Category Analyst Jobs
Category analysis is a key strategic role, assisting with the profitability of the company by minimising waste and eliminating overstocking and under-ordering. The modern role involves a good deal of computer analysis but also plenty of interpersonal work with suppliers and those at the customer-facing side of the business.
Much of the work will be involved with identifying trends and predicting future events that will influence the needs of the categories under your control, particularly by identifying opportunities and threats. Just as important will be looking into your own past actions and judging whether or not they corrected the problem and if there was improvement, identifying areas where even more efficiency can be introduced into the system.
Regular contact with suppliers will be required as it is they who will ultimately determine whether your plans can be fulfilled. Since they will have their own supply needs, the accuracy and timeliness of your projections will be key to maintaining supply.
The category analyst will also need to keep abreast of new procurement technologies and systems as these might be able to provide long-term efficiencies to the company.
Depending on the size of the employer, the category analyst will report directly to senior management or to intermediated category managers.
The skills required
Superb analysis skills will be required for this role, and although much of the number crunching will be computerised, there’s a strong human element to the role. The category analyst will be required to keep in touch with national and global news and cultural events which could influence future opportunities negatively or positively. You must have the confidence in your results to take action in a timely and effective manner.
Experience of the specific sector in question is usually considered an advantage in category analysis, as some trends might be unknown to outsiders. Good Excel experience will usually be considered essential, and skills in SAP, Oracle and Business Objects are often required.
Category Analyst Jobs in Rugby
The Warwickshire town of Rugby has several associations that make it well known, but by far the most notable is the game of rugby, which was supposedly invented when a boy, Webb Ellis, at school picked up the ball in a game of football in 1823 and ran with it (although some sport historians dispute the likelihood of this being true). The school in question was Rugby School, a public school that started off as a charitable place of education for local boys and ended up rather more exclusive.
The town is about as central in England as it’s possible to be. It’s located about 11 miles (18 km) east of Coventry, 18 miles (30 km) south of Leicester and 17 miles (28 km) north west of Northampton. Rugby is extremely well served by road and rail. It is surrounded to its north, east and south by the M6, M1 and M45 respectively, and has rail links to all the major metropolitan regions, a reminder of its importance in the railway golden age, when it was a key junction and engineering works.
Rugby might have a rather genteel image, and is quite a tourist magnet thanks to its beautiful Victorian architecture, but in reality it’s quite an industrialised town. It has log been a centre of engineering; the first jet engine was built there and the turbine tradition lives on today in the shape of a major Alstom plant and the Rolls Royce plc plant just up the road in Ansty. The town is also associated with cement making. Rugby is a good place to look for Category Analyst work as it has diversified into being a centre of distribution thanks to its transport links, but also because of its industry in the town and nearby.
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Discover category analyst opportunities with Cast UK
Cast UK are dedicated to filling roles in the procurement sector, so whether you are looking for promotion or moving home or just feel the need to try something different, please give us a call.
Because of the calibre of talent we provide, employers consider us a vital part in their recruitment process. Many employers trust us to provide a shortlist for interview, saving them time and money and ensuring the candidates we suggest are best suited to the roles.
We are always welcoming new candidates, so do get in touch and get yourself on our books, even if you’re not looking for work right now; you never know what opportunities will arise in the near future!
To find out more about how Cast UK can help you recruit a Category Analyst for your business or find you a job as a Category Analyst then contact one of our consultant team on 0333 121 3345.
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