Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Inventory Control Analyst

🎯 Role Definition

The Inventory Control Analyst is responsible for maintaining inventory accuracy, driving continuous improvement in stock management processes, and delivering timely, actionable inventory reporting to operations, procurement, and finance partners. This role owns cycle count programs, performs variance reconciliations, investigates shrinkage and discrepancies, configures system inventory settings in ERP/WMS, and partners cross-functionally to optimize on-shelf availability, working capital, and audit readiness.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Inventory Clerk / Inventory Coordinator
Warehouse Associate or Material Handler
Supply Chain Coordinator or Logistics Specialist

Advancement To:

Senior Inventory Control Analyst
Inventory Control Manager / Inventory Team Lead
Supply Chain Manager or Operations Manager
Procurement Manager or Demand Planning Lead

Lateral Moves:

Demand Planner / Forecast Analyst
Logistics Analyst / Warehouse Operations Analyst
Quality Assurance Analyst (inventory quality focus)

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Own and execute the cycle count program across assigned warehouses and DCs, including count scheduling, exception resolution, root cause analysis and follow-up actions to achieve and sustain inventory accuracy targets (e.g., >98% SKU accuracy).
Perform daily and weekly inventory reconciliations between physical counts, warehouse management systems (WMS), and enterprise resource planning (ERP) transaction records (SAP, Oracle, NetSuite) and create variance reports for operations and finance.
Investigate inventory variances and shrinkage by collecting evidence, interviewing stakeholders (warehouse, receiving, shipping, quality), and documenting corrective action plans to reduce recurring discrepancies.
Create, maintain, and present inventory KPIs and dashboards (stock accuracy, days of inventory, turns, obsolescence rate, fill rate, lead time variance) using Excel, Power BI, or Tableau to enable data-driven decisions.
Process and validate inventory adjustments, cycle count adjustments, location transfers, and inventory corrections in ERP/WMS while ensuring proper audit trail, approvals and GL impact reconciliation.
Lead month-end and period close inventory activities including balance confirmations, cut-off testing, write-off requests, and reconciliations to support accurate financial reporting and COGS calculations.
Configure and maintain inventory master data and system parameters (ABC classifications, unit of measure conversions, safety stock levels, reorder points, location/bins) in ERP/WMS to support accurate transactions and reporting.
Collaborate with procurement and demand planning teams to identify slow-moving and obsolete stock, recommend disposition strategies (consignment return, scrap, liquidation) and update safety stock and replenishment policies.
Support receiving and put-away audit processes: review inbound paperwork, verify quantities against POs, coordinate with vendors and 3PLs on discrepancies, and document root causes and preventative actions.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives using lean methodologies to reduce cycle count time, eliminate manual reconciliation steps, and increase automation between WMS and ERP systems.
Partner with warehouse operations and shipping teams to audit outbound inventory accuracy, pick/pack/ship processes, and implement process changes that reduce mis-picks and customer returns.
Conduct SKU-level data analysis (ABC/XYZ, velocity analysis, seasonality studies) to support inventory rationalization, shelf-space optimization and replenishment policy adjustments.
Execute physical inventory events (annual full inventory or targeted inventory freezes), coordinate cross-functional teams, prepare inventory cut-off procedures and reconcile results to ledger balances.
Prepare and deliver detailed variance analyses and inventory trend reports for leadership, highlighting risks, root causes, financial impact, and recommended mitigation plans.
Support vendor claims and returns processing by compiling evidence, coordinating returns authorization, and reconciling vendor credits against inventory and payables.
Manage inventory holds and quarantines for quality and compliance issues; work with QA and receiving to disposition affected SKUs and update system statuses to prevent accidental fulfillment.
Implement and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs) and work instructions for inventory control processes, and train warehouse and receiving staff on best practices.
Execute ad-hoc data pulls, custom queries and SQL extracts to validate inventory transactions, perform reconciliations and support continuous improvement projects.
Monitor and control consignment, VMI (vendor-managed inventory) and third-party inventory arrangements; reconcile records, resolve discrepancies and ensure contractual compliance.
Lead post-audit remediation plans by addressing audit findings, implementing corrective actions and tracking results to closure to improve compliance and reduce risk.
Coordinate with IT and system integrators on WMS/ERP upgrades, patches and integrations to ensure inventory logic, counts and transactions are preserved and validated post-deployment.
Drive SKU rationalization efforts by analyzing SKU proliferation, lead times, margin impact, and recommending delist or consolidation to reduce carrying costs and complexity.
Maintain accurate bin/location management and implement slotting recommendations to reduce travel time, improve picking accuracy and maximize warehouse utilization.
Provide training, mentorship and feedback to junior inventory staff and cross-functional partners to increase adherence to inventory policies and improve data quality.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.
Assist in cross-functional projects such as ERP migrations, WMS implementations and supply chain network optimization where inventory accuracy is a key deliverable.
Support quarterly or annual internal and external audits by preparing documentation, answering auditor questions and performing required reconciliations.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Inventory Management and Control best practices (cycle counting, physical inventory, reconciliation)
ERP systems experience (SAP MM/WM, Oracle, NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics) — configuration and transactional knowledge
Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) hands-on operation and integration troubleshooting
Advanced Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, INDEX-MATCH, macros) for inventory analysis
SQL querying for extraction, validation and reconciliation of inventory transactional data
Reporting and visualization tools (Power BI, Tableau) to build dashboards and KPI reports
Strong understanding of inventory accounting concepts (FIFO/LIFO, cost of goods sold, inventory reserves, obsolescence)
Cycle count program design and statistical sampling methods (ABC/XYZ)
Root cause analysis and corrective action planning (5 Whys, RCA)
Data integrity management, master data governance and SKU/location maintenance
Experience with barcode/RF scanning technology, RFID and automated data capture
Familiarity with Lean, Six Sigma or continuous improvement methodologies applied to warehouse/inventory processes
Knowledge of supply chain concepts: safety stock optimization, replenishment logic, demand variability
Experience supporting audits (internal SOX, external auditors) and regulatory compliance

Soft Skills

Analytical mindset with strong attention to detail and data-driven decision making
Excellent written and verbal communication for cross-functional stakeholder engagement
Problem-solving orientation and persistence in resolving complex discrepancies
Ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks in a fast-paced operational environment
Collaborative team player who can influence without direct authority
Project management skills and experience driving cross-functional initiatives
Strong organizational skills and process orientation
Adaptability to changing systems, processes and business needs
Coaching and training ability for operational teams
High ethical standards and commitment to accuracy and auditability

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, Industrial Engineering, or related field — OR equivalent work experience in inventory control.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor’s degree plus professional certification (APICS/ASCM CPIM, CSCP, or Six Sigma) or Advanced degree in Supply Chain, Operations or Business Analytics.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Supply Chain Management
Logistics / Transportation Management
Business Administration / Finance / Accounting
Industrial Engineering / Operations Research
Data Analytics / Management Information Systems

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 2–5 years of inventory control, warehouse operations, or supply chain analytics experience.

Preferred: 3–7+ years of progressive inventory control or supply chain experience with proven expertise in ERP/WMS systems (SAP, Oracle, NetSuite), cycle count program ownership, inventory reconciliations, and building inventory reporting/dashboards for operational and finance stakeholders.