Customer Supply Manager jobs
Maintaining a supply of stock is vital in retail and manufacturing. With retail, a lack of stock can result in empty shelves or inability to monopolise on promotions. In manufacturing, failure to supply vital components can bring a production line to a halt, with potentially disastrous results for supplier and manufacturer alike.
The customer supply manager’s job will be at the bare minimum to ensure that such events never happen. But it will also be about much more. It will be to ensure regular and timely delivery to meet the customer’s needs, communicate with the customer regularly to be updated on shifting needs which can either be predictable (e.g. seasonal demand or national festivals) or in reasonably short timeframes (e.g. something sparked by unseasonable weather or product recall replenishments). It will also to ensure that efficiency is built into the whole process.
Modern supply management can involve a good deal of automated ordering via direct-channel communication between sales departments, stock rooms and supplier. It is still essential to keep on top of the supply needs and manage forecasts and fine-tuning however, and since this might form only a part of the supply effort, there could be a good deal of juggling between this and the traditional means of identifying supply needs.
The skills required
With regular contact with customers an essential part of the job, the customer supply manager will need to possess first rate communication skills over any channel or face to face. Errors in ordering that are down to bad communication or overly complex instructions will not be tolerated in almost any supplier/customer relationship.
Since you might have a good deal of autonomy in the role, you’ll need to demonstrate an ability to make actionable decisions and see them through to fulfilment without constant reference to senior management. In high volume customer supply, such as in supermarkets, the supplied goods could be diverse and numerous, so you’ll need to be on top of all their stats from an early stage.
You’ll also need to be completely at ease using software solutions that are relevant to the type of supply you’ll be engaged with. A good all-round ability to pick up and master novel IT solutions will stand you in good stead, as many suppliers will have their own systems in operation.
Customer Supply Manager Jobs in Barnsley
Barnsley is a town of about 75,000 population in South Yorkshire. Roughly speaking it would be the centre point of a circle that passed though Leeds, Sheffield, Doncaster and Huddersfield, each of which is about 14 miles (25 km) away. To its south west is the beautiful Peak District National Park. Barnsley is served by the M1 running north-south, as well as the Sheffield to Leeds railway.
Barnsley was originally a market town and also traveller’s rest location for people moving to and from Leeds and Sheffield, but the discovery of coal and the Industrial Revolution turned it into a powerhouse of productivity. The Barnsley Canal was completed at the start of the nineteenth century, and although it was closed in the mid-20th century (partly due to subsidence from mining, ironically), there is a campaign to get it fixed, dredged and reopened for recreation. Much of the heavy industry has now gone, although one of its specialisms, glassmaking, remains active. A glassblower and a miner appear on Barnsley’s coat of arms.
The town has given us a number of famous people, particularly in sport. Cricket without Dickie Bird and Darren Gough would not be quite the same, and football was made a little more colourful by Mick McCarthey. Perhaps the most famous child of Barnsley, though, is chat show host to the stars of the 70s and 80s, Michael Parkinson.
While Barnsley’s industrial base is a shadow of its former self, it is still possible to find Customer Supply Manager positions in the town. It has a sizeable population and serves a wide area, with no other major settlements closer than the cities of Sheffield and Leeds.
Popular locations
Cast UK’s supply chain opportunities
Cast UK’s founder members and consultants all come from the logistics, procurement and supply chain sectors, so we know what employers and candidates are looking for in their staff and careers respectively. Cast UK is growing in this part of the UK recruitment industry, mainly because these are the only sectors we deal with, which means that many employers come to us first to create a candidate shortlist because they know we’re tightly focused on delivering the best people to them.
People approach us for many reasons, whether seeking more job fulfilment or simply relocating with the family, so it’s good to know that we always have the complete range of positions available nationwide.
Please see what’s available in your region and if you’ve seen something you’re interested in, do get in touch – whether it’s today or tomorrow, we might have the ideal position for you.
To find out more about how Cast UK can help you recruit a Customer Supply Manager for your business or find you a job as a Customer Supply Manager then contact one of our consultant team on 0333 121 3345.
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