and guidance.Documents forecast methodology, inputs, assumptions and identify drivers that are changing the forecast month over month. Identify levels of demand risk, inventory risk, and confidence level with each monthly submission.Monitors and measures individual account forecast accuracy and volatility. Diagnoses, categorizes, quantifies, and summarizes root causes of inaccuracy, poor service levels, and higher-than-expected excess and obsolete inventory. Leverages the results of this analysis in future forecasting process improvement. Assists in auditing and cleansing the customer sales order/demand pool by analyzing order backlogs, cancelations, supply allocation inside lead-time, and forecast and bulk order consumption. Alerts Supply Planning as to demand inaccuracy risks and suggest corrective action to the Account Support Team.Attends and provides inputs into regular cross-functional meetings such as Buy Meetings, Inventory Meetings, Business Reviews, etc. Prepares to provide insight and propose actions to mitigate risks and capitalize on opportunities.Qualifications and Competencies:Requires a minimum of undergraduate degree or equivalent, preferably in the area of Supply Chain, Mathematics, Statistics, Economics, Operations Research, or other quantitative business discipline is required.At least 1 - 5 year of experience in Demand Planning, Business Intelligence / Analytics, Forecasting, or other related field is required. Experience in Wholesale Customer/Account Service and/or Finance a plus. Footwear or apparel industry experience is a plus.Must have outstanding computer analytical skills working with large datasets, including advanced Excel; MS Access or other database management tools; and reporting/analysis, data mining and manipulation tools such as Tableau / Sigma, Business Objects, Crystal Reports, MicroStrategy, SQL, etc. Must be able to learn new systems and tools quickly.Basic programing knowledge is a plus. Sequel, VBA, Power Queries, etc.Must have excellent quantitative skills including statistical and financial analysis. Apply quantitative methods both predictively and diagnostically to identify root causes and improve processes and outcomes.Excellent planning, organization, coordination, problem-solving and follow-through skills are required.Ability to function independently and take initiative. Must take accountability and responsibility for your actions and decisions.Needs to be a passionate customer-oriented mindset with demonstrated deep sense of urgency and attention to detail is a must.Strong written and verbal communication skills, including both presentation to leadership and interpersonal skills. Must be able to document facts, changes, assumptions and models in an easily understood format, and present them clearly is required.Listens effectively, seek opinions, anticipate issues, be prepared to challenge others but also embrace consensus.Readily adapts to change and changing priorities. Effectively manages time, including multiple tasks/projects and consistently meeting deadlines.Must have a knowledge of broader Wholesale business processes and must be familiar with supply chain management, order fulfillment, inventory management.Ability to collaborate effectively in cross-functional teams, influencing others in a productive and professional manner, including remote and external resources is required.

Created: 2024-11-28