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Job description / Role
Main purpose of the role:
- To own, facilitate, and administrate local company sales forecasting and demand management for his/her respective country across Levant & Iraq.
Main Accountabilities:
A Base Demand Plan
- Analyze historical demand and filter out outliers (exceptions from the norm).
- Outliers will be identified based on historical trends and knowledge of the various brands, however, by exception; they would be identified in conjunction with discussions with the category teams.
- Identify the most appropriate statistical forecasting algorithm
- Develop the base demand plan using the most appropriate statistical forecasting algorithm and make adjustments where necessary
- Understand the variance of base from consumer demand signal & proposes ways to continuously improve by working with customer to align base (e.g. customer base forecast, Unilever base forecast)
- Communicate base to stakeholders for agreement (customer, category & marketing) upon amendment
- Incorporate consumer demand signal into forecast, cleansing consumer (e.g. EPOS) signal as required for OSA, quality defects, understanding differences & analyzing for patterns (e.g. OSA, quality, CCFOT). Works with CS, customer, FGI planning & SU to minimize variances.
- Event Management plan: (weekly & monthly process)
- Works with customer to manage events (activities management process) of above the line activities, below the line activities, documenting assumptions and holding accountable category/country to ensure activation grid is up-to-date with robust objectives for each event.
- Review events with cross-functional team to ensure efficiency of events is continuously improved in forward plan for the short, medium & long-term business plan.
New product demand (NPD) plan
- Generate the new product forecast using the historical substitution and like modeling / scenario planning techniques agreed with Marketing and Category Management
- Monitors NPD weekly in first 13 weeks and highlights any variance from forecasts using underlying, documented assumptions to category/customer/marketing to minimize bias & maximize CCFOT upon launch.
- Model's total lifecycle of NPD (i.e. decline phase), working with category, marketing & development for replacement strategy of NPD, through launch, growth flat & decline phases.
Facilitate the Demand Planning Process: (weekly and monthly process)
- Before the monthly meeting, identify and analyses exceptions to be discussed. Raise the exceptions telephonically with the relevant Channel/Account Manager or Category Manager if applicable.
- Present the exceptions at the monthly meeting and facilitate the process of reaching consensus on the final forecast number if the volumes presented seem under or overstated.
- Question the activity based volume projections based on the success or failure of past activities.
- Document assumptions for base & changes. Facilitate events discussions, documenting the event objectives and circulating to relevant team members (e.g. marketing, finance)
- Agree the demand plan.
Communication with extended Supply Chain
- Works with Customer Service Leaders to develop scenarios to change the phasing of demand to address supply gaps
- Communicates scenarios to change the phasing of demand to Country Managers and agrees appropriate action
Continuous improvement
- Analyze forecast accuracy and bias and identify and implement process enhancements to improve these KPI's
- Communicate forecast accuracy and bias information to Category, Marketing and Channel/Account Managers to motivate improvements
- Champion the development of changes / additions to current processes
- Coach Category, Marketing and Channel/Account Managers on forecasting techniques to improve forecasting accuracy
- Healthy portfolio Management - make delisting proposal for non performing products
- Manage Master Data for the local portfolio
- Manage operational data flow within the S&OP cycle ensuring correct allocation of forecasted demand.
Customer Service orientation
- Understand the impact of the customer buying pattern
- Understands impact of OSA and CCFOT on base forecast & works with CS & Customer to monitor, manage and improve Point of Purchase Availability (OSA) and CCFOT
- Effectively communicates with and engages the Customer on operational issues
Key relationships
- Cross functional interface (Customer Development [Category Operations, Channel/Account Management], Brand Building, Supply Chain [Customer Service, Supply Planning], and Finance
- External interaction with the customer
- Interaction and exposure to senior management
Requirements
Key Skills:
- Producing Baseline Forecast
- Integrating New Product Demand and Event Forecasts
- Communicating Plans and Constraints
- Using Information Technology
Relevant Experience:
- Engineering Degree.
- 2+ years of Experience as Demand Planner.
- Proficient in MS Office
About the Company
Unilever is one of the leading FMCG company with 400 brands spanning 14 categories of home, personal care and foods products, no other company touches so many people's lives in so many different ways.
Our brand portfolio has made us leaders in every field in which we work. It ranges from much-loved world favourites including Lipton, Knorr, Dove and Omo, to trusted local brands such as Blue Band and Suave.
From comforting soups to warm a winter's day, to sensuous soaps that make you feel fabulous, our products help people get more out of life.
We're constantly enhancing our brands to deliver more intense, rewarding product experiences. We invest €1 billion every year in cutting edge research and development, and have five laboratories around the world that explore new thinking and techniques to help develop our products.