Demand Planner

Main Purpose of the Role:

To own and administrate local company sales forecasting and demand management for their respective categories across Gulf markets.

Main Accountabilities:

Base Demand Plan

• Identify the right historical sales horizon to use for the baseline generation
• Clean the historical sales data from any outliers
• Identify the most appropriate statistical forecasting algorithm and models that should be used
• Generate the baseline using the model selected and adjust where necessary
• Communicate the generated baselines to relevant stakeholders

New Product Demand (NPD) Plan

• Analyse the NPD bottoms up volumes provided by the Sales & Marketing team by using like model and scenario planning techniques
• Challenge the NPD volumes (if required) then incorporate them in the demand plan
• Work closely with Supply Chain and Category teams to ensure landing the NPD OTIF in all markets
• Monitor the NPD performance for the first 3 months and highlight the need to amend forward forecast to the Category team

Facilitate the Demand Planning Process:

• Own the forecast in any of the S&OP meetings (monthly cycle) and in the weekly operational meetings
• Build the activities (that are over and above the baselines) provided by the Sales & Marketing teams
• Maintain an assumptions tracker that would be used to evaluate the performance of the activity and challenge volumes going forward
• Present the exceptions in the activity meeting and facilitate the process of reaching consensus on the final agreed unconstrained demand
• Minute all the forecast changes that take place in any forum to ensure all stakeholders are aligned
• Upload agreed unconstrainted demand in APO, ensuring Master Data related to each product is maintained on system to ensure accurate data flow
• Send finance a constrained plan basis the demand and supply reconciliation output

Communication with Extended Supply Chain

• Communicate the most updated demand plan with the relevant Supply Planning and Customer Service teams
• Work with Customer Service team to ensure stocks availability in all markets and to develop scenarios to mitigate supply gaps (if any) through demand adjustments
• Ensure the promotional plans are aligned with the Promotions team

Continuous Improvement

• Analyse forecast accuracy and bias to identify and implement process enhancements to improve these KPI’s
• Present the KPI’s to the Category team in order to find ways to improve them
• Champion the development of changes to current processes
• Coach the Category team on forecasting techniques to facilitate discussions while simultaneously improving KPIs