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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Item Specialist

💰 $ - $

OperationsInventorySupply ChainRetailE-commerce

🎯 Role Definition

The Item Specialist is accountable for the creation, maintenance, and governance of the item master and product catalog to ensure accurate SKU data, consistent product attributes, and efficient inventory operations. This role centralizes product information across ERP and retail systems, drives SKU rationalization initiatives, supports procurement and merchandising with clean master data, and reduces stock inaccuracies by enforcing data standards and validation rules. The Item Specialist partners closely with supply chain, procurement, merchandising, IT, and finance to improve time-to-market for new items and maintain compliance with regulatory and internal data quality policies.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Inventory Clerk / Receiving Clerk
  • Data Entry Specialist (Inventory/Product Data)
  • Merchandising Assistant / Category Assistant

Advancement To:

  • Item Master Lead / Senior Item Specialist
  • Inventory Manager / SKU Optimization Manager
  • Category Manager or Product Catalog Manager

Lateral Moves:

  • Procurement / Sourcing Specialist
  • Supply Chain Analyst / Data Analyst (Inventory)
  • Product Information Management (PIM) Analyst

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Maintain and govern the item master database by creating, updating, and deactivating SKUs with complete, standardized attributes (descriptions, UPC/GTIN, dimensions, weight, category, cost, unit of measure, supplier information) to ensure consistent product data across ERP, e-commerce, and POS systems.
  • Lead SKU onboarding for new product introductions by coordinating with buyers, suppliers, packaging, compliance, and IT to collect validated documentation, images, and regulatory information, and to set up inventory parameters and replenishment rules in the ERP.
  • Execute regular item master audits and data quality checks (duplicate SKUs, missing attributes, incorrect classifications) and implement corrective action plans to reduce data-related exceptions and improve inventory accuracy.
  • Manage SKU lifecycle and rationalization projects by analyzing slow-moving and obsolete stock, recommending consolidation or discontinuation, and supporting cross-functional decisions to reduce carrying costs and improve SKU productivity.
  • Configure and maintain item hierarchies, category mapping, and classification taxonomies to support reporting, pricing strategies, and merchandising segmentation.
  • Define and enforce item naming conventions, attribute standards, and documentation requirements to reduce ambiguity and enable automated downstream processes such as EDI, labeling, and barcode printing.
  • Collaborate with procurement and supplier management to ensure vendor item records (supplier SKUs, lead times, pack sizes) are synchronized with the master item and reflect contractual terms and agreed-upon trade item identifiers.
  • Validate and reconcile unit-of-measure conversions, packaging configurations, and case/pallet-level attributes to prevent receiving and fulfillment errors in warehouse operations.
  • Serve as the subject matter expert for ERP item master modules (SAP MM, Oracle Inventory, NetSuite Item Records), driving configuration changes and testing updates related to item attributes, item statuses, and item lifecycle flows.
  • Partner with warehouse and fulfillment teams to resolve SKU-level discrepancies, support cycle counts and physical inventory processes, and drive root-cause analysis for recurring inventory adjustments.
  • Support pricing and finance by ensuring cost, landed cost, and margin-related attributes are accurate and updated to reflect supplier changes, trade promotions, and freight adjustments.
  • Create and maintain product data templates, intake forms, and SOPs for new item requests, preventing incomplete or inconsistent submissions and accelerating time-to-shelf.
  • Oversee barcode, RFID, and GTIN assignment processes, verifying label compliance and scannability for receiving, picking, and point-of-sale environments.
  • Provide structured input and validation for integrations between PIM/MDM systems and ERP/e-commerce platforms to ensure synchronized product catalog changes and real-time inventory visibility.
  • Monitor and report on key performance indicators related to item data quality (completeness, timeliness, accuracy), SKU productivity, and inventory value, and present findings to stakeholders to inform continuous improvement.
  • Troubleshoot and resolve item-related exceptions in order fulfillment, procurement, and financial reconciliations by coordinating corrective tasks across teams.
  • Drive continuous improvement initiatives to automate repetitive item maintenance tasks, using macros, scripts, or basic SQL queries to accelerate data updates and reduce manual errors.
  • Act as the escalation point for complex item mapping issues during system migrations, rollouts, or master data consolidation projects, creating reconciliation plans and validating cutover data.
  • Support regulatory and compliance submissions by ensuring product attribute traceability (materials, country of origin, safety certifications) is captured and retained in the item master.
  • Train business users and cross-functional partners on item creation processes, data standards, and how to use templates and tools for product data capture.
  • Coordinate seasonal and promotional SKU changes, temporary items, and bundle configurations to ensure correct activation and deactivation windows in all selling channels.
  • Prepare and maintain audit trails, documentation, and change logs for item updates and approvals to satisfy internal controls and external audits.
  • Lead vendor onboarding for product data exchange (spec sheets, images, CSV feeds, EDI) and validate incoming feeds for completeness, formatting, and mapping to internal item attributes.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc product and inventory data requests and provide exploratory analysis to answer business questions about SKU performance, inventory days on hand, and product segmentation.
  • Contribute to the organization's data governance and product information roadmap by recommending improvements to the item master model and participating in prioritization sessions.
  • Collaborate with merchandising, procurement, IT, and analytics teams to translate business needs into clear item setup requirements, acceptance criteria, and test cases.
  • Participate in sprint planning, UAT, and agile ceremonies for PIM/ERP enhancement projects to ensure item-related requirements are correctly implemented and validated.
  • Assist in vendor and supplier communications to remediate data gaps, inaccurate feeds, or missing compliance documentation and drive supplier performance improvements.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Item Master / SKU Management: Proven experience creating and maintaining item master records, SKU attributes, and hierarchies in an ERP or PIM system.
  • ERP Platforms: Hands-on experience with SAP MM/SD, Oracle Inventory, NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics, or comparable ERP systems for item configuration and maintenance.
  • Product Information Management (PIM) / MDM: Familiarity with PIM/MDM tools and best practices for centralized product data governance and synchronization.
  • Data Analysis & Reporting: Strong ability to analyze SKU-level performance using Excel (advanced formulas, pivot tables), SQL queries, or BI tools (Tableau, Power BI) to drive insights and actions.
  • Barcode, GTIN & Labeling: Knowledge of UPC/GTIN assignment, barcode label standards, and RFID basics for warehouse and POS scanning accuracy.
  • Inventory Control Concepts: Understanding of ABC analysis, cycle counting, safety stock, replenishment logic, and SKU rationalization methodologies.
  • Data Quality & Governance: Experience designing data validation rules, error handling workflows, and data stewardship processes for master data.
  • Basic Scripting / Automation: Comfort creating macros, scripts, or using ETL tools to automate bulk item updates and clean-ups.
  • Integration & EDI: Awareness of EDI flows, CSV/API feeds, and mapping requirements for supplier data exchange and multi-system synchronization.
  • Documentation & SOPs: Ability to author standard operating procedures, templates, and intake forms for consistent item onboarding.

Soft Skills

  • Attention to Detail: Meticulous focus on data accuracy and consistency, catching subtle discrepancies that impact operations or reporting.
  • Cross-Functional Communication: Clear communicator who can align merchandising, procurement, warehouse, IT, and finance on item data decisions.
  • Problem Solving & Root Cause Analysis: Methodical approach to diagnosing recurring SKU and inventory issues and implementing sustainable fixes.
  • Project Orientation: Ability to manage multiple item master projects simultaneously, prioritize tasks, and meet deadlines.
  • Stakeholder Management: Influential collaborator who negotiates priorities and drives consensus across closely coupled business teams.
  • Adaptability: Comfortable in fast-paced retail or e-commerce environments with shifting product assortments and seasonal volatility.
  • Analytical Mindset: Data-driven decision-making, able to interpret metrics and recommend process or system changes.
  • Training & Enablement: Experience delivering training sessions and documentation to enable stakeholders to follow item setup standards.
  • Quality Focus: Commitment to continuous improvement and process discipline to elevate product data maturity.
  • Organizational Ability: Strong time management and process orientation to maintain a high volume of item records and requests.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • High school diploma or equivalent with demonstrated experience in inventory or product data roles.

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Logistics, Information Systems, or a related field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Supply Chain / Logistics
  • Business Administration / Management
  • Information Systems / Data Management
  • Retail / Merchandising
  • Operations Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 1–5 years of relevant experience managing item master, SKU data, or inventory operations.

Preferred:

  • 3+ years of direct experience in item master management, PIM/MDM, or ERP item configuration within retail, wholesale, manufacturing, or e-commerce.
  • Experience with ERP implementations, system migrations, or SKU rationalization projects is a plus.
  • Certifications such as APICS CPIM/CSCP, GS1 GTIN training, or ERP-related certifications are advantageous.
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