Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Incremental Planner

🎯 Role Definition

The Incremental Planner is the engine of our operational planning process. Unlike traditional long-range planners, this individual focuses on the near-term horizon, executing a continuous cycle of analysis, forecasting, and adjustment. You will act as a central hub, connecting data from sales, marketing, and operations to make data-driven decisions that balance supply with demand on a daily and weekly basis. Your primary goal is to improve forecast accuracy, optimize inventory, and mitigate risks minute-by-minute, ensuring our supply chain is agile, efficient, and exceptionally responsive to market changes.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Supply Chain Analyst
Junior Demand/Supply Planner
Inventory Analyst
Data Analyst (with a focus on operations)

Advancement To:

Senior Incremental Planner
Demand Planning Manager
Supply Planning Manager
S&OP (Sales & Operations Planning) Manager

Lateral Moves:

Business Intelligence Analyst
Operations Planner / Manager
Logistics Planner

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Develop and maintain short-term, rolling demand forecasts using statistical models, machine learning, and real-time market intelligence.
Continuously analyze and adjust inventory parameters, including safety stock levels, reorder points, and lot sizes, to optimize for service levels and working capital.
Monitor daily and weekly sales and shipment data against the forecast, identifying deviations and executing rapid, incremental adjustments to the supply and demand plan.
Lead weekly cross-functional "health-check" meetings to review forecast accuracy, inventory health, and service level performance, driving consensus and immediate action plans.
Analyze root causes of forecast errors and supply disruptions, implementing corrective actions and process improvements to enhance planning agility and resilience.
Manage the allocation of available inventory to competing demands during periods of supply constraint, optimizing for customer satisfaction and profitability.
Develop сценарий models and perform what-if analysis to assess the impact of potential demand fluctuations or supply disruptions on inventory and service.
Partner with logistics and warehouse teams to ensure a smooth flow of goods, anticipate potential bottlenecks, and optimize transportation schedules.

Manage the product lifecycle from a planning perspective, including new product introductions (NPI) and end-of-life (EOL) transitions, to minimize obsolescence.

Drive the tactical execution of the Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) or Integrated Business Planning (IBP) process at a granular, operational level.
Identify, quantify, and communicate risks and opportunities in the demand and supply plan, developing mitigation and contingency strategies.
Act as the primary point of contact for all short-term operational planning inquiries, providing data-driven insights and actionable recommendations.
Maintain master data integrity within the planning systems, including lead times, safety stocks, and other critical parameters to ensure system accuracy.
Evaluate and manage supplier performance factors such as lead time reliability and on-time delivery to improve supply chain predictability.
Conduct detailed analysis of customer order patterns and channel-specific trends to enhance the granularity and accuracy of the short-term forecast.
Champion a culture of continuous improvement and data-driven decision-making within the planning organization and with cross-functional partners.
Prepare and present executive summaries on planning performance, highlighting key trends, insights, and action plans for senior leadership.
Utilize advanced planning systems (APS) and ERP data to generate and manage purchase orders or production signals, ensuring timely and efficient replenishment.
Collaborate closely with sales and marketing teams to gather real-time inputs on promotions, competitive activity, and market shifts to refine the plan.
Translate business requirements and market intelligence into actionable, time-phased supply and inventory plans.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis to uncover business insights.
Contribute to the organization's data strategy and the continuous improvement fatores of planning tools and roadmaps.
Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering and system requirements.
Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the broader supply chain and data teams.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Advanced Planning Systems (APS): Hands-on experience with at least one major APS tool such as Kinaxis RapidResponse, Blue Yonder (JDA), o9 Solutions, or Anaplan.
ERP Proficiency: Strong working knowledge of ERP systems (e.g., SAP S/4HANA, Oracle Fusion/NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics 365) for data extraction and master data management.
Advanced Excel & Data Modeling: Mastery of Microsoft Excel, including Power Query, Power Pivot, complex formulas, and building robust data models.
Data Querying: Proficiency广告 in SQL for pulling, joining, and manipulating large datasets from relational databases.
Data Visualization: Experience creating dashboards and reports using tools like Tableau, Power BI, or Qlik to communicate performance故事 and insights.
Statistical Forecasting: Solid understanding of statistical forecasting methods (e.g., moving averages, exponential smoothing, ARIMA) and他们的 practical application.

Soft Skills

Analytical & Quantitative Mindset: A deep-seated ability to dissect complex problems, interpret data, and use quantitative methods to drive decisions.
Influential Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with a talent for simplifying complex topics and influencing cross-functional stakeholders.
High-Velocity-Decision Making: The ability to make sound, data-backed judgments quickly and confidently in a fast-paced, ever-changing environment.
Extreme Ownership & Proactivity: A results-oriented mindset with a proactive approach to identifying and ação on opportunities and risks.
Adaptability & Resilience: The capacity to thrive in ambiguity, manage competing priorities, and remain effective under pressure.
Collaborative Problem-Solver: A natural team player who builds strong relationships and works effectively across departments to achieve common goals.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited university or college.

Preferred Education:

Master's Degree (MBA, MS) or relevant professional certification (e.g., APICS, CSCP, CPIM, IBF CPF).

Relevant Fields of Study:

Supply Chain Management
Business Administration (with a quantitative focus)
Operations Research
Statistics / Mathematics
Industrial Engineering
Economics

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3-7 years of progressive experience in a demand planning, supply planning, or inventory management role.

Preferred:

Experience in a fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG/CPG), retail, e-commerce, or high-tech manufacturing environment.
Demonstrated success in improving forecast accuracy, optimizing inventory, and enhancing service levels.
Proven experience working within a formal S&OP or Integrated Business Planning (IBP) process.